What are 6-star raids in Pokemon GO?

Pokemon GO's 5-star raids and mega raids are already challenging, but the new 6-star raids bring a whole new dimension of difficulty to the mobile title.

Marked by a glowing Mega Evolution egg, 6-star raids combine the aspects of 5-star raids and mega raids together.

With the introduction of Mega Latios and Latias, trainers heading into 6-star raids will have to battle not a legendary or a Mega Evolution but a Mega Evolved Legendary Pokemon.

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Winning a 6-star raid in Pokemon GO

Dataminers have hinted that Mega Mewtwo X and Y could arrive in the game in the future (Image via Niantic)

Trainers will need to bring as many of their comrades as possible to win a 6-star raid in Pokemon GO. This is because the CP of 6-star bosses can total and even surpass 80,000 CP, making them formidable for even large groups of experienced trainers.

At the moment, 6-star raids are limited to Mega Latios and Latias, but this is likely to change quickly. Pokemon GO dataminers have already looked into the game's files and have discovered factors that point to the inclusion of additional Mega Legendaries in future content updates.

This has led players to speculate on what future Legendary Pokemon may get the 6-star Mega Evolution treatment. The likes of Mewtwo and Rayquaza are the two most common suspects. Nothing's been confirmed so far, but it likely won't be long, as Niantic won't let Latios and Latias be the only 6-star bosses indefinitely.

To beat Mega Latios and Latias specifically, Pokemon GO players will need a battle party comprised of incredibly powerful counter Pokemon.

Fortunately, Latios/Latias are both Dragon and Psychic-type Pokemon, making them weak to Bug, Dark, Dragon, Fairy, Ghost, and Ice-type Pokemon and attacks.

However, trainers may not want to utilize Dragon-types unless absolutely necessary, as all Dragon-types are weak to other Dragon-type moves. This makes them a double-edged sword and a relatively unsafe option unless trainers know the moveset of Latios or Latias.

Trainers should ensure that their Pokemon GO battle team is stacked with high-CP and high-stat Pokemon in order to be successful. Furthermore, if trainers have Mega Energy saved up for Mega Evolutions, this is the time to use them.

Depending on the situation, trainers may need to utilize multiple Mega Evolved Pokemon in order to defeat a 6-star raid boss.