Pokemon Go Mega Evolution evolves with easier raids, new Mega Levels

Niantic is overhauling the Mega Evolution mechanics of Pokemon Go, making it easier for players to evolve (and re-evolve) their Pokemon using Mega Energy. New bonuses are also being offered by the developer to encourage players to take part in Mega Evolution, the mobile game that’s gotta-catch’em all.

The biggest change coming to Mega Evolutions are Mega Raids. These raids, according to Niantic, will be simpler and easier than the rest. The current four-star Mega Raids rank just below the hardest tier. Niantic hasn’t said just how many players are required or recommended for Mega Raids yet.

Mega Evolving has also become a one-time fee. Once players have enough Mega Energy to evolve their Pokemon they will be able to mega Evolve them once again after a cooling down period. Players can use Mega Energy to decrease a Pokemon’s cooldown period, Niantic said, and Mega Energy required to Mega Evolve a Pokemon will decrease as the Pokemon’s cooldown period becomes shorter.

Niantic is also introducing Mega Levels for Mega Evolved Pokemon. “Every time you Mega Evolve a Pokemon, you work toward increasing its Mega Level,” Niantic said in a blog post. “You’ll get more bonuses every time a Pokemon’s Mega Level goes up, and these bonuses will stay active while your Pokemon is Mega Evolved.”

Those bonuses earned from Mega Evolved Pokemon include existing perks like extra candy when catching Pokemon that are the same type as players’ current Mega-Evolved Pokemon and damage boosts in Raids and Gym Battles; as well as new bonuses, like an increased chance of earning Candy XL and increased XP when catching Pokemon of the same type as your Mega-Evolved Pokemon.

And in a nice quality-of-life update, players will be able to Mega Evolve Pokemon from raid and battle prep screens. (Monday’s announcement also came with a video teaser, embedded above, that indicates that Mega Kangaskhan is headed to Pokemon Go. )

What doesn’t appear to be changing is the temporary nature of Mega Evolutions. Pokemon who are Mega Evolved will eventually return to their normal state.

Changes to Pokemon Go‘s Mega Evolution roll out today in Australia and New Zealand, and will roll out globally soon, Niantic announced.

Mega Evolutions were added to Pokemon Go in the summer of 2020. Initially just four Pokemon could be evolved using the Mega Energy earned from raids: Venusaur, Charizard, Blastoise, and Beedrill. Although Niantic added more in the years, many people haven’t found the system to be appealing due to its limited life span and high energy cost. Mega Raids can prove difficult for players to join, so Niantic has made Mega Energy more accessible through research tasks.