Along with the introduction of Mega Evolutions, Mega Raids, and removing two and four-star raids from Pokémon Go, there was a variable timer added to all raids that give out rewards based on how quickly players complete a raid.
This is important to keep in mind because you will need to complete Mega Raids to earn Mega Energy for your Pokémon to achieve Mega Evolution where available.
The basic explanation for the speed bonus breaks down to the faster you complete the raid, the more rewards you will get at the end. Rewards differ between the various types of raids, but the bonus still applies.
For normal raids, Premier Balls will be your main reward for completing the raid quickly. The more Premier Balls you have after completing the battle portion of the raid, the more chances you will have to try and capture whatever Pokémon you were just battling.
Related: Niantic removes 2 and 4-star raid battles from Pokémon Go
According to data within the game’s code, this will still max out at 20 Premier Balls, regardless of any bonuses added at the end.
It will work differently for Mega Raids, as players won’t get more Premier Balls, but rather, they will get additional Mega Energy for whatever Pokémon they just finished battling. This energy is used to Mega Evolve compatible Pokémon for battles.
This change comes as Niantic removes the “team contribution” bonus that was previously used to give extra rewards based on which team (Mystic, Valor, or Instinct,) contributed the most in completing the raid. The developers thought this was unfair to players who were in the minority of participants and implemented and impartial system instead.
As for speed tiers, players on Reddit seem to have figured out the rates in which the bonuses are distributed. None of these numbers are guaranteed, but they are pretty close.
- Finish within 10 percent of total time: Five Premier Balls or 55 Mega Energy
- 30 seconds in five-star or Mega Raid
- 18 seconds in one or three-star raids
- Finish within 25 percent of total time: Four Premier Balls or 50 Mega Energy
- 1:15 in five-star or Mega Raid
- 45 seconds in one or three-star raids
- Finish within 50 percent of total time: Three Premier Balls or 45 Mega Energy
- 2:30 in five-star or Mega Raid
- 1:30 in one or three-star raids
- Finish within 75 percent of total time: Two Premier Balls or 40 Mega Energy
- 3:45 in five-star or Mega Raid
- 2:15 in one or three-star raids
- Finish the raid before time expires: One Premier Ball or 35 Mega Energy
- 5:00 in five-star or Mega Raid
- 3:00 in one or three-star raids
It looks like Niantic is trying to push players to really focus on raid matchups and compete with friends to get the most rewards from each raid. With how much Mega Energy players will likely be using now that Mega Evolution is available, these are some pretty good incentives for working together.
