What are six-star raids in Pokémon Go?

There are multiple raids available for you to participate in Pokémon Go. These raids feature powerful Pokémon for you to face, giving you the chance to receive various rewards and an encounter with the Pokémon you fought against. Pokémon Go has had several tiers of raids. In recent updates, those raids have adjusted to one-star, three-star, five-star, and Mega Raids. Now, there’s a six-star raid in the game. What are six-star raids in Pokémon Go?

How six-star raids work

Six-star raids are the highest tier you can find in Pokémon Go. These raids feature exclusive Pokémon and are a mix of the most challenging battles in the game, legendary encounters and Mega Pokémon. When you encounter a six-star raid, you’ll be battling against the Mega Legendary form of a Pokémon. Some legendary Pokémon, such as Mewtwo, Latios, Latias, and several others, have enhanced Mega forms that give them a significant boost, similar to when a regular Pokémon Mega Evolves.

The first series of six-star raids was released alongside the Pokémon Air Adventures event. They featured Mega Latias and Latios. If you wanted to earn Mega energy for these two Pokémon, you’d have to battle against them in these six-star raids, and after, you’d get a chance to catch the based form of this Pokémon with the chance of a shiny.

Whenever a notable legendary Pokémon receives its Mega form, it will release as a six-star raid. This concept might change in further development of Pokémon Go as there is only a handful of Mega Legendary Pokémon, but for now, any six-star raid will contain a Mega Legendary Pokémon battle.