Remote raids changed Pokémon GO. You used to need to be physically near a gym to face legendary Pokémon — today, with the Remote Raid Pass, you can join any raid in the world as long as a friend invites you.
How remote raids work
- You need a Remote Raid Pass (195 PokéCoins, ~$2)
- An in-person friend creates the raid lobby and invites you
- You join the battle from anywhere in the world
- Delay between 'invite' and 'show up in lobby' is 2-5 seconds
Current limit: 5 remote raids per day (rule introduced in April 2023).
Friendship bonus in raids
The higher your friendship level with other raiders, the bigger the collective attack bonus:
| Level | Attack bonus | Damage reduction |
|---|---|---|
| Good Friend | +3% | No |
| Great Friend | +5% | No |
| Ultra Friend | +7% | No |
| Best Friends | +10% | Yes, +5% |
In tough 5* raids (Mewtwo, Necrozma, Rayquaza), the Best Friends bonus can be the difference between winning with 30 seconds remaining or losing on the last hit.
Where to find friends for remote raids
Specialized Discord servers
PokeRaid, Pokébattler, and RaidGuru have dedicated channels for raid invites. You earn 'points' by creating lobbies and spend them joining others.
Regional Telegram
Each region has groups with 200+ members posting live raids. You need to be online and respond fast.
Your own community
Building a network of 50+ active friends through daily matchmaking services is the most sustainable option — you always have 5-10 people online for any raid without competing in public servers.
Ready to stop hunting for friends?
Get friend requests from active players every day, automatically. Plans starting at $2.99.
See pricing →Remote Pass strategy: save coins
Remote Raid Pass costs 195 PokéCoins. In single purchases you spend ~$2 per pass. But during events, Niantic sells packs with 3 passes for 250 PokéCoins (~$2.60 for 3, or ~$0.87 each).
Savings: buying packs during events reduces cost per raid by 56%.
When NOT to do a remote raid
- 1-3 star raids: in-person are free via daily Pass
- Pokémon you already have at 100% IV: skip and catch shiny instead
- Easy raids with 1-2 players: save your pass for 5*
Conclusion
Remote raids require a social ecosystem. Players who benefit most are those with 30+ active friends spread across time zones — there's always someone creating a raid when you want to join.