Pokémon GO Announces Raid Battles & Overhauled Gyms

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Pokémon GO will temporarily be closing gyms across the world, but exciting new features are coming to the game soon. You can read the official update below and also check out the blog post for pictures!

New Gym Features and Updates: Starting soon, Gyms are undergoing a major facelift. You’ll soon be able to spin the Photo Disc at Gyms to acquire items just as you do at PokéStops—but that’s only the beginning. More updates to Gym battles are also just around the corner. Gyms are no longer based on Prestige and training. Instead, they now feature six permanent slots that can be filled by the controlling team’s Pokémon. Each Pokémon assigned to these slots must be unique. For example, only one Blissey can be assigned to a Gym at a time. In addition, opposing teams will battle the Pokémon in the order they were assigned to the Gym.

At the heart of the update is a new motivation system that will significantly change how you interact with Gyms. When a Pokémon is assigned to a Gym, a motivation meter will be displayed. Pokémon assigned to defend a Gym lose motivation over time and as they are defeated in battle. As a Pokémon loses motivation, its CP will temporarily decrease, making it easier for opposing teams to defeat. To help keep the Pokémon motivated and in tip-top shape for their next battle, Trainers can treat their team’s Pokémon to some Berries, which restore their motivation. If a Pokémon loses all motivation, it will leave the Gym and return to its Trainer the next time it loses a battle, so you’ll want to keep your team’s Pokémon motivated by giving them Berries frequently!

Gym Badges: Now you’ll be able to earn Gym Badges when interacting with the many Gyms around the world. Gym Badges serve as mementos of your Pokémon GO adventures and reflect your contribution to a Gym’s success.

You’ll be able to level up your Badges by battling, giving Berries to the Pokémon in the Gym and spinning the Gym’s Photo Disc. You can earn the opportunity to receive bonus items and increased rewards from Gyms by raising the level of your Gym Badge.

New Raid Battle Feature: All around the world, you’ll soon be able to participate in the new Raid Battle feature at Gyms. 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. Before a Raid Battle begins, all Pokémon assigned to the Gym will return to their Trainers, and a large Egg will appear atop the Gym. When the countdown above the Egg reaches zero, the Raid Boss will be revealed.

Before you can battle the Raid Boss, you’ll need a Raid Pass. You can get one free Raid Pass per day by visiting a Gym, but you can only hold one at a time. You can also get Premium Raid Passes from the in-game shop. Upon using your pass to join the battle, you and up to 20 other Trainers work together to defeat the Raid Boss. If you successfully defeat the Raid Boss within the five-minute time limit, you’ll have the chance to catch an extra powerful Pokémon of your own!

New Items: After defeating a Raid Boss, you’ll receive a collection of rewards, including some new items obtained only by defeating a Raid Boss: Rare Candies, Golden Razz Berries, and two types of Technical Machines—Fast and Charged. A Rare Candy is a mysterious candy that, when used on a Pokémon, turns into that Pokémon’s Candy. Golden Razz Berries will greatly increase your chances of catching a Pokémon you encounter in the wild and can also be given to a Pokémon assigned to a Gym to fully recover its motivation meter. Technical Machines are items you can use to permanently teach a Pokémon a new Fast Attack or Charged Attack.

To put these exciting changes in motion, we’ll be temporarily disabling all Gyms. Once the update has been rolled out to players around the world, Gyms will return. The Raid Battle feature will then be rolled out slowly over the next few weeks, starting as a beta, with raids visible only to a subset of players at certain Gym locations. Over a few days, we’ll invite more players to participate and enable raids at more Gyms around the world. Keep an eye on our social media channels for updates on when you’ll be able to start battling in raids. We can’t wait to see you outside battling at your local Gyms!

Phew! Lots of changes, but they certainly sound exciting!

