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Pokemon Go's raid system, which allows players to battle and possibly capture powerful bosses at Gyms, has undergone some serious changes. In a quiet update, developer Niantic added new bosses for trainers to encounter, while removing several that were previously available.

Many players will be excited to see some of the new Pokemon now available in raids, but still, a few of the choices are head-scratching. Trainers familiar with the feature can rest easy knowing the tier system is still in place, which separated bosses into categories of difficulty. In the first tier, former bosses Croconaw, Bayleef, and Quilava--the middle stage evolutions of Generation II's starters--have been swapped out for Generation I's Ivysaur, Charmeleon, and Wartortle. The choice makes sense, as offering starter evolutions is a great way for players to earn candy from the otherwise rare Pokemon.

A strange choice in tier 1, though, is the swapping of Magikarp for Metapod. While Magikarp isn't a great Pokemon on its own, players were eager to battle it in a raid because getting its evolved form Gyarados requires 400 candy, which made farming the item easier. On the flip side, Metapod evolves into the useless Butterfree, so it's hard to understand why Niantic would see the two as comparable.

Other choices, like Scyther and Porygon in tier 3, also make sense, as both Pokemon are still considered rare despite being available to hatch in eggs. However, the oddest change is seen in tier 4, which used to house Generation I's third-stage starter evolutions Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur. Taking their places are Nidoqueen, Nidoking, and Poliwrath, which are all relatively common and not usable in battles. Sure, Golem being added in place of Rhydon makes sense, as both are strong Pokemon for Legendary raid battles, but the other three newbies seem like random placeholders in comparison.

Thankfully, Niantic made sure to leave a handful of the first season's raid bosses in the game, including Gengar, Machamp, Alakazam, Lapras, Snorlax, and Tyranitar. It's unclear if Niantic will ever address how they decided on the changes seen in the new raid system, but many fans on Reddit believe it has to do with the upcoming release of Generation III. A majority of the new bosses are from Generation I, which has led the community to believe Generation III's launch will decrease the number of Pokemon from the Kanto region.

If you're still intrigued, the full list of the tiered Pokemon are below:

Tier 1

• Ivysaur
  
• Charmeleon
  
• Wartortle
  
• Metapod

Tier 2

• Sableye
  
• Magneton
  
• Marowak
  
• Cloyster
  
• Tentacruel
  
• Sandslash

Tier 3

• Porygon
  
• Ninetales
  
• Scyther
  
• Omastar
  
• Alakazam
  
• Gengar
  
• Machamp

Tier 4

• Poliwrath
  
• Victreebel
  
• Golem
  
• Nidoking
  
• Nidoqueen
  
• Lapras
  
• Tyranitar
  
• Snorlax

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