In Pokémon GO, a new important function has been added to raids, which causes quite a stir among the trainers. We at MeinMMO show you what this new feature is and what it is useful for.
What are raids? In Pokémon GO, you can not only encounter monsters in the wild, but also fight against them in so-called raids. Especially the coveted legendary Pokémon like Mewtwo can be encountered there. If you defeat the raid boss, you have the chance to catch it.
However, not all raids can be completed by a trainer alone. Especially for 5-star raids, where the legendary specimens can be found, you need the support of other trainers. Until now, it was not possible to see on the map in Pokémon GO if other trainers wanted to do such a raid. However, this is set to change with a new important function in the game.
Here we show you all legendary raid bosses in April
New raid function shows you if trainers are in the lobby
What kind of function is this? As Reddit user Kaisonic shows in his post, Niantic has adjusted the map design for raids. While previously only the general raid symbol that indicated the strength of the raid boss and a running raid timer could be found above an arena, you can now easily recognize whether trainers are in the lobby and possibly want to engage in this battle.
But that is not all. As Kaisonic explains in the comments, the number of trainers in a raid lobby is now displayed directly on the map, but can also be viewed via the “Nearby” menu item in the “Raids” tab.
Why is the function so helpful? Until now, searching for other trainers who could support in a raid on site was not easy, especially when not in contact with players from the local community.
For this, you had to click on an arena to see whether other trainers were already in the lobby and also interested in this boss. This was particularly problematic when multiple raids were taking place simultaneously in different arenas, as is the case during the weekly raid hour.
With the new display, trainers no longer have to click on the arenas and can directly see on the map or in the “Nearby” menu that other players want to participate in a specific raid and can now join faster. This is particularly interesting for raids that can only be played on-site but are too difficult to manage alone, such as the top raids.
Feature generates excitement among trainers
The trainers from the Reddit community are excited about the new raid feature, viewing it as a great quality-of-life update. For years, players have been requesting a way to better see the number of trainers in a raid lobby without having to open the arena or the raid itself. This can be seen in the comments (via reddit.com):
- rwaterbender: “A really good QOL update!”
- 3BAD3WOLF3: “Wonderful. Oh God. It is actually something positive.”
- Fr00stee: “Finally, it took them only 6 years.”
Criticism of the new raid function
Missing raid timer: However, there is also criticism of the new update. While other players are in a raid lobby, the remaining time in which this raid can be completed before it disappears from the arena is no longer displayed. Pokemaster131 writes (via reddit.com): “I really appreciate this, but did it have to take the same space on the surface as the raid timer?”
Once the battle has started or trainers have exited the lobby, the timer on the map will again be displayed as usual. Those who do not want to wait can alternatively click on the arena. There, the remaining time is still displayed. In the “Nearby” overview, both the remaining time and the current participants in a lobby can also be viewed.
Too large distance: And also, the harsh criticism of the recently made changes to remote raids does not go unmentioned. From the perspective of some players, the radius in which the arenas can be viewed is so large that they cannot reach the arena in time by foot during the preparation time that a raid gives.
User Sirenato therefore writes (via reddit.com): “The downside is that the raid has already started by the time I arrive there. Good approach, but it needs more.”
Thus, these players would unfortunately have to revert to the popular remote raid passes if they want to participate in such a raid. However, since early April, these have not only become significantly more expensive but also limited to 5 per day, which is why a petition has been launched.
Trainer hibryd can understand the criticism but still finds the new function useful, as he explains in the comments:
I still accept it. I never get enough people for 4-5 star raids when I first enter the lobby. I usually jump in and out, and if I’m lucky, we gather a small group that does the same until enough people join to actually do the raid. I often start a lobby hoping to get people to join me, BUT that only works if they click on the arena. Now other players can see at a glance that someone is there. This will be a huge improvement for me.
hibryd via reddit.com
What is your opinion on the new raid function? Do you find it helpful that you can now directly see that other trainers are in the raid lobby? Or do you usually raid only with fixed players? Let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange ideas with other trainers.
By the way: On Sunday, there will be a strong research event in Pokémon GO, where especially shiny hunters will get their money’s worth. We have summarized all the content from the research day for you.
