Pokemon GO Raid Battles & New Gym Features Revealed
Pokemon GO will soon get a huge and important new update. Niantic is introducing a bunch of new features into the game, all of them revolving around Gyms. It will completely change how the Gyms work. Included in the update are new Gym features, Gym badges, and the long-awaited Raid Battles.
Niantic is preparing the largest and possibly most significant Pokemon GO update to date. It will introduce a whole bunch of new and exciting features, which were listed in the recent post on the official website. In order to implement the new stuff, Niantic had to close Pokemon GO Gyms, so we hope you’ve collected your Defender bonuses in time! But enough beating around the bush, let’s get into the new features!
New Pokemon GO Gym Features & Raid Battles
First off, the Gym updates and new features. Once the update drops, you’ll see that the Gyms are very different. For one, they’ll now have Photo Discs that you can spin and get items from, just like PokeStops. Another major change is that all Gyms will now have six predetermined slots for the controlling team’s Pokemon. So, no more training and Prestige. On top of that, Pokemon in the Gym slots have to be unique. In other words, if you have one Tyranitar in a Gym, you can’t have a second one.
However, the biggest change is the new Motivation system that Niantic will introduce. Here’s how that will work. Pokemon in a Gym will have a certain amount of Motivation, which they will lose as they get defeated in battles. As their motivation drops, so will their CP (temporarily), making them even easier to beat. When their Motivation drops to zero, they’ll leave the Gym and go back to their trainer. However, you can prevent this by feeding the Pokemon Berries, which will restore their Motivation. You can do this even to Pokemon that aren’t your own to help your team retain control over a Gym.
Next up, new Gym badges. Just like with all other Pokemon GO badges, you can level up the new Gym badges by interacting with Gyms in different ways. You’ll be able to earn and level them up by battling, spinning the new Photo Discs, and feeding Berries to Pokemon in Gyms. As you level the new badges up, you’ll be able to earn extra bonus items and increased Gym rewards.
Last, but far from the least, the new Raid Battle feature. This is the main new thing that this update will bring. According to Nianitc, “a Raid Battle is a cooperative gameplay experience that encourages you to work with other Trainers to defeat an extremely powerful Pokémon known as the Raid Boss.” An Egg with a timer will appear above a Gym just before the raid begins. Once the countdown ends, the Raid Boss will hatch. Up to twenty trainers can participate in taking down a Raid Boss.
To join in on a raid, you’ll have to have a Raid Pass. You can get those for free once a day by visiting a Gym. However, you can only have one Raid Pass at a time. You’ll also be able to purchase Premium Raid Passes from the in-game store, because of course. To join a raid, simply use your pass and start fighting. You and all the other trainers participating will have a five-minute limit to defeat the Raid Boss. If you succeed, you’ll get the opportunity to catch an extra powerful Pokemon all by yourself.
So, fellow trainers, this will indeed be one legendary summer. Once the update drops, there’ll be a lot of new stuff to do. No doubt, this will both delight constant players, and maybe even bring back some of the trainers that have since stopped playing. See you out there!
