5 mistakes Niantic should avoid with Gigantamax in Pokemon GO

Gigantamax Pokemon are finally coming to Pokemon GO during the GO Bigger event on October 26, 2024. The twist on the Dynamax phenomenon will debut with Gigantamax Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur. While many players are excited for these creatures, some may have a few concerns, given how Dynamax is currently being handled by Niantic.

With the future of this feature in Pokemon GO unclear, there is still a ton of room for error by the development team. Here are five things Niantic should avoid doing with the new Gigantamax mechanic.

Note: This list is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer

Check out the current Pokemon GO raid bosses that you can encounter in-game

5 mistakes Niantic should try to avoid with Pokemon GO's Gigantamax mechanic

1) Restricting the form from Max Pokemon

Max Soup is an item in the main series that unlocks a creature's potential to Gigantamax (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Many players were already frustrated that the Kanto starters were the first Max Raid Bosses, and they are now returning with their Gigantamax forms. Trainers are particularly disappointed that Niantic requires them to catch and level up new variants of the Kanto starters once again.

Niantic could address this issue by implementing a way for players to unlock the Gigantamax forms of Pokemon that are already capable of Dynamaxing. In the main series, this is accomplished using the Max Soup item, which is made from ingredients gathered in Raid Battles. The developer could also reward trainers with ingredients for completing Gigantamax Raids and Max Battles.

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2) Massive difficulty spikes

Gigantamax Raids can host 40 players, which has some players concerned about the difficulty of these new raids (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Another concern stemming from the initial reveal of Gigantamax Pokemon in Pokemon GO is that these raids can accommodate 40 players, effectively doubling the capacity of standard raids. This increase has left some trainers worried about the difficulty of these battles. If Niantic deems it necessary to enlarge the raid lobby, these encounters might become exceedingly challenging.

This concern is compounded by the developer labeling these new Gigantamax Raids as Six-Star Max Battles. With the hardest Max Raid currently being Three-Star, Gigantamax Raids will likely be the most difficult Max Battles yet. It remains unclear whether they will be the hardest raids in the game overall, given the larger lobby size.

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3) Excluding rural players

Many rural players are concerned about Gigantamax Raids being impossible in their area (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Rural players have expressed disappointment over the Gigantamax debut, as the feature appears to rely on difficult Raid Battles that will likely require many trainers to complete. Raids are already rare in small cities. Gathering enough players for one of them in a rural community is nearly impossible.

With reports that these raids cannot be completed remotely, many rural players have resigned themselves to the fact that they will be unable to obtain the new Gigantamax Pokemon. Once again, an item like Max Soup could help alleviate this problem, but it wouldn't fully resolve it.

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4) Focus on Gigantamax forms

The current issue with Gigantamax forms in Pokemon GO is that many of the Max Pokemon already released have Gigantamax forms (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Since introducing the Dynamax feature in Pokemon GO, Niantic has focused heavily on releasing new Max Raid Bosses. However, the issue is that seven of the announced Max Raid Bosses also have Gigantamax forms. This could mean that players will need to grind through much harder versions of raids they have already completed to obtain these new forms.

Players understandably feel frustrated if this turns out to be the case. Especially with the release of Dynamax Gastly during the Halloween season, many have lost motivation to participate in the current array of Max Battles. Given this context, Niantic should prioritize introducing the missing Gigantamax forms instead of new Dynamax Pokemon.

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5) Bad locations for Gigantamax Raids

The locations for these upcoming Gigantamax Raids should be carefully considered given their large lobby size (Image via Niantic)

One concern regarding the upcoming Gigantamax Raids in Pokemon GO is where they will be hosted. With a lobby size of 40 and the requirement for players to attend in person, large groups could potentially converge at a single location.

While this might work well in city squares and iconic landmarks, it could pose a serious issue if Niantic places a raid outside a school, hospital, or fire station. If raid locations are not thoughtfully considered, they may not appear in rural communities, creating challenges for a significant portion of the player base.

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Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh