Pokemon Go trainers call on Niantic to “rethink” future Shadow Raids, thanks to issues like blocking regular Raids and Gyms.
Pokemon Go introduced Shadow Raids in May of 2023, which are a new type of Raid that allowed trainers to catch Shadow versions of Pokemon — including Legendaries — for a limited time.
Similar to Elite Raids, Shadow Raids are known to be a bit harder than regular Raids that populate areas in Pokemon Go, requiring trainers to organize to take down the Shadow Boss.
However, some Pokemon Go fans want Niantic to change some key aspects of Shadow Raids in the future, following both Shadow Mewtwo and Articuno’s debut.
Pokemon Go trainers want to changes made to Shadow Raids
A post on TheSilphRoad subreddit sparked a discussion among the community after one trainer made a thread titled, “I really hope Niantic will rethink Shadow Raids for future season(s).”
The OP explained that while Shadow Mewtwo and Articuno were fun they noticed that “…even the most bent-on Shiny hunters stopped” and that “the lower tiers were never too exciting,” citing Pokemon like Shadow Pidove filling the lineup.
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They also go on to say that purification gems are a “terrible mechanic,” and are often left frustrated that Shadow Raids block normal Raids and Gyms.
Other fans in the comments agreed that Shadow Raids need some kind of change to keep engagement up, with one fan suggesting a change similar to Elite Raids.
“If we keep the premise of this being IRL engagement, Shadow legendary raids need a kind of Elite Raid treatment. The spur of the moment Shadow Raid is not cutting it. You need a time set up so people can come together for it.”
Some trainers noted that they hardly ever saw other fans participating in Shadow Raids. “I really never saw anyone else raiding them. Most in my area didn’t even seem to care about Shiny hunting it.”
It seems clear that fans want a bit more structure when it comes to Shadow Raids if Niantic wants to keep fans engaged with them. Perhaps next season, the developer will introduce some kind of schedule when the next big Shadow Raid rolls around.
