A few days ago, a find indicated a new long-awaited raid feature in Pokémon GO. Now it is already available in the first region and can be used. We at MeinMMO show you what it’s all about and how it works.
Which raid feature is it? For years, trainers have wanted a kind of GO button in the Pokémon GO raid lobby. This is intended to reduce the long preparation times before the raids when the trainers are complete and ready. This should be particularly helpful for simple raids in which you only want to take part in pairs or even alone. But so far nothing has happened.
However, after there was a find by the PokeMiners last week that pointed to a release of the ready button, it has now actually been discovered in the first region in the game.
Ready button is now active for first trainers
Where was the new button discovered? On Sunday, July 2nd, 2023, our MeinMMO reader Angelique L. brought her discovery to our attention through our Pokémon group on Facebook. When asked, she told us that she accidentally discovered the new Ready button during a long-distance raid in Hong Kong. She shared a picture in our group and on Twitter showing the new feature.
We wanted to know more about that and therefore let ourselves be invited to raids there as well. And we can also confirm: Yes, the button is really already implemented there in the game. In Germany, however, we have not yet been able to discover the new feature.
Why can’t it be found everywhere? It can be assumed that the new button in Hong Kong is a test series by Niantic. This is not unusual, because other features, such as the current competitions at PokéStops or routes, are regularly only tested locally or with selected trainers until they are finally released for everyone in the game at some point.
It is currently not known whether only Hong Kong is affected or whether the button is already available in other countries. A possible worldwide release is still uncertain. We therefore asked Niantic to get more information. As soon as we have feedback, we will add it here.
This is the new Ready button in Pokémon GO
How does the new feature work? As you can see in the image below, the green button will catch your eye as soon as you enter the lobby. It is located in the middle below the participant list. Above this is a small overview in which you can see how many trainers have already activated the button. At the same time, the normal raid timer runs down as usual.
If you activate the button, you will first receive a short message. It says: Are you ready for the raid? Once all trainers are ready, the lobby timer counts down. You can still exit the raid before it begins. Here you have the option of confirming or canceling your selection.
If the button is pressed by all trainers in the lobby, the timer jumps over and the last 10 seconds count down until the fight finally begins. So this is your last chance to leave the lobby before the start.
So it can be said that the new feature significantly reduces the time until the raid, especially for well-established communities.
Does this work for all raids? The new feature is obviously available in all raids. We let ourselves be invited to battles of different raid levels and were able to use this button in all of them.
A great disadvantage: The new raid feature currently also has a major disadvantage, which many suspected after the publication of the PokeMiners’ finds. The ready button can only be activated if at least two trainers are active in the lobby. If you are alone, the button is gray and you have to wait until the regular time has counted down.
If this is the case permanently, then it makes the button unattractive again, especially for small raids that you can also do alone. Especially with these, many players had wished that such a feature could significantly reduce the time. It remains to be seen whether this will be improved again.
How do you like the prospect of the new feature? Have you tried it yourself in a long-distance raid? If yes, in which region? Let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange ideas with other trainers.
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