Pokemon Go Remote Raids: What you need to know

When we were all asked to stay at home because of the coronavirus pandemic, the developers of Pokemon Go, Niantic, created an avenue for fans of the game to continue to enjoy playing the game from home - hence, the launch of Remote Raids.

However, this new feature doesn’t come without a catch, as some limitations have are attached to it.

What you’ll find in this article:

• What is Pokemon Go Remote Raids?
• The limitations of Pokemon Go Remote Raids
• How to get free Remote Raid Passes

What is Pokemon Go Remote Raids?

Remote Raids in Pokemon Go enables you to join raids by obtaining a Remote Raid Pass available in the in-game online store. Aside from the few limitations added by the developers, Remote Raiding works the same way regular Raiding is carried out at a physical gym.

Once you have your Remote Raid Pass, you can enter a raid from anywhere in the world via two options. The first method is to use the Nearby tab in the game, while the second option you have, is to select a gym that is hosting a raid on the global map.

Of these two options, the Nearby tab seems to be the better one since it is easier to access, and you even have more raids available with it.

After selecting your raid of choice, you’ll be taken to a raid screen similar to what you’re already used to when you Raid at physical locations. The only thing that’s different is a pink “Battle” button that has replaced the regular button for entering raids. This pink button is what gives you access to a Remote Raid using one of your passes.

Every other thing seems to be the same as your normal Raiding once you join a raid – including choosing a team, fighting the raid boss, and making use of your well-earned rewards.

When Remote Raiding was first launched, you couldn’t invite your friends to a raid if they were in a different location. However, an update was rolled out, which allows your friends to join you no matter where they are.

First, you will need to join a private or public Remote Raid lobby asides having your pass item, if you aren’t near the specific raid.

Next, tap on the “Invite Friends” button on the right side of the screen in the Pokemon Go app. Here, you can invite up to 5 friends at one time. But don’t worry, wait for a cool down, then you can invite more friends.

Your friends will be notified about the raid and can then join you. Once they accept your invite and are in the lobby with you, press the “Battle” button, and you can go on Raiding.

The limitations of Pokemon Go Remote Raids

Remote Raiding came about as an emergency measure to enable gamers to continually enjoy Raiding since it could no longer hold at the physical gyms due to the quarantine. However, this feature will remain with the game even after free movement is allowed, but Remote Raiding will come with some significant limitations.

The first of these limitations is the need to always have a Remote Raid Pass before joining a raid remotely. You should use your Remote Raid Passes quickly because you can only carry three of these at any given time.

In the regular outdoor game, up to 20 players are allowed to join raids, but in the remote version, the number of players has been slashed to 10. Niantic announced that they would further reduce the number of players that can partake in a Remote Raid to five. Since the game was originally created to be enjoyed outdoor, this reduction will likely come about after the quarantine has been lifted globally to encourage players to visit the physical gyms for raiding.

Now that ten players are allowed per raid, it doesn’t mean that you can’t participate in the particular raid you choose once the limit has been reached. In this case, a new lobby will be created for you where you can wait for other gamers to join you, or you can go ahead to invite your friends.

A third limitation which is not yet in effect is that Pokemon will have a power reduction when used in remote Raiding. Until then, Remote Raid players can enjoy the same Pokemon power level, just like playing in-person at a gym. But once the limitation is in place, Pokemon won’t be able to deal the same damage level to enemies when playing remotely, unlike raiding physically.

How to get free Remote Raid Passes

You can get a daily Remote Raid Pass for free by viewing raids. The fact that you can get free passes comes in handy, especially if you’re out of time to collect a pass when you’re short of it.

You also don’t have to bother about losing out on field research tasks when you go on raids or achievement medals as Remote Raids will still be taken into account for the both of them.

If you want more Remote Raid Passes, you can always get them at the in-game store, which you will find on the main menu. From the store, you can get Remote Raid Passes in exchange for PokeCoins.

There is an ongoing discount that enables you to purchase one Remote Raid Pass at the rate of 100 PokeCoins. You can also enjoy another price-cut offer where you can buy three passes for 250 PokeCoins.

You can as well take advantage of a one-time special promo celebrating Remote Raiding’s launch, which gives you three Remote Raid Passes at only 1 PokeCoin.

Now that you already know all there is to know about Pokemon Go Remote Raiding open your Pokemon Go app and have fun battling some powerful Pokemon!