Pokémon Go brings back Elite Raids to welcome Sword and Shield legendaries

Elite Raids will return to Pokémon Go this March, developer Niantic announced Tuesday as part of its plans for season 10 of the game, titled Rising Heroes. Players will need to compete in those Elite raids if they want to catch two new Legendary Pokémon headed to Pokémon Go: Regidrago and Regieleki.

Regieleki, an electric-type, and Regidrago, a dragon-type, are the latest in the “Regi” line of Pokémon, and were introduced in Pokémon Sword and Shield expansion The Crown Tundra. They’ll make their debut in Pokémon Go starting March 11, when a new series of Elite raids is scheduled to kick off. Another round is scheduled for April 9, according to the official Pokémon Go website. It’s not currently clear if both Regidrago and Regieleki will be available during both Elite Raid windows — but it appears that the dragon-type will be available first in March, with the electric-type arriving in April, based on the color schemes used in the above Rising Heroes trailer and the Pokémon Go website.

Niantic introduced Elite Raids in October 2022, with raids that featured Hoopa Unbound. Elite Raids in Pokémon Go must be played in-person, and at EX Raid gyms. Eggs featuring those raids take 24 hours to incubate, and the raid windows last just 30 minutes.

Pokémon Go’s Rising Heroes season also sees Roaming Form Gimmighoul, which can evolve into Gholdengo, joining the Pokédex. Here’s a quick guide on how to catch Ghimmighoul in Pokémon Go.