The Fallout from Raid Changes: Exploring the Unhappiness Among Pokemon GO Players

Important Highlights
- The increase in charged attacks from raid bosses by Niantic has caused considerable frustration for Pokémon GO players who are battling Kyogre.
- To address the ongoing debate regarding the difficulty of raid battles, Niantic has assured players of forthcoming updates to enhance balance.
- Many players have encountered difficulties stemming from the repeated Blizzard attacks executed by Legendary Pokémon in raid battles.
- The frequency with which raid bosses deploy their charged attacks in Pokémon GO has notably increased, leading to heightened frustration among trainers. Raid battles are integral to the Pokémon GO experience, providing opportunities for the community to engage in combat and capture unique Pokémon that are not readily available in the wild.
Niantic has announced the occurrence of Shadow Raikou raids every weekend throughout September, while Falinks Raid Day was held on September 8. Mega Absol will be the featured Pokémon in Mega Raids until September 14, followed by Mega Houndoom from September 14 to 26, and Mega Gardevoir from September 26 to October 4. The month will also include Hoenn-themed Raid Hours, where players will face Kyogre on September 3 and 14, and Groudon on September 18 and 25. The thrilling battles have drawn attention to a significant alteration in raid mechanics, particularly during encounters with Kyogre, which has become a source of concern for players.
As highlighted by Reddit user Entire_Pineapple4732, the new mechanics allow raid bosses to utilize their charged attacks more frequently, complicating battles against Kyogre. They noted that Niantic has substantially increased the energy generation for raid bosses when they are struck by trainers, enabling them to execute charged moves more often. Another Reddit post detailed a challenging encounter with the Legendary Pokémon, which unleashed Blizzard “every two seconds,” making it exceedingly difficult for trainers to sustain their teams.
Pokémon GO Modifications to Raids Cause Player Discontent
In addition to the aforementioned posts, numerous players have expressed their dissatisfaction regarding the frequency with which Hoenn’s Legendary Pokémon employ Blizzard during raid encounters. In the comments, one Redditor recounted being part of a group of five level 40 players equipped with counters for Kyogre, yet they struggled to defeat it. Another user mentioned that it required a team of eight individuals to overcome Kyogre with 80 seconds remaining, and even then, several team members had to be revived multiple times.
Niantic responded to the ongoing controversy via its official support Twitter account, announcing a reduction in the difficulty of raids by lowering the frequency of charged attacks utilized by bosses. In an update to the original post, the author indicated that the adjustments have yet to be observed, as Pokémon continue to frequently employ charged attacks. Additionally, the same Twitter message mentioned that further modifications may be implemented in upcoming updates to enhance the balance of raid battles in Pokémon GO.