Last month, Pokemon Go launched Gigantamax Raids, giving players the opportunity to capture Gigantamax forms of beloved Pokemon like Charizard, Venusaur, and Blastoise. However, these raids faced immediate challenges due to the requirement of large, in-person groups of 10 to 40 players. This made catching Gigantamax Pokemon incredibly difficult, leading to widespread player frustration. Fortunately, Niantic is introducing a potential solution for the new Dual Destiny season: Max Mushrooms.
Power Up Your Pokemon with Max Mushrooms
Max Mushrooms are a new item designed to significantly boost the power of moves used in Max Battles. By feeding a Max Mushroom to a Pokemon before a Max Raid, its attacks will deal double damage for a specific duration. While players can feed their Pokemon multiple Max Mushrooms to extend this timer, the damage multiplier remains at 2x regardless of the number of mushrooms used. In the Max Raid lobby, trainers can now see if other participants have utilized Max Mushrooms, much like the existing indicator for Mega Evolved Pokemon.
Gigantamax Lapras Max Battle Day: A Testing Ground
Players will have their first chance to experience these changes during the Gigantamax Lapras Max Battle Day on Sunday, December 8th, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. local time. During this event, all Power Spots will host Gigantamax Battles and produce increased Max Particles, simplifying the process of finding and joining Max Raids. Furthermore, exploring will yield Max Particles through the Nearby menu, with the required exploration distance reduced to 1/4 and double the usual Max Particle rewards.
Lingering Questions and Potential Impact
Despite these promising changes, several questions remain unanswered. The availability of Max Mushrooms beyond the single one offered as a Timed Research reward with the $5 Gigantamax Lapras Max Battle Day event ticket is unknown. The duration of the damage-boosting timer is also unclear. While double damage is a significant advantage, the overall effectiveness of Max Mushrooms will depend on how long this boost lasts and how readily available they are.
Addressing Gigantamax Raid Challenges
Niantic has acknowledged the difficulties players have faced with Gigantamax Battles and has actively worked on adjusting the overall difficulty. It remains to be seen whether Max Mushrooms will sufficiently improve the mechanic or if further adjustments will be necessary. Even with increased damage output, players will still need to come prepared with powerful Pokemon and strengthened Max Moves. The hope is that these changes will make defeating Gigantamax Pokemon more achievable without requiring an excessive number of participants.
Conclusion: A Step in the Right Direction?
The introduction of Max Mushrooms appears to be a positive step towards addressing the challenges of Gigantamax Raids in Pokemon Go. While the true impact remains to be seen, the potential for increased damage and easier raid discovery could significantly improve the player experience. The Gigantamax Lapras Max Battle Day will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of these changes.
