'Pokémon GO' Revamped Gyms Open; New Raids Ready for Players Level 28 and Up
Niantic has announced on social media the reopened and revamped "Pokémon GO" gyms, with more updates expected to come in the following days.
Pokémon Gyms are back, and Niantic posted the news on Twitter as they highlighted the first new feature added to their gym remodel. The accompanying picture showed off the new Pokémon Gym interface, as the game maker hyped up the new Gym Badge, which is now available.
"Gyms are now available! Visit your nearest Gym and collect your first Gym Badge," the "Pokémon GO" team wrote in their Twitter update.
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The new multiplayer cooperative raid feature has also been added to the game, with the events currently available for players who are level 28 and up, according to an update from IGN.
At the time Niantic posted their update on Thursday, June 22, the minimum level was level 25. New updates are expected to surface in the coming days that could bring the level requirement lower, with more Pokémon added to the raids.
Niantic has done away with the Pokémon Gym Prestige ranking system, opting instead to fix the number of Pokémon in the gym at six. The new update also allows only one of each kind of Pokémon to a gym, meaning players will not have encounters where opposing players face the six of the same kind of powerful Pokémon.
Players can now earn items at gyms, the same way that they can win prizes now from PokéStops. Spinning a photo wheel will net a player a random reward, as well as an opportunity to earn one of several new gym badges.
Pokémon Gyms now also offer defenders some strategic flexibility on the battling order of their Pokémon. Instead of the game assigning the order by sending the weakest Pokémon first, attacking players now face the defenders in the order they were placed in the gym.
Pokémon placed in gyms will also have a new motivation system, as detailed by IGN. Instead of defending Pokémon being able to hold out indefinitely, assigned pets now have heart meters that can be replenished and depleted. Pokémon that are defeated will have their meter decreased, and their trainers can restore them by feeding them berries.
Pokémon whose motivation meter is completely exhausted will leave the gym and return to the roster of its trainer, leaving a gap in the gym's defense.
