'Pokémon Go' Raid Level: What level do you have to be for raid battles? You may not like the answer.

Niantic has finally revealed what level Pokémon Go players need to be for raid battles, an exciting new feature introduced to the game as part of a massive gym update. Unfortunately, the level requirement may come as bad news to anyone who hasn't been grinding away for the past year.

Pokémon Go raid level revealed

The magic number is 35. That's right. You'll need to reach level 35 in the game — which is infamous for being extremely difficult to level up in — to participate in the exciting new feature. Here's the official confirmation, courtesy of the Pokémon Go Twitter account.

If you've already reached level 35, congrats, you're hard work has finally paid off. If not, get ready to do some grinding if you want to join in on raids. If you need a little extra incentive, check out this data mine revealing potential plans to introduce special raids with the possibility of catching a legendary Pokémon at the end.

Basically, if you want to catch that Mewtwo you've got some work to do.

Update: In a second tweet, Niantic revealed plans to expand the raid system to even more players, though it's still unclear what the minimum level requirement will be — or if there will be one at all.

Update: Niantic announced on Friday that Pokémon Go raids are now open to anyone at level 28 and up.

Update: Make that level 25.

Pokémon Go raid level: What it means for the app's endgame

One of the biggest complaints people have about Pokémon Go is its lack of an endgame. Essentially, the issue is that once you reach a certain point the game is no longer a rewarding experience, and there's no secondary way to play it for veteran Pokémon trainers.

Pokémon Go raids will basically add an endgame to the experience. It's a special reward for reaching level 35, which should help bring back players how may have abandoned the game after leveling up to a certain point.

Whether these raids are rewarding enough to make it worth the effort of leveling up remains to be seen, but it's definitely a step in the right direction for Pokémon Go.

June 22, 2017, 9:51 p.m.: This story has been updated.

June 23, 2017, 4:35 p.m.: This story has been updated.

June 23, 2017, 8:45 p.m.: This story has been updated.

More Pokémon Go news, updates and guides

Check out Mic's Pokémon Go coverage! See why gyms are still under constructionand how to get stardust. Find out how to determine how long it will take you to reach level 40, and see what we think of the gen 2 Pokémon added to the game. Here are the kind of Pokémon you get from 10-kilometer eggs, and check out what you missed during the Water Festival and Solstice events. Find out more about the upcoming Chicago event and why you'll probably be able to catch Unown while you're there. If you're not busy searching for rare evolutionary items, that is.