Pokemon Sword and Shield Rings in Lunar New Year With New Shiny Pokemon Raid Event

Pokemon Sword and Shield is ringing in the Lunar New Year with a brand new Max Raid event that [...]

By Christian Hoffer

Pokemon Sword and Shield is ringing in the Lunar New Year with a brand new Max Raid event that features various bovine Pokemon. The event starts today and runs through Sunday, January 24th at 23:59 UTC, and features opportunities to battle and capture Tauros, Bouffalant, and Miltank. As with previous Max Raid events, 2% of all 5-Star event raids will feature a Shiny Tauros, giving players a boosted chance to capture this usually rare Pokemon. Notably, this also marks the first time that players who have not purchased Pokemon Sword and Shield's DLC can catch Bouffalant, a Pokemon that only appears in the Isle of Armor DLC. The Max Raid event celebrates the beginning of the Chinese Year of the Ox, which starts on February 12th, 2021.

The new Wild Area Event is the second Pokemon Sword and Shield event to feature a boosted Shiny Pokemon rate. Players typically have less than a 1 in 4000 chance of finding a Shiny Pokemon, which have alternative coloration than a normal Pokemon, although they can increase those odds significantly through various in-game tricks. Raid events, such as this weekend's event, provide players with a rare opportunity to boost their chances to find that rare Shiny Pokemon.

Shiny Tauros has distinctive green-gold fur compared to the normal Tauros, which has a dark tan/brown fur. An example of a Shiny Tauros can be seen below.

shiny tauros
(Photo: Pokemon)

Outside of the occasional event like the Shiny Tauros event, Pokemon Sword and Shield has likely wrapped up new content releases. However, a new Pokemon game is all but certain to come out this year, with signs pointing towards a remake of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. Additionally, Pokemon fans can also look forward to the upcoming release of New Pokemon Snap and the Pokemon Unite MOBA, both of which will also come out later this year. More big surprises are also likely, as this year marks the 25th anniversary of the Pokemon franchise's founding with the release of Pokemon Red and Green.

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