Pokemon Go announces new Elite Raids featuring Hoopa Unbound

Pokemon Go has announced a brand new raid type meant to challenge players called Elite Raids, with the first boss being Hoopa Unbound.

Raids were one of the flagship features introduced in Pokemon Go when the game launched back in 2017.

For the uninitiated, Raid Battles task a group of trainers to gather together to defeat a powerful boss Pokemon, with the opportunity to catch that boss at the end of the raid.

Now, developer Niantic has announced a brand new type of Raid Battle called Elite Raids, with the first boss being Hoopa Unbound.

Pokemon Go gets new Elite Raids

Niantic released an official post on the Pokemon Go website detailing what trainers can expect from these new Elite Raids, which are set to begin on October 16, 2022, at 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., or 5:00 p.m. local time.

According to the blog post, “Elite Raids are a new, challenging variety of Raid Battles. They appear from special Raid Eggs that take 24 hours to hatch.”

Once players hatch the specific Elite Raid Egg the Raid Boss Pokemon featured in the event — which is Hoopa Unbound for the Elite Raid premiere — will appear for 30 minutes.

Once players defeat Hoopa Unbound, they will be given a certain number of Premier Balls for the opportunity to catch it for themselves.

Similar to other Raid Battle types before it, Elite Raids are in-person events that require multiple players to finish.

Given the fact that Niantic specifically noted Elite Raids are a more “challenging variety of Raid Battles,” it may take some pretty competent trainers to come out victorious.

Unfortunately, Niantic confirmed that players will not be able to participate in Elite Raids by using Remote Raid Passes.

Finally, the blog post ends with a confirmation that Elite Raids will appear again during the Season of Light, meaning those who miss their chance or get unlucky with Hoopa Unbound will have more chances to participate in Elite Raids in the future.