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1,299 thoughts on “Pokémon GO Announces Raid Battles & Overhauled Gyms”

  10. Here’s some Fakemon stuff, just posting for feedback

    Basically, CryptoPokémon are just Pokémon that haven’t been officially confirmed, or still have much unknown about them.

    #???-Brewja (Brew + Bruja, Potion in a Bottle)
    The Concoction Pokémon
    Poison/Fairy
    Power of Alchemy/Clear Body

    Brewja is a species of Pokémon that is currently not confirmed to exist. Sightings are sporadic, but the realistic way Brewja is often described makes it a more widely accepted CryptoPokémon than others.

    Supposedly, Brewja is a fairy creature with a transparent body, the only opaque part being its stopper-like head. It contains a mystifying mixture that is unique to each Brewja, and they all cause a variety of effects. Certain Brewja have been recorded as kind, nurturing souls… Yet others have been described as pure evil.

    #???-Brewjaha (Brew + Bruja + Brouhaha, Cauldron)
    The Cauldron Pokémon
    Poison/Fairy
    Power of Alchemy/Steelworker

    Another, cauldron-like CryptoPokémon, and rumored to be an evolution to Brewja. This connection has been made by CryptoPokéologists who have stated that they are often seen together – and in fact it is believed that a Brewja’s mixture is influenced by its two parent Brewjaha.

    The player’s first encountered CryptoPokémon will be a Brewjaha in Pokémon Acid! An especially powerful Brewjaha will serve to challenge the player as they attempt to enter the Vat of Magic, and the Brewja it leaves behind serves as the first concrete example of the specimen!

    #???-Frixie (Frit + Pixie, Pixie Dust Pestle)
    The Pestle Pokémon
    Fairy/Rock
    Dust Settler/Sand Veil/Sand Stream

    Similar to Brewja, the main scientific community believes that Frixie’s existence is a possibility. Unlike Brewja, however, Frixie does not resemble an object – it skillfully utilises them! This crafty kobold utilises its pestle in order to create ‘Flixie Dust’, its main defensive mechanism. This dust has a random effect each time, inflicting a variety of status effects.

    #???-Iflit (Ifrit + Flit, Pixie Dust Mortar)
    The Mortar Pokémon
    Fairy/Rock
    Dust Settler/Sandglass/Sand Stream

    As it utilises a pestle, and has a similar appearance to it, Iflit has been connected to Flixie. They are believed to gather around other Flixie and Iflit in order to more efficiently make Flixie Dust. Iflit no longer need to use Flixie Dust as their sole defensive measure, but they can utilise what they store from Flixie they work with. They no longer need a pestle, crushing food in their mortar with their bare hands.

    The player’s first encountered CryptoPokémon will be an Iflit in Pokémon Base! An especially powerful Iflit will serve to challenge the player as they attempt to enter the Vat of Magic, and the Flixie it leaves behind serves as the first concrete example of the specimen!

    Too lazy to explain abilities and signature moves rn, just want feedback XD

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  12. GO is having some strange issues happening with the models, likely due to the updates currently happening. Interestingly enough though….Gastly and Pikachu’s colors have changed slightly….could they be sneaking Shinies into the update???!!! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/65aa75cd236e552fd69002691b50d49e6e3d38fbf0cd5dc0c01ae1ff77371822.png https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2d1321fb8e3c4696953e6e812961c8d4bb496746da28cfcd50ce2e9373b4bfa3.png https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d86af46e49b49d79cdb75a9e5e53b28500acd04ed0a68791c92c99cc03db28d5.png https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d86af46e49b49d79cdb75a9e5e53b28500acd04ed0a68791c92c99cc03db28d5.png

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    • I actually kind of like some of them bigger in size. The smaller versions made some of them look a little off. I think the Pokemon page models need resizing in general lol

      Reply

  13. I like how in Pokémon X and Y they change Yveltal from the death pokemon to the destruction pokemon then in Sun and Moon they just go “fuck it” and straight up say that Cosmog could die

    Reply

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