Following feedback from Pokemon Go players around the world, Niantic has now announced it will be making some changes to how the app’s Raid Battle features work. The changes themselves are being implemented for both Exclusive Raid Battles and Normal Raid Battles.For those who aren’t already aware, the difference between an Exclusive Raid Battle and a Raid Battle mostly comes down to how they are initiated. Raid Battles appear randomly as invites to players who have a high-enough level. They team up with other players who are nearby. Exclusive Raid Battles are offered to players who have recently completed a Raid Battle at an Exclusive Raid Battle location. Advance notice is given and players have the opportunity to capture even more powerful Pokemon. The new changes to how those work are reportedly at the request of players for various reasons and should make the entire experience much smoother for everybody involved.
On the Exclusive Raid Battle side of things, the first change is that those will now take place more commonly at sponsored locations and in parks, making them more accessible. On the other hand, players with a lot of Raid Battles under their belt or who have a high-level Gym Badge will be more likely to receive an invite, to begin with. There will also be notifications in the app itself to let players know if such an event has been canceled for whatever reason – that’s coupled with compensation in the form of Stardust and Premium Raid Passes. Meanwhile, start times for Exclusive Raid Battles will be based on popular Raid Battle times at a given location. With regard to the more ordinary Raid Battles, Niantic is adding Magikarp back to Tier 1 battles by popular demand and players will receive a participation prize in the form of Stardust, win or lose. Golden Razz Berries will also be granted upon completion of a Raid Battle. Beyond that, the number of Potions and Revives will be decreasing, while the potions received will actually be higher-value potions than those received prior to the changes. Finally, completion of Tier 3 or higher Raid Battles will now reward players with Fast and Charged Technical Machines more frequently.
Fortunately, the fact that the changes are being worked out on the server-side of the equation means taking advantage of the improvements won’t require players to download any kind of app update. Instead, the changes will roll out to everybody’s game simultaneously. There’s no mention as to when, exactly, the changes will be implemented but an official announcement should mean that they will be put in place sooner, rather than later.