Raid

In online role-playing games and some co-operative shooters, a raid is one of the hardest group activities available. It typically requires a larger team than ordinary missions, often somewhere between six and several dozen players depending on the game, and features powerful bosses with complex mechanics that the whole group must handle together. Raids usually offer the best rewards in the game, which is part of their appeal.

The word is also used differently in some games, for example for attacks on another player’s base in strategy or survival games, or for streamers sending their audience to another channel. The co-operative boss-fight meaning is the most common in gaming.

How raids work

A raid boss is not beaten simply by dealing damage. Players must react to special attacks, stand in the right places, swap targets, move away from hazards and coordinate abilities at precise moments. Teams usually include defined roles: tanks to hold enemy attention, healers to keep everyone alive and DPS players to deal damage. One person’s mistake can defeat the whole group, so practice and communication are essential.

Groups often wipe – all players are defeated – many times before learning a fight. This trial-and-error process is called progression, and the first time a new raid is beaten is a big event in some communities.

Joining a raid as a newcomer

Many games offer easier raid difficulties or matchmaking for raids, which are friendlier ways to start. Watching a guide video beforehand is expected, and saying “first time” in group chat usually earns patience. For parents, raids can involve fixed schedules and sessions of two or three hours, often in the evening, with voice chat. It is worth agreeing in advance which raid nights are acceptable and making sure communication settings are appropriate.