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Apr 14, 2024

Complete Guide To Mass Outbreaks In Pokemon Scarlet And Violet

Here is everything you need to know about Mass Outbreaks in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Mass Outbreaks are back in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet , but they're a bit different than in previous games. Now,

Here is everything you need to know about Mass Outbreaks in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Mass Outbreaks are back in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, but they're a bit different than in previous games. Now, Mass Outbreaks are much larger, with a higher chance of obtaining rare, shiny Pokemon.

Related: Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Complete Shiny Hunting Guide

If you want to know everything there is to know about Mass Outbreaks in Scarlet and Violet, you've come to the right place. Below, we'll take a look at each mechanic involved in Mass Outbreaks, the chances to obtain Shiny Pokemon, and the best way to do so.

Mass Outbreaks are large gatherings of a single type of Pokemon that can appear around Paldea. Every day, new Outbreaks will appear, changing over at midnight. Outbreaks are marked on your map, either by an image of the target Pokemon, or a question mark if you haven't logged the Outbreak Pokemon in your Pokedex.

In any given Outbreak, you can encounter around 100 of a single Pokemon. As you defeat Pokemon in an Outbreak, more will appear, until you've fully cleared about 100 Pokemon. For every 20 to 30 Pokemon you defeat, a notification will appear letting you know that the Outbreak is decreasing in size, until you fully clear the Outbreak.

Typically, around ten Pokemon will appear on screen at once, but this can be increased using the Sandwich Encounter Power of the same type as the Pokemon in the Outbreak. Keep in mind, however, that this will not increase the total size of the Outbreak, just the number of Pokemon you can see at the same time.

You can't add Pokemon back into the Outbreak after you've started defeating them. However