The EX Raids in Pokémon GO have already frustrated many trainers because they are so valuable yet so opaque. Members of the trainer community create lengthy analyses that deal with the EX Raids. Now there are initial results on the criteria for selecting the corresponding gyms.
When Niantic introduced the EX Raids in Pokémon GO, some trainers were excited about the chance to catch rare monsters there. In EX Raids, trainers can currently catch the monster Mewtwo. However, you first need to find a gym where these special adventures take place and be invited to these exclusive battles.
Because the Pokémon GO developers at Niantic do not reveal exact details, the community is taking the decoding of the EX Raid puzzle into its own hands.
New Insights about EX Raids
In the following article, we want to show you current insights originating from the community on Reddit and PokémonGOHub. Reddit user Tntnnbltn made significant efforts by compiling his analysis from over 1000 EX Raids for TheSilphroad community. Based on his research and collaboration with the community, some criteria can now be established that qualify a gym for EX Raids.
- EX Raids occur in Level 20 S2 cells. Each of these cells can contain only one EX Raid per “invitation wave”. We will show you what these S2 cells are shortly.
- EX Raids only occur in gyms that are either sponsored or marked with specific park keywords on OpenStreetMap.
S2 Cells?
The so-called “S2 cells” are a way to divide the world map. When dividing into programs, you can specify the size of the cells. Level 0 represents huge (worldwide) and Level 30 is particularly small.
The community found that these S2 cells are frequently used by Niantic to determine aspects such as weather, biomes, or spawn points of Pokémon. According to recent findings, the developers used the S2 cells at Level 20 (thanks to our readers) to determine the selection of EX Raid gyms.
To view these cells, GOHub recommends the Region Converter. Click here for the converter on S2.Sidewalklabs.com
Finding Areas for EX Raid Gyms
It is known that an EX Raid gym is either sponsored or meets certain “park” criteria on OpenStreetMap. On OpenStreetMap, you can mark certain areas. However, a “park” is not just a park; there are various classifications for it. So far, 17 “tags” have been confirmed that designate gyms as parks and thus qualify them for EX Raids.
What looks complicated at first glance can be applied with a few clicks to individual regions. For simplified searching, trainer Tntnnbltn created a search query with the corresponding values for the Overpass-Turbo website. This search query will navigate you to Overpass-Turbo.eu
If a gym is within a Level 20 S2 cell and in the blue marked zone, it qualifies for an EX Raid. This does not mean, however, that you can trigger an EX Raid there 100% of the time. Only that the mentioned criteria are fulfilled.
Raiding a Lot, Even in Groups
PokémonGOHub recommends that you conduct raids only at the gyms located in “parks”. Additionally, raiding as a group is more effective than solo raiding. These are important tips for triggering EX Raids at specific gyms. We will link the complete guide from GOHub and trainer Tntnnbltn in the sources of this article.
All the prerequisites do not guarantee that the gym will become a site for EX Raids. Trainers continue to research this puzzle. Additionally, it likely takes a crucial stroke of luck for you to receive an invitation to one.
It is a science in itself that the experts engage in to uncover the secret of EX Raids. Furthermore, many factors remain unclear that are still being investigated.
The work the community is doing is remarkable and will certainly be observed by Niantic. Will the developers change the requirements once the secret to qualifying for EX Raids has been unveiled?
After all, the exclusive raids are supposed to be something special. We are excited to see what discoveries will circulate on this topic in the coming days or weeks.
With this tip, you can catch the legendary Pokémon Kyogre more easily in Pokémon GO.
