Pokémon Go will feature a new raid type which will see players hold their phones in the air during battle, datamines suggest.
According to text discovered by PokeMiners, Unity Raids - which will require "a massive number of Trainers" to complete - will feature Unity Attacks that are charged by raising and holding phones into the air at set times, such as when the raid boss's health is low.
Trainers cannot flee the battle once it begins, according to an in-game tutorial, and if all Pokémon faint, players will have to wait until they are automatically revived.
The datamined text is as follows:
RESOURCE ID: coordinated_raid_tutorial_body_1
TEXT: Unity Raids are unique battles where you must work together with a massive number of Trainers to defeat the Raid Boss.
You cannot flee this battle once it begins.
RESOURCE ID: coordinated_raid_tutorial_body_2
TEXT: You can select up to six Pokémon to use for the Unity Raid.
If all of your Pokémon faint, they will automatically revive after a period of time.
RESOURCE ID: coordinated_raid_tutorial_body_3
TEXT: When the Raid Boss has only a little health left, you can finish it off with a Unity Attack.
To charge a Unity Attack, raise and hold your device in the air with the other Trainers in the battle!
There's also the suggestion that the catch phase will be coordinated, too, going by other text in the datamine:
RESOURCE ID: coordinated_encounter_catch_countdown
TEXT: Throwing in {0}...
RESOURCE ID: coordinated_encounter_catch_prompt
TEXT: Use this {0} to catch {1}!
RESOURCE ID: coordinated_encounter_raise_prompt
TEXT: Raise your device in the air to get your Pokémon!
While it's not mentioned when Unity Raids will roll out, with the timing of Pokémon Go Fest - which starts in Tokyo on 29th May, before legs in Chicago and Copenhagen in June - and the confirmation that "new Gyms will appear that allow over one thousand Trainers to take on Mega Mewtwo together" at the end of each park session, it's very possible they will feature then.
And if it does, it'll help realise the vision of everyone battling and catching Mewtwo together, as set out in the game's announcement video over a decade ago:
As well as Unity Raids, the latest datamine also mentions the following, but again, with no reference as to when they will debut:
- Tatsugiri, Eternal Floette and Gimmighoul's Roaming Form and Chest Form
- Mega Raichu X, Mega Raichu Y, Mega Lucario Z and Mega Baxcalibur
Another recently datamined feature is the Explorer Gadget, an item which acts as a virtual Go Plus device built into Pokémon Go.
If you can't make an in-person Go Fest this year, know that Go Fest: Global will be free for all players this year.
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