Pokemon Go’s Shadow Raids need to be reworked for Rural players as fans protest

Pokemon Go fans want Shadow Raids reworked, as it’s incredibly difficult for players in rural areas to participate in them without getting in a car.

If you have a Remote Raid Pass in Pokemon Go, you can attempt Raids from the comfort of your home. This isn’t the case with Shadow Raids, which require players to be present in person. They can be difficult, which means coordinating with a group to tackle the Shadow Pokemon together.

As pointed out by a user on the Pokemon Go Reddit, the fact that Shadow Raids require real-life gatherings means that rural players are at a major disadvantage, as it’s more difficult for them to gather at the specified times to subdue the Shadow Pokemon.

“I talked to a guy today who drove 3 hours from a rural area into the city just for the shadow raids. I’m glad he was able to do that but it definitely shouldn’t have to be that way,” one player wrote, while another joked, “This is Pokémon Drive more than anything.”

“I feel this so much. I’m rural also and I hate that I rarely see anyone play,” another player said, “It would be nice if there was a way to tag a gym that tells people when you will be there to raid. Then they would know and come then, too.”

“I’m extremely gutted I missed out on the Mewtwo raids,” one player lamented, “I had to work 2 12hr shifts so even after work I missed out. Niantic really need to work something out as it’s unfair on those that are rural or places with hardly any players.”

“I’d be happy if they even just allowed us to use 1x Remote Raid pass a day on Shadow raids.”

Gathering a team of players to tackle a Shadow Raid in a big city can be difficult enough, but finding allies out in the countryside is much more difficult, especially for people with full-time jobs or who require parental supervision.

If Niantic allowed Shadow Raids to be tackled with Remote Raid Passes or even created a special Shadow variant, then these issues would be mostly resolved. Players could then coordinate online rather than needing to travel out in the middle of nowhere for a Shadow Mewtwo.