Pokemon Sword and Shield's April Fool's Day Event Had Too Much Magikarp

Max Raid battles have been a highlight of Pokemon Sword and Shield since it first released on [...]

By Marc Deschamps

Max Raid battles have been a highlight of Pokemon Sword and Shield since it first released on Nintendo Switch, but April Fool's Day made things a bit less exciting. That's because Max Raids were completely taken over by everyone's least favorite Water-type Pokemon Magikarp! While Magikarp would be a dull enough encounter for any Max Raid battle, this one couldn't even be caught, making things even duller. Players still got rewards for participating in the battles, so the whole thing wasn't in vain, at least! Clearly, Game Freak and The Pokemon Company decided to have a little fun with the holiday, this year!

Since the days of Pokemon Red and Green, Magikarp has had a well-deserved reputation for being the weakest Pokemon. That fact was offset by the fact that it evolves into Gyarados, but since this Magikarp remained unobtainable, the Pokemon really had no redeeming qualities! If The Pokemon Company was looking for a way to troll players today, it seems like it found the perfect way to do just that.

Fortunately, the April Fool's Day event seems to be at an end, so players can expect to see Max Raid battles featuring a greater variety of Pokemon. In fact, an Easter-themed event is up next for the game, kicking off on April 2nd. Unsurprisingly, this event will feature Pokemon that are based on bunnies, including Azumarill, Lopunny, Diggersby, and more. Players might even have a chance at finding a Shiny Azumarill during the event, as well!

For those unfamiliar with Max Raid battles, they are a relatively newer feature for the Pokemon franchise, added in Sword and Shield. Typically, these battles offer tougher opponents that players must work together to defeat, either with other players online, or with computer-controlled partners. As in the upcoming Easter event, some of these battles even offer players an increased chance at catching a rare Shiny Pokemon, as well! Obviously, Magikarp is a bit of a deviation from the Pokemon players expect to see during Max Raid battles!

Pokemon Sword and Shield is available now, exclusively on Nintendo Switch. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the game right here.

Are you a fan of Pokemon Sword and Shield? Were you surprised to see Magikarp appearing in Max Raid battles today? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

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