Pokemon Go Making Gigantamax Raid Changes Following Player Outcry

Over the weekend, Pokemon Go introduced Gigantamax Pokemon to the game, and the results were a predictable disaster. The new six-star Max Raids were nearly impossible for players to overcome, with huge groups of players struggling to defeat these Gigantamax Pokemon. It seems Niantic is well aware that players are frustrated, and there are going to be some changes starting later this week. In a post on the Niantic Support X/Twitter account, the company revealed the specific changes players can expect to see when Gigantamax Gengar Max Raids go live:

• Gigantamax Gengar Max Battles will still be challenging, but we will be slightly reducing the difficulty compared to Gigantamax Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise Max Battles.
• Defeating Gigantamax Gengar will reward participating trainers 25k Stardust each.
• Gigantamax Gengar will be more easy to catch once you have defeated it in a Max Battle.

Gigantamax Gengar Max Raids won’t begin until October 31st, so it will be interesting to see how these differ. “Slightly reducing” the difficulty probably isn’t going to make the kind of difference needed to make six-star Max Raids enjoyable, though. Right now, the problem is that the recommended party size is 10-40 players. Players cannot participate in these Raids remotely, which means you need a huge group of people to complete them locally. On top of that, some players have claimed on social media that they were unable to defeat Gigantamax Pokemon with groups of 30 players. The requirement makes it so that only players that live in areas with large numbers of players even have a chance at catching a Gigantamax Pokemon.

This whole situation has been frustrating, but it’s not terribly surprising; Gigantamax Raids always seemed doomed to fail. Over the last few years, Niantic has been dedicated to getting Pokemon Go fans to play the game outdoors, rather than inside. The developer has made several changes in service to that goal, often to the detriment to the game and its community. Niantic could make Gigantamax Raids more manageable by allowing players to participate remotely, but the company has made no mention of that possibility. It also seems highly unlikely given the steps Niantic has taken to make Remote Raids less appealing to players.

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It’s a good sign that Niantic is already starting to pivot away from the current Gigantamax requirements, even if the changes don’t go far enough. It shows that the company is at least aware of the problems with the feature, and listening to the Pokemon Go community. That has not always been the case, and it could result in more improvements over time. For now, fans are going to have to keep voicing their frustrations and hope that Gigantamax Raids eventually become an enjoyable part of the game.

Have you tried a Gigantamax Raid in Pokemon Go yet? Do you think that the feature needs to see some improvements? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!