"Event is a freakin mess" - Pokemon GO player laments Mega Rayquaza Elite Raids

Pokemon GO's Elite Raids have been a controversial topic within the online community. Due to them requiring players to attend the raids in person, many were already upset with these fights. However, the perception of these sorts of raid events only got worse when Niantic revealed the schedule for these raids.

These events feature raids that spawn sporadically a few times in a given hour. This has led to many players feeling inconvenienced by the event due to its limited time frame and in-person restrictions. One player on the Pokemon GO subreddit even had this to say:

"The rayquaza event is a freakin mess...my disappointment is immeasurable and my day Is ruined. like fr i could cry rn.

the rayquaza event is a freakin mess... byu/Raspbear_ inpokemongo

In their post, user u/Raspbear_ detailed their experience with the event. What some players may remember is that when the Elite Raid event for Mega Rayquaza in Pokemon GO was announced, it was believed that it would be a Raid Day, where each of the Mega Rayquaza raids would be available in large quantities over a few hours.

However, as we approached the date of the event, Niantic backtracked, opting to make the event an Elite Raid schedule instead of the Raid Day like many believed. This was a big deal for the community since these types of Mega Raids are incredibly grindy, so having the option to raid remotely would save tons of time.

Niantic most likely requires players to attend these raids in person to collect more location data from their playerbase

Many players also pointed out how the sudden change to Mega Rayquaza's event made no sense since the events for Primal Groudon and Kyogre remained Raid Days. There are two potential reasons why Niantic made this decision: to collect more location data to sell for a profit, or because Mega Rayquaza is so overpowered that Niantic did not want every player to have one.

Since the Mega Rayquaza Elite Raids are incredibly grindy, few players put in the effort to complete enough Elite Raids to collect the required Mega Energy. Mega Rayquaza is already known to be the best possible battler for many raids and gyms in Pokemon GO, so too many players having access to this creature would surely negatively impact the game.

Comment byu/Raspbear_ from discussion inpokemongo

Another user commented on how restricting content behind players being in a physical location will only encourage cheating. We saw this for the first time when Niantic revealed area-exclusive Pokemon like Tauros and Farfetch'd in the game's original version. With long-awaited Mega Evolved Legendary Pokemon on the line instead of regular creatures, more players will surely indulge in location spoofing.

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Why is the community unhappy with Pokemon GO's Mega Rayquaza Elite Raids?

Niantic's strange last-minute change to the Mega Rayquaza event has left many players upset (Image via Niantic)

Many players are upset with Niantic regarding Pokemon GO's Mega Rayquaza Elite Raids mostly due to the developers posting that it was a Raid Day, then switching the event to Elite Raids a couple of weeks before it was released. Elite Raids in general are relatively disliked by the community as well, so this update left a sour taste in the mouths of many.