Senior Director Talks The Future Of Gigantamax

Pokemon GO introduced the long-awaited Gigantamax feature in October 2024, following the introduction of Dynamax earlier in the year. Gigantamax battles in Pokemon GO see up to 40 Trainers working together to defeat a single massively sized Pokemon, hoping to ultimately catch it and add it to their team. So far, Gigantamax versions of Charizard, Venusaur, Blastoise, and Gengar have debuted in Pokemon GO, with more planned for the future.

Game Rant spoke with Pokemon GO‘s live game senior director, Michael Steranka, about the implementation of the Gigantamax feature, what lessons Niantic had learned from the first event, and what changes will be made in the future. Steranka discussed how Gigantamax battles were designed as late-game challenges for experienced Trainers, offered advice to Trainers looking to get into Gigantamax battling, and provided a few hints about what players might have to look forward to in the future. This transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.

The following interview took place before the Wild Area: Global event, which was held from November 23 to November 24.

Changes Will Be Made To Future Gigantamax Battles

Q: In general, how did things go with the launch of the Gigantamax feature? What went well or not so well?

Steranka: When designing the Gigantamax feature, we wanted to create a new endgame challenge for players to tackle. Our goal was to make Gigantamax encounters different from Raids, and heavily reward strategy, coordination, and investment into your Pokemon. We knew Gigantamax encounters were going to be challenging for players, which would make defeating these epic battles all the more rewarding.

From a technical standpoint, this was one of the smoothest feature launches we’ve had in Pokemon GO. We were able to facilitate 40-person lobbies at scale around the world and create a brand-new experience for players to sink their teeth into. Based on our data, the launch weekend of Gigantamax battles also drove some of the highest co-located play we’ve ever seen, with communities banding together in droves around the world.

In hindsight, we could have done a better job preparing Trainers for how difficult these challenges would be, providing more insight into steps Trainers could take to prepare. The biggest feedback we received from the launch weekend was that Trainers felt ill-prepared since this is such a different experience compared to what they’ve been used to in Raid Battles. That said, our Trainers are incredibly smart and resourceful. We saw a dramatic increase in success rates from Saturday to Sunday, as people figured out new strategies on how to defeat Gigantamax Pokemon.

Q: Can you talk in a little more detail about the changes that will be implemented in future Gigantamax events/battles?

Steranka: One adjustment we already made was to improve the rewards from defeating Gigantamax Pokemon, in addition to the catch rate. We want the feat of overcoming these challenges to feel rewarding for players, and we also want to ensure that Gigantamax battles provide a nice counter-balance to the resources required to power up your Pokemon to defeat them. As of right now, Gigantamax Battles are the best source for Stardust and XL Rare Candy in the game. Additionally, we have follow-up plans for Gigantamax, which we will be able to share more details about at a future date.

Gigantamax Battles Are Pokemon GO’s Greatest Challenge

Pokemon GO players are no strangers to challenging content—there have been raid battles against Legendary Pokemon from throughout the franchise, showdowns with Giovanni and the members of Team GO Rocket, and much more. But Gigantamax battles are designed to create a new level of difficulty, above and beyond even that of Tier 3 Dynamax battles, which had previously held the crown for the game’s most challenging content. Steranka describes Gigantamax battles as “endgame” level challenges and provides advice for players looking to defeat these powerful foes.

Q: What advice would you give to Pokemon GO players to help them succeed in Gigantamax battles, especially those who didn’t participate in the starter/Gengar raids and will be experiencing G-Max for the first time?

Steranka: There are a lot of great guides out there now, and I encourage Trainers to check out videos and write-ups from outlets like Game Rant or their favorite content creator. That said, some quick tips I can offer include: come prepared with Dynamax Pokemon that counter the Gigantamax Pokemon you’ll encounter. Investing in Max Moves is essential, and coordinating with your fellow Trainers during the encounter itself, deciding who is going to focus on damage, and who is healing. The more Trainers you can meet up with the better, and Campfire is a great tool to coordinate.

Q: Currently, there is no way to upgrade a Dynamax Pokemon to a Gigantamax Pokemon in Pokemon GO. Is that planned to remain the case or is there any chance of that changing in the future?

Steranka: There are currently no plans to change this in the future. We want Gigantamax Pokemon to be the epic reward for achieving one of the most difficult challenges in Pokemon GO. You’ll have to prove yourself to add these Pokemon to your Pokedex!

The Future of Gigantamax in Pokemon GO

Q: Gigantamax is currently the focus, but will there be more Pokemon added to the Dynamax pool—especially higher-star Dynamax raids—coming up?

Steranka: Absolutely! There’s currently a large skill gap between Tier 3 Dynamax Battles and Gigantamax Battles. We will be introducing more tiers of Dynamax in the near future.

Q: Do any members of the team have a particular favorite Gigantamax Pokemon or ones that you’re particularly excited to see added to Pokemon GO?

Steranka: This is an easy one. My all-time favorite Pokemon is Machamp, so I will be preparing for when Gigantamax Machamp makes its debut.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like Game Rant’s readers to know about Dynamax, Gigantamax, or upcoming Pokemon GO events/new Pokemon/anything at all?

Steranka: We’ve introduced a whole new style of playing together, and we’re happy so many Trainers have engaged with the feature. Over time, Dynamax and Gigantamax encounters will become faster and easier as Trainers optimize their strategies and coordination.

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