The Mega Evolutions are currently the big thing in Pokémon GO, but they have already received a lot of criticism. However, completing the Mega Raids has proven to be quite difficult for MeinMMO author Max Handwerk.
For almost two weeks, the Mega Evolutions have been in the game, stirring up quite a bit of dust. With their introduction, there was immediate criticism: the evolutions are the “biggest paywall since launch“, and MeinMMO colleague Noah Struthoff has not warmed up to the new Mega mechanic.
I had hoped for more from the Mega Evolutions than a somewhat hourly rentable, enhanced version of our Pokémon. Or: At least I would have thought that the effort wouldn’t be so high.
After the initial disappointment, I planned to collect the Mega Dex entries for Charizard, Venusaur, and Blastoise. At least once I wanted to try out the strong, new Mega Evolutions. I still find the concept of Mega Evolution extremely exciting. But to this day, nearly two weeks after the Mega launch, my count of Mega Evolutions still stands at zero. The reason: I. Can’t. Complete. These. Raids.
Always Alone Against Mega Charizard
That’s the problem: I should first clarify that I am rather a casual player compared to many trainers. As a level 34 trainer, I am likely still many months away from max level and do not have any overpowered Pokémon in my arsenal. I participate in many events like Community Days and occasionally catch a legendary monster. But to tackle difficult raids, I definitely need support.
Normally, this is not a problem. Monsters like Reshiram or Zekrom usually attract enough players in my area to complete the raid. The gyms here also change owners daily, so there are indeed some active players. However, the situation is different with the Mega Raids.
Mega Charizard, Mega Blastoise, and Mega Venusaur do appear every now and then, but it seems that no one wants to attack them. Looking at the gyms, there’s a yawning emptiness. I don’t need to try it alone or with just one other person. So the monsters are probably just having a relaxing time in the gyms around here and then disappear again.
It seems that the monsters simply do not provide enough incentive for many players to complete the raid. And slowly, I am also reaching that point: Until today, I have not had the chance to defeat any of the monsters – and my motivation is waning.
Because: To collect the necessary Mega Energy, I have to complete quite a number of raids. Currently, there are also no really worthwhile alternative ways to collect Mega Energy. At this pace, it would probably take months before I could celebrate my first Mega Evolution.
What should change? Initial changes to Mega Evolutions have already been announced, but currently, the cost-benefit ratio of Mega Raids for players – at least here in my area – still doesn’t seem right. The Mega Energy from raids would probably need to be increased further, or the costs of evolution need to be lowered.
It has to be worthwhile to complete a Mega Raid – especially since many players only have a limited number of raid passes available. And even players who buy raid passes with money will want a worthwhile return for that. Some YouTubers have also suggested ideas for possible improvements that would make the feature significantly more accessible.
