Pokemon Sword and Shield to Have Gigantamax Snorlax Event in December

Pokemon Sword and Shield players will have a chance to battle and capture a Gigantamaxed version of Snorlax. Earlier today, the Pokemon Company announced that Gigantamax Snorlax would appear in Max Raid Battles beginning on December 4th and lasting through early January. This special type of Snorlax has access to a new move, G-Max Replenish, which restores berries already consumed by Pokemon during battle. The new version of Snorlax not only turns into a massive Pokemon, but a full park appears on its stomach, complete with paths and a berry tree at its peak.

Gigantamaxing is a variant of the Dynamax mechanic that's at the heart of Pokemon Sword and Shield. While any Pokemon can Dynamax, turning them into kaiju-sized Pokemon for three turns, only certain Pokemon can Gigantamax - which changes their size and form. Basically, Gigantamaxing is a bit like Mega Evolution, only confined to certain Pokemon. For instance, Snorlax caught in the wild won't be able to Gigantamax, so this event offers players their best chance of capturing one of these special kinds of Snorlax.

In order to capture Gigantamax Snorlax, players will need to participate in Max Raid Battles, a new kind of Battle that pits four trainers against one Dynamaxed or Gigantamaxed Pokemon. While players can choose to team up with NPC characters in Max Raid Battles, players have found that it's a lot easier to take on Max Raid Battles with actual human players. As a Normal-type Pokemon, players will want to bring Fighting-type Pokemon like Sirfetch'd or Machamp to maximize your chances at victory.

Players can also battle Gigantamax versions of Corviknight, Butterfree, and Drednaw in Max Raid Battles for a limited time in Pokemon Sword and Shield.

Are you impressed with the new version of Snorlax? Let us know in the comment section or find me on Twitter at @CHofferCBus to chat all things Pokemon!