Pokeminers has been warning us of its coming for a while, and now it's finally here.
We're nearing the end of the Rising Heroes season, and it's time to go out with a bang. While some season-end announcements like the introduction of the Apex Shadows went out with a wimper, it seems that this one will go out with a bang. Answering the call to give us more chances to pick up rare shadows, Niantic has finally pulled the trigger on the next big thing in Pokemon Go: Shadow Raids.
Rising Shadows
| Event Start | Event End |
|---|---|
| May 22, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. local time | May 28, 2023, at 8:00 p.m. local time |
- For the first time in Pokemon Go history, Shadow Raids will be released, and Shadow Pokemon will be available outside of traditional Rocket-related content
- To kick off this new feature, Shadow Mewtwo will be the inaugural Five Star Raid Boss on May 27 and May 28, and it will also be available in Shiny forme!
- During the event, the following Pokemon will be available via normal raids
- Shadow Raids will also be available randomly, rewarding our first selection of Shadow Raid Bosses
- Rockets will take over stops and appear in balloons more often
- Event-themed Field Research will be available
Shadow Raids: What We Know
At the moment, it appears as though Shadow Raids will be fundamentally the same as normal raids, but will include a few unique features as well.
- Players will not be able to join Shadow Raids with Remote Raid Passes
- Players will not get additional Premier Balls from a Team Bonus
- As their HP drops, Shadow Pokemon will boost their Attack and Defense by entering an Enraged State, making the Shadow Raid harder to complete
On top of this, players will be able to collect a new weapon shard from Rockets; Shadow Shards. Collecting enough of these items will allow players to assemble a Purified Gem. Purified Gems are slated to be our first item for use in-raid, as they will be usable at-will and will be able to temporarily drop the stats of a Shadow Pokemon in an Enraged State. Multiple gems can be used per player and they all stack, so if enough are utilized at the same time then it is possible to severely hamper the Shadow Pokemon, or even cancel its Enraged state entirely.
All-in-all, this is a VERY interesting new system, and the single largest change to the Raid meta since it first dropped way back in 2017. You can expect updates to our resources as more information is officially confirmed, but for now we've got a fairly large gameplay going on that could very well change up the way that many players actually play the game. However, a number of questions are still not officially answered at this point, such as:
- How strong will the Enraged State be?
- Will they have the same 10/10/10 IV-floor as normal Raid Bosses?
- Will they know Frustration, and need to wait for the next Rocket Takeover to get rid of it?
- Will they have the customary Shadow effect of +Attack/-Defense as raid bosses?
- How rare will Shadow Raids be when compared to normal raids?
- Will we eventually be able to access Apex Shadow Ho-oh and Lugia in Shadow Raids?
Either way, we've got a lot to look forward too and not too long to wait. A number of the Raid Bosses available beyond Shadow Mewtwo itself are extremely exciting, so no doubt a lot of players are going to be out-and-about for some 2017-style raiding very soon!
Join The Conversation
As should be pretty obvious at this point, our community features recently went down all over Gamepress. And while we always relish seeing the latest comments on here, truth be told the majority of the team actually tends to be more active on Discord. Because of this, please drop in and join in the conversation there, and be sure to tag me (Raven8#5530) with a hello when you do!
Full Announcement
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Can you face the shadows, Trainers?
Shadows are rising. Team GO Rocket has grown audacious. They’ve discovered how to leave Shadow Pokémon to defend Gyms. These new Shadow Raids are unlike any challenge Trainers have yet faced in Pokémon GO.
What’s more, Shadow Mewtwo will return to Pokémon GO in Shadow Raids! Also, for the first time in Pokémon GO, you’ll be able to encounter Shiny Shadow Mewtwo—if you’re lucky!
Will Team GO Rocket’s plan be thwarted? Or will darkness fall over Gyms worldwide? It’s up to you, Trainers!
Read more about Shadow Raids here.
Rising Shadows
Monday, May 22, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. to Sunday, May 28, 2023, at 8:00 p.m. local time
Shadow Raid debuts
Shadow Mewtwo will return to Pokémon GO in Shadow Raids. Also, for the first time in Pokémon GO, you’ll be able to encounter Shiny Shadow Mewtwo—if you’re lucky!
Shadow Mewtwo will appear in five-star Shadow Raids from Saturday, May 27, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. to Sunday, May 28, 2023, at 8:00 p.m local time.
Five-star Shadow Raids
Shadow Mewtwo
If you’re lucky, you may encounter a Shiny one!!
Shadow Raids
The following Pokémon will be the first to appear in Shadow Raids! Gyms not under Team GO Rocket control may still host other raids.
From Monday, May 22, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. to Sunday, May 28, 2023, at 8:00 p.m. local time, a majority of Gyms will host Shadow Raids.
From 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time, Saturday, May 27, 2023, Team GO Rocket activity will spike, taking over all raids.
One-star Shadow Raids
Shadow Poliwag
Shadow Machop
Shadow Bellsprout
Shadow Beldum
Three-star Shadow Raids
Shadow Bayleef
Shadow Quilava
Shadow Croconaw
Shadow Sneasel
If you’re lucky, you may encounter a Shiny one!
Raids
The following Pokémon will appear in raids. Gyms may be taken over by either Shadow Raid Bosses or one of the Raid Bosses below.
Clefairy
Tentacool
Marill
Skrelp
Popplio
Three-star raids
Magneton
Lapras
Mawile
Empoleon
Five-star raids
Regigigas^
Tapu Fini^^
^^Tapu Fini will appear in raids until Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.
^Regigigas will appear in raids starting Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.
Mega Raids
Mega Pinsir*^^
Mega Altaria^
^^Mega Pinsir will appear in raids until Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.
^Mega Altaria will appear in raids starting Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.
If you’re lucky, you may encounter a Shiny one!
Wild encounters
The following Pokémon will appear more frequently in the wild.
Ekans
Golbat
Koffing
Houndour
Poochyena
Stunky
Skorupi
Some Trainers might even encounter the following!
Hisuian Qwilfish
Scraggy
If you’re lucky, you may encounter a Shiny one!
Event bonus
Team GO Rocket will appear more frequently at PokéStops and in balloons.
Field Research
Tasks focused on defeating Team GO Rocket and catching Pokémon will be available!
Trainers can earn a Mysterious Component and Stardust as rewards.
Seasonal Special Research: Let’s GO
Throughout Season 10: Rising Heroes, free Special Research will be available for Trainers! Willow’s back with some news on Team GO Rocket’s latest plans…and he has a gift for you.
You can claim the Special Research until the end of Season 10: Rising Heroes on June 1, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. local time.
Avatar pose
The following new avatar pose will be available from the event onwards!
Rising Hero Pose
Note: Avatar items sold separately.
Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change. Be sure to follow us on social media, opt in to receiving push notifications, and subscribe to our emails to stay updated.
—The Pokémon GO team
