Raid Battles have become a significant part of Pokemon Go, with these battles always taking place at gyms. But is it possible to play a Raid Battle without actually being at one of these gyms? Is there a way to do so remotely?
There actually is a way to play Raid Battles remotely, although the catch is that you have to go to visit the gym at least once. You must be within the radius of the gym in question in order to commence a Raid Battle. However, once you’re in the lobby, the game no longer takes into account where you are in relation to the gym.
This means that you can walk up to a gym, use your Raid Pass to start a lobby, and then walk home, not needing to actually stand outside the gym location in order to complete the Raid Battle.
It also means that you can theoretically complete a Raid Battle while in a car. If you’re in a vehicle that has stopped near a location where there is a Raid Battle about to happen, you can commence the battle, and then when your vehicle continues moving, you’ll still be able to participate in the battle even though you aren’t at the gym anymore. Obviously, this should only be done if you are a passenger, and Pokemon Go should never be played while driving.
It would not be surprising if Niantic ended up getting rid of this ability to play Raid Battles remotely. After all, the company tends to try to prevent any methods that allow gamers to play Pokemon Go without actually walking around and being physically at the location they’re supposed to be. But for now, this is a neat trick, which depending on what your daily routine looks like may allow you to play more Raid Battles than you would otherwise be able to.