Once upon a time, EX passes existed. Battling at certain gyms gave the chance that participants were invited to a special raid, that, upon completion, gave the chance to catch a powerful Pokemon. Mewtwo was the first to be offered as a reward, followed by Deoxys in all forms, and ending with Regigigas.
However, the current global pandemic put a temporary(?) stop to what trainers know as EX raids, and there has been virtually no information as to when they may return. In the meantime, Pokemon Go began to primarily focus on PVP, eliminating the walking requirement for the Battle League, offering rare Pokemon (including legendaries) as rewards, and bringing a new item, Elite TM’s, to allow players access to legacy moves.
In a PVP world, how can EX raids be brought back into the limelight? Let’s throw around some ideas.
Obtaining an EX Pass
With the addition of Remote Raid Passes, there should not be too much change in how an EX pass is obtained. You battle in the raid, successfully complete the raid, and get enough people to do the same, you obtain the EX pass. Using either the regular or remote raid pass should not play a difference in whether or not you get a chance at an EX pass. However, you should still be able to invite a Great Friend or higher to the EX raid (as opposed to Ultra Friend being the minimum friendship level to do so), to give the players more options to include people.
Adjusting EX Passes and Their Uses
The option to use EX passes as remote should be made available (which, for someone not involved in the development of the game, sounds the most realistic option). Alternatively, the radius at which gyms and Pokestops can be accessed can be adjusted, so it may be possible to temporarily extend the distance at which an EX raid can be completed. If the former option is selected, then there should not be a damage reduction if a trainer decides to use the pass as remote.
Rewards: Gimme, Gimme more, Gimme more, Gimme, Gimme More!
Rewards are the best part of an EX raid. Aside from the actual Pokemon, what you want to receive as a reward may change depending on your goals in the game. Regular raids give out Hyper Potions and Golden Razz as rewards, but at this point in the game, I am positively drowning in them. Inclusion of Silver Pinaps (in groups of five/ten), Regular Incubators (in groups of two, perhaps more if they are single use), Star Pieces/Incense/Lucky Eggs (in groups of three), Special Lures (in groups of one), or even a small chance (and we are talking prrrrrreeettttyyyyy small) at receiving an Elite TM (in groups of one). The most latter option would certainly be a draw for people who focus on PVP, as you can never have too much Stardust, which should definitely be increased regardless of how the rewards are dealt out.
Again, these are just some thoughts. EX Raids were quite fun (even if they died down in popularity with Deoxys being the reward over and over and over and over), and they can be made fun again. Do you have any ideas on how to incorporate EX Raids back into the game? Let us know on Twitter or in the Go Hub Discord.
