Pokemon Go will introduce Shadow Raids in upcoming Rising Shadows Event
Anyone who predominately uses Remote Raids Passes is out of luck, though
Raids have long been a staple of Pokemon Go, offering a chance to catch some powerful Legendaries by teaming up with fellow players. A new variant is set to arrive on May 22nd called Shadow Raids. As you might have guessed from the name, Team Go Rocket is involved.
The dastardly villains will attempt to take over Gyms using Shadow Pokemon in the upcoming Rising Shadows event, which will last a few days. It's up to you and your fellow trainers to battle against these powerful Raid Bosses, which come in three and five-star variants. As the battle wears on, these Pokemon will become enraged, bolstering their attack and defence.
To make the challenge a little easier, you can take advantage of a new item, Purified Gems. To acquire one, you will need to collect Shadow Shards by defeating members of Team Go Rocket. After gathering enough of this material, you can use the Shard Refiner to create a Purified Gem. Great! But what does it do?
When used in a Shadow Raid, a Purified Gem will temporarily lower the Pokemon's attack and defence, giving you and your team an advantage. The effects also stack, so if everyone uses them simultaneously, you can seriously mitigate the danger the Raid Boss presents. If enough Purified Gems are used, the Shadow Pokemon will return to its normal state, potentially making it easier to defeat.
It's an interesting idea that makes Raids a little more involved than they are at present. Having to coordinate using Purified Gems with other players introduces a bit more strategy than the usual relentless tapping.
However, it's not all good news. You can't join Shadow Raids using Remote Raid Passes, and Shadow Raids don't provide a team bonus for Premier Balls. The lack of Remote Raids is particularly frustrating, given how plenty of players have benefited immensely from them since their introduction.
Pokemon Go is available now on the App Store and Google Play. You can download it for your preferred platform using the links below. It is a free-to-play game with in-app purchases.
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