Game developer Niantic Labs announced last week that Pokémon GO gyms have re-opened after being disabled for a few days, rolling out the ‘biggest update’ on the smartphone app to date.
The latest update now allows gyms to assign a maximum of six (6) Pokémon from the controlling team, adding a restriction that all six must be of different species. Instead of battling the weakest first, players will also fight Pokemon in the order they were assigned in the gym.
In addition, the new motivation system now affects how Pokémon battles in gyms. Pokémon assigned in gyms will lose their motivation over time and as they lose in battle. This temporarily decreases their CP, making them easier to defeat. Once its motivation completely depletes, the Pokémon will leave the gym and return to its trainer. Motivation can be restored by feeding Pokémon some berries.
Photo-discs in gyms can be spun as well to gain items just like in PokéStops. Players can also earn gym badges, which they can level up thru battling, giving berries to Pokemon in gyms and spinning photo-discs in gyms.
Aside from the gym changes, players level 35 and above can now participate in select gym raid battles. In the new raid battle system, up to 20 players will battle an ‘extremely powerful’ raid boss, which appears as a large egg atop a gym. Once the egg hatches, players can engage in a boss fight using a Raid Pass.
Players can only hold one Raid Pass at a time. Raid Pass can be obtained by spinning a photo-disc in gyms daily or by buying it from in-game shops.
If the raid boss is defeated within five minutes, players will have a chance to capture it using the Premier Balls obtained after the battle. Other exclusive items players can receive after defeating a raid boss include Rare Candies, Golden Razz Berries and Fast and Charged Technical Machines.
We managed a successful raid + boss capture in #PokemonGO! Check it out. pic.twitter.com/H3giVrjp4D
— IGN (@IGN) June 25, 2017
The raid battle feature is currently available for select players but is soon to open for more players in the “next few days.”
Additional resources from Anime News Network.
