Updated

Updated · Eurogamer.net · Jul 11

Pokémon Go Uses Link Charges for 150-Cost Mega Raids, Sells 600 for 300 PokéCoins

Updated

Updated · Eurogamer.net · Jul 11

Pokémon Go Uses Link Charges for 150-Cost Mega Raids, Sells 600 for 300 PokéCoins

Q: As Mega Raichu's debut nears, is Pokémon Go's new system locking out free-to-play trainers from the game's most exciting content?

No. Pokémon Go’s Link Charges system does not fully lock free-to-play trainers out of Mega Raichu’s debut, but it does make top-tier raid content more restrictive and clearly more rewarding for paying players. Free players still have several paths in. Link Charges can be earned through Weekly Challenges, Gifts, Campfire meetups, and some research or event rewards. For the July 18 Raichu Super Mega Raid Day, Niantic is also offering free Timed Research with a Premium Battle Pass and up to six free Raid Passes from Gym Photo Discs. That means a non-paying player can still join Super Mega Raids, especially in person. The barrier is efficiency, not absolute access. Super Mega Raids are harder, time-limited, and often require coordination. Link Charges add another resource layer on top of existing raid passes, especially for in-person Mega Raids and remote Super Mega Raids, where players may need both a Remote Raid Pass and 200 Link Charges. Paying players can simply buy charges, event tickets, and bundles, giving them more attempts, more rewards, and a better chance to farm shinies or strong IVs. That creates a two-tier experience. Free-to-play trainers are not excluded from the headline content, but they are more constrained by daily limits, social access, and item scarcity. For a debut like Mega Raichu, the practical result is that everyone can participate, but paying players can participate far more often and with better returns.

3 articles · Updated · Eurogamer.net · Jul 11

Link Charges, added with Super Mega Raids in February 2026, now serve as a raid-entry currency for Mega content alongside existing passes.
150 Link Charges are required for a regular in-person Mega Raid, while a remote Super Mega Raid needs both 200 Link Charges and a Remote Raid Pass; regular remote Mega Raids still only need the pass.
600 Link Charges is the cap in the Link Holder, a key item players receive automatically with their first charges and cannot delete.
Three main free sources are Weekly Challenges, opening Gifts and Campfire-organized community meetups, with some Research and GO Pass rewards also offering charges.
200 Link Charges cost 100 PokéCoins in-game, 600 cost 300 PokéCoins, and the webstore lists 600 for £2.99 or 600 plus three Remote Raid Passes for £7.99.