‘Pokémon Go’ Exclusive Raid: Screenshot reveals that the special battles will be invite-only

Details on Pokémon Go Mewtwo raids have finally come to light. We know that not only will Mewtwo arrive in the “coming weeks” but that it will come packaged in what Niantic calls an “exclusive raid.” We know a decent amount about Pokémon Go’s latest form of group battle (and if you still have questions, hit up our explainer), but few have encountered the new feature — so there are still some things we don’t know.

A new screenshot involving exclusive raids, however, gives us one more clue into how the Pokémon Go feature will work.

Pokémon Go’s Mewtwo raids will close off the gym from those uninvited

As you likely know, PoGo players can only join the exclusive raids fun if they were invited to do so beforehand. Conquer a particular gym before the exclusive raid goes down and you take part in the exclusive raid.

Reddit user Wrekitra1ph noticed this image in their local Facebook group. With the possibility of the Pokémon Go player spoofing their location, it’s tough to say if the image is real, but we’re inclined to believe this is what players will see when hoping to access an exclusive raid. So what happens when you try to crash the party? This:

Like a bouncer to a nightclub that isn’t even that good anyway, Pokémon Go will turn you away from any gym with an exclusive raid taking place. From the screenshot alone, it’s tough to say whether closing un-invitees off extends to even swiping the gym’s Pokéstop for items or just from taking part in a raid. We’ll know more when exclusive raids officially launch.

Check out more Pokémon Go news and coverage

Raids are here, and so are Articuno, Lugia and now Moltres! See how to locate the best ones and why they may be the key to legendary Pokémon. 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. And here’s where you can check out what you missed during the Water Festival and Solstice events.