Pokémon Go Elite Raids, explained

Pokémon Go’s raid system is one of its main gameplay opponents, but now there are even rarer raids that happen only under specific circumstances: Elite Raids.

These raids only occur at very specific times and dates and typically will host Pokémon that you cannot get elsewhere. So far only three Pokémon have been confirmed for Elite Raids: Hoopa Unbound (which debuted in Oct. 2022), Regidrago (March 2023), and Regieleki (April 2023).

You’ll know Elite Raids are on the horizon, as raid eggs with huge 24-hour timers will start popping up at the top of the hour. These raids will only show up at EX gyms, where EX raids were previously held. (It’s unknown of EX raids will ever return or if these are a replacement for them.)

How do I do an Elite Raid?

All you have to do is head over to the EX gym shortly after the egg has hatched and join the raid as you would normally. You cannot do Elite Raids remotely. You can use Premium Raid Passes or the free orange Raid Passes to do these, but not Remote Raid Passes.

The Elite Raid eggs will hatch at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 5 p.m. in your local time. The raid target will stick around for 30 minutes after the egg hatches.

Your best bet is to head to one of your populated local Pokémon Go areas (like a shopping mall, park, etc.) before one of these times and hopefully jump into a party then. You can also use local Pokémon Go Discord servers to help coordinate with other players.

How hard is an Elite Raid?

These raids are not any harder than regular tier five raids (though this is largely dependent on the target Pokémon), but they do have more HP. They are not like Primal Reversion raids, which require more people than usual. Expert sources like LeekDuck have cited that Regidrago can be done by two to five players, depending on counters and power levels.

That being said, make sure to bring counters and put in the work to make it easier for your party members.