Over the last few days, Pokemon Go has implemented a temporary change to the way that Shadow Raids work in the game. During the Fashion Week: Takeover and the Ho-oh Shadow Raid Day events Niantic has made it so that players can participate in Shadow Raids remotely. This is the first time this has been possible since Shadow Raids were added to the game, and it’s safe to say players are pretty happy about it. So far, reception has been extremely positive on the Pokemon Go subreddit, and players are hoping the change becomes a permanent one.
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In a thread appropriately titled “Make Shadow Raids Permanently Remotable,” original poster Slow_Rabbit_2758 shared an image of a Shiny Shadow Registeel encounter. “I’m hardly ever able to do shadow legendaries. Thanks to this event I was able to get a shiny shadow Registeel AND a hundo purified one. Implement this permanently, Niantic!!”
Several other posters shared their hopes that Niantic will make this a running change for the future. User ForensicVette notes that “outside of big event days I can never get enough locals to do them.” Being able to participate in Raids remotely not only opens up the game to players in rural areas with fewer Gyms, it also makes it easier to get the number of players required to take down tougher opponents. User Sdrawkcabstiho speculates that “if not permanent, they’ll probably roll it out as a common feature/bonus for raid weekends and events.” While that wouldn’t be as ideal as a permanent shift, it would at least make these events more enjoyable for the community!
Remote Raids were added as a feature at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The idea was that Remote Raid passes would allow players to continue enjoying Pokemon Go Raids, even when large gatherings were being discouraged. In 2023, Niantic made the decision to greatly scale back on the feature, increasing the price of Remote Raid passes, and limiting the number that players could participate in per day. The developers also introduced new Raids that could only be participated in locally, such as Shadow Raids and Max Battles. The goal was to get players participating in Pokemon Go events locally, but it made the game significantly more difficult for players with disabilities, those in areas with inclement weather, or those located in rural areas.
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It remains to be seen whether this temporary change to Shadow Raids might end up becoming a permanent one. It would be nice to see Niantic start to loosen back up about remote raiding. Clearly, the community enjoys the freedom Remote Raids provide, and players are willing to spend their PokeCoins on the passes (though most wouldn’t mind seeing the price decrease). Hopefully the company will listen to the community on this one!
Are you happy that Shadow Raids were made remotely playable over the last few days? Did you use the opportunity to participate in Shadow Raids? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
