Niantic remains silent on global/local requirements as Pokemon Go introduces 40-player Gigantimax battles

It’s time for Pokemon Go enthusiasts to gear up for some big news and lots of confusions as Niantic, along with The Pokemon Company, has officially confirmed the arrival of Gigantimax Pokemon later this month.

The Pokémon Company International, together with Niantic, has publicized the scheduled debut of Gigantamax in Pokémon GO on October 26, 2024,” stated the studio. “This latest feature adds upon the Dynamax feature launched on September 10, 2024, enabling a range of Pokémon to grow and transform their look during battles. Players will come across Gigantamax Pokémon during time-restricted events, initiating with Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise. It is worth noting that these Pokémon will be harder to defeat than other Dynamax Pokémon, calling for the need for teamwork with other Trainers.”

Nevertheless, beyond the press release, there is a twist. Firstly, raids exclusive to local players are already disapproved, and these Gigantimax raids of the Max Raid Battle type are constructed for 40 people. However, Niantic remains silent on the constraints. Meanwhile, following the ambiguously ambiguous update last week, player data miners have uncovered that Niantic did a rollback and corrected numerous of the late August raid amendments.

As mentioned in our frequently updated October event compilations, there is now more information about the event scheduled for October 26th-27th, which introduces the new Gigantimax feature. The positives include a unique attack for each Gigantimax ‘mon while in its form. However, the new event only includes Gigianti forms for the Kanto starters that players have already raided, leading some gamers to perceive it as a deception to make them invest in ‘mon that were to be replaced quickly. Besides, the eventual inclusion of Max Soup could be a solution to “correct” old Pokémon. Ensure not to eliminate any potentially good ones, even though this action appears shady.

In terms of the event itself, it seems to serve only as an introduction to the Gigantimax mechanic, with no bonuses or special spawns. It’s worth noting that Niantic is promoting these for up to 40 players in small groups of four or fewer individuals combined. Whether these will still be locally restricted or globally combined groups is still unclear. We’ve contacted The Pokémon Company for clarification and will provide updates as and when received.

Further, players have observed the complex nature of even 3-star raids, which, although soloable with proper investment, are significantly more comfortable with a duo. Moving from solo/duo content to 40-player content strikes as a vast jump, especially if this feature turns out to be local-player exclusive. Currently, the most engaged participants in my locale are soloers and multi-accounters – yes, practices against the ToS which Niantic does not enforce. Even in LA County, finding a raid hotspot that might attract group-interested players requires traveling across several city lines.)

In other Pokémon news, Pokemon studio Game Freak revealed that it underwent a significant data breach leading to the exposure of everything, ranging from employee data to the source code and developing game information (potential new Mega spoilers!).

🗶 GIGANTAMAX 🗶 Pokémon are coming to #PokemonGO

The first batch will include G-Max Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise. 🌿🔥💧

Battles are similar to Dynamax, but the main difference is that they’re tougher, and G-Max Pokémon will have a G-Max Move in their first slot. 💥… pic.twitter.com/Xl0s1WN4ca

— G47IX | Pokémon GO (@g47ix) October 14, 2024