Pokémon Go players blast ‘absurd’ Enamorus Elite Raids after yet another messy event

Elite Raids have been heavily criticized in Pokémon Go since they debuted in November 2022, and each time they appear, they seem to get even more divisive. With Enamorus added to the game through Elite Raids, these frustrations are boiling over across the community. 

Throughout the day on Feb. 14, Enamorus made its Pokémon Go debut through Elite Raids—all of which were running between 12 and 7pm local time. That timing already made it difficult for anyone who wanted to participate while working a nine-to-five job, and to make matters worse, players widely reported that Elite Raids weren’t appearing as often as expected.

For anyone who did participate in Enamorus raids, players reported struggling to get enough players together to take on them on, or needing to travel upwards of 20 minutes just to find an Elite Raid in the first place. Players from rural and heavily populated cities all shared their frustrations about this frustrating feature, with poor catch rates for the new Legendary Pokémon and all the limitations Niantic placed on raiding in general—like Elite Raids not being accessible using Remote Raid passes.

Reddit user Successful-Part3388 gave the most scathing yet accurate review of the entire Elite Raid experience for anyone who hasn’t dealt with them before: “First we have to coordinate with a large group to meet. Then we all have to take time off of school/work to be there at a specific time. We have to find transportation to and from. In Rural or Suburban areas there is maybe just ONE ELITE RAID. THEN after ALL of that, THE POKÉMON FLEES after 15 EXCELLENT throws and 15 GOLDEN RAZZ Berries. Absolutely UN-believable. This game is a waste of time.”

That also doesn’t take into account all the players reporting bugged Enamorus raids that would either kick players or lag out during capture attempts. Pokémon Go players haven’t been happy with Niantic’s handling of raids or the amount of paid research tickets pushed into every event, though Elite Raids have always been contentious. 

With Enamorus’ debut in the rearview, now players can avoid thinking about Elite Raids and instead focus on Go Tour: Sinnoh, and all the exclusive content coming alongside Origin Forme Dialga and Palkia—though that event brings its own concerns regarding bugs and glitches.