How to get a Gigantamax Pokémon in Sword and Shield

Gigantaxmaxing is a new feature in Pokémon Sword and Shield. While every Galarian Pokémon can Dynamax, only a few of them can Gigantamax. Pokémon capable of Gignatamaxing are quite rare, but there are several ways you can improve your chances of obtaining them.

How to get a Gigantamax Pokémon with Sword and Shield

Taking part in Max Raid Battles is a great way to get Pokémon that can be Gigantamax. Max Raid Battles involve a team of trainers supporting a very powerful Pokémon. You can participate in them as soon as you get to the wild area, but they are very difficult at this point in the game. Look for bright red rock formations with a beam of light coming from them to join a Max Raid battle. While it is possible to take part in these battles with AI teammates if you are offline, it is definitely worth being online to play them.

Nintendo will be hosting special in-game events that increase the chances of finding certain Pokémon in Max Raid battles. Starting November 15, all players will be more likely to encounter Gigantamax Butterfree. People with Sword will have an increased chance of encountering Gigantamax Dreadnaw, while people playing Shield will have a high chance of encountering Gigantamax Corviknight.

Game Freak has widely hinted that these increased odds will change to different Pokémon over the next couple of months. There are also methods for obtaining Gigantamax Meowth, Eevee, and Pikachu under special conditions. Meowth is available as an early buy bonus, while Eevee and Pikachu are only available to people with a relevant save file, Go Go, on their Switch.