A few days ago, a find hinted at a new long-awaited raid feature in Pokémon GO. Now it is already available in the first region and can be used. We at MeinMMO will show you what it’s about and how it works.
What raid feature is it? For years, trainers have been wishing for a kind of GO
-button in the raid lobby of Pokémon GO. This is supposed to shorten the long preparation times before raids when trainers are fully ready. This is particularly helpful for simple raids, where one wants to participate alone or with just two. But until now, nothing happened.
However, after a find by PokeMiners last week indicated a release of the Ready
-button, it has now actually been discovered in the first region of the game.
Ready button is now active for first trainers
Where was the new button discovered? On Sunday, July 2, 2023, our MeinMMO reader Angelique L. made us aware of her discovery through our Pokémon group on Facebook. She told us on request that she accidentally discovered the new Ready
-button at a remote raid in Hong Kong. She shared a picture in our group and on Twitter, showing the new feature.
We wanted to know more and therefore arranged to be invited to raids there as well. And we can also confirm: Yes, the button is indeed already implemented in the game there. In Germany, however, we have not yet been able to detect the new feature.
Why is it not available everywhere? It is likely that the new button in Hong Kong is part of a test series by Niantic. This is not unusual, as other features, like the competitions at PokéStops or routes, are regularly tested only locally or with selected trainers until they are eventually released for everyone in the game.
It is currently unknown whether only Hong Kong is affected or if the button is also available in other countries. A possible worldwide release is still uncertain. Therefore, we have asked Niantic for more information. As soon as we have a response, we will update this here.
This is the new Ready button in Pokémon GO
How does the new feature work? As you can see in the following image, the green button already catches your eye after joining the lobby. It is located in the middle below the participant list. Above it is a small overview indicating how many trainers have already activated the button. Alongside, the normal raid timer runs down as usual.
If you activate the button, you will initially receive a short message. It says: Are you ready for the raid? As soon as all trainers are ready, the lobby timer will count down. You can still leave the raid before it starts.
Here you now have the option to confirm or cancel your selection.
If the button is pressed by all trainers in the lobby, the timer jumps directly and counts down the last 10 seconds until the battle begins. This is your last chance to leave the lobby before the start.
It can be said that the new feature significantly shortens the time until the raid, especially in established communities.
Does it work for all raids? The new feature is obviously available in all raids. We arranged invitations to battles of different raid levels and were able to use this button in all.
A major disadvantage: The new raid feature currently also has a major disadvantage that many have already suspected after the release of the findings from PokeMiners. The Ready
-button can only be activated if at least two trainers are active in the lobby. If you are alone, the button is greyed out and you have to wait until the regular time has counted down.
If this is the case permanently, it makes the button particularly unattractive for small raids that can also be completed alone. Many players specifically wished that the time could be significantly shortened by such a feature. Whether this will be improved remains to be seen.
What do you think of the outlook for the new feature? Have you been able to try it out yourself at a remote raid? If so, in which region? Please let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange ideas with other trainers about it.
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