In Pokémon GO, many trainers celebrated the remote raid change. But now it seems that it is not here to stay.
This is the change: Recently, trainers discovered that they could suddenly join their friends’ remote raids without needing an invitation. They could simply see in the friends list if someone was currently doing a raid – and just join, as long as the trainer had not disabled this option.
Additionally, trainers can currently invite friends to remote raids even when they are only in a remote raid lobby themselves. This was also not possible before, and only trainers who were on site could invite players.
This effectively means: Raid lobbies can currently be filled much more easily from a distance, making it easier to defeat difficult raid bosses. This way, there are more opportunities to get many trainers into the lobby.
The change has been celebrated by many trainers. But now it turns out that it is at least not meant to be permanent for the time being.
Test phase of the raid expansion in Pokémon GO lasts only a short time
This is what Niantic says: Niantic released a blog post in which the feature is explained in more detail. However, it also clearly states:
This feature is currently available as a limited-time test and will remain live until the end of Pokémon GO Wild Area: Global on Sunday, November 24.
Niantic via niantic.helpshift.com
The event is the big GO Nature Zone, which runs over the weekend. It can be assumed that the raid change will be reversed next Monday – at least for now.
How is the community reacting? In the first reactions, such as in the subreddit for Pokémon GO “TheSilphRoad”, trainers are rather disappointed (via reddit). They consider the change to be one of the best in recent years and would like to keep the raid feature.
Is there any information for afterward? No, it is only officially known that the test will end. Whether and when the feature will return afterward is currently completely open. Accordingly, trainers can only hope for now that the test turns out positively and the raid expansion returns.
At least this weekend, the feature can be useful, as several raids are taking place during the GO Nature Zone that one might want to complete. All information about the event and what happens during the GO Nature Zone can be found here.
