Pokemon Go Raids Coming in Early July

Pokemon Go is rolling out a major update this week, bringing a revamped gym system and plenty of other changes to the game. Although the update is live for most Android users, many of these new changes aren't currently available and Pokemon Go hasn't given a clear timeframe as to when they'll get rolled out.

The Pokemon Company sent out a newsletter to fans this morning that indicated the gyms, raids, and other "cooperative gameplay" features would open up next month. "Get ready for a revamped Gym experience, cooperative fun with Raid Battles, and more - coming to Pokemon Go in early July," the email reads.

While many fans were hoping that gyms would open up once Apple posted the new update to its App Store, a July timeframe makes sense. The extra week would give Pokemon Go a little extra time to smooth over any kinks in the system prior to officially launching its much touted new feature.

The opening could coincide with Pokemon Go's first birthday on July 6, which is when the game officially went live in Australia.

In addition to fixing many of the perceived problems with the game's original gym system, the new update will also roll out Legendary Pokemon to Pokemon Go as part of a new Raid feature. Players will work together to fight super-powerful Pokemon that take over local gyms. While the Raids themselves will pop up frequently, Legendary Raids will initially be available only to a select number of active players chosen by game developers.

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