Remote raids in Pokemon Go are now available for most players

As of April 27, remote raids are available in Pokemon Go for all trainers that are over level five, Niantic confirmed on Twitter.

Now, you can buy a remote raid pass from the in-game store, and you can check for eligible raids through the “Nearby” screen once you have acquired one. You can as well join a raid by tapping into your map, they added.

The reason for these modifications is to accommodate players who are stuck at home due to the lockdowns caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Players will be able to participate in nearby raids without physically having to move to the raid hotspot.

As long as the raid you target is on the “Nearby Raid view or can be tapped on the Map View,” you are eligible for remote participation.

“Only one Remote Raid Pass will be required to join the raid, and you’ll only be able to hold a limited amount of Remote Raid Passes at a time,” explained Niantic. “Be quick – while 20 Trainers can still join the same Raid Battle, only a limited number of Trainers can join with a Remote Raid Pass. Raid Battles that you complete with a Remote Raid Pass will still count towards any raid-related research and achievement medals.”

Each Remote Raid Pass will cost you 100 PokeCoins. However, there will be special one-coin bundles that include passes. Please note that participating in gyms remotely comes with a minor penalty. For some reasons, it will not be applied during the first days of remote passes, but after some time, fighting remotely will reduce your attacking power compared to when you are fighting in person. 

Pokemon Go will add a few smaller features and bonuses so as to make acquiring resources in-game a bit more manageable. Here are some of the high points

• If you have any open slot, you will automatically receive a bonus Field Research task at midnight. You can complete the tasks from any location.
• Buddy Pokemon will automatically loot nearby Pokestops for you if you are running low on gifts.
• Pokemon will be easier to level using Stardust and Candy, and you will be allowed to push them to your target CP.
• Lucky Eggs, Star Pieces and Incense can be stacked for longer activation times, which means if you pop two 30-minute items, you will automatically get a full hour.