Pokemon Go: Remote Raids Are Now Live

When Pokemon Go launched in the summer of 2016, the mobile game’s premise promised players the opportunity to catch Pokemon in the real world. While that hook has carried the title for nearly four years, the coronavirus pandemic has made it difficult for players to fully enjoy the game. Developer Niantic is well aware of this problem, and has instituted a number of changes to the game to keep people playing. The latest of these changes is the addition of Remote Raids. Players at Level 5 and above will now be able to participate in Raid battles that can be tapped on the map or seen on the Nearby screen.

In order to participate in Remote Raids, players must first use a Remote Raid Pass. Remote Raid Passes will cost 100 PokeCoins, or 250 for three of them. As part of Niantic’s efforts to keep people playing during the pandemic, the developer has offered heavily discounted items in the game’s shop. This week, players can score a trio of Remote Raid Passes for a single PokeCoin, but once this has been purchased, players will have to pay the normal price for additional Passes.

It will be interesting to see how Niantic continues to make alterations to the game in the coming weeks. Players have been requesting the ability to participate in Remote Raids for quite some time, so this is definitely a win for Pokemon Go fans. Of course, this still won’t do much for players that aren’t located anywhere close to a Pokemon Gym, but it’s certainly an improvement.

There are still a lot of additional changes that Pokemon Go players would like to see made to the game. Many have been clamoring for the ability to send Pokemon from Go directly to Pokemon Home, and this is a change that is apparently in the works. Given how much effort Niantic has put into updating the game lately, it could be the next change coming.

Are you excited to participate in Remote Raids in Pokemon Go? Have you been pleased with Niantic’s changes to the mobile game? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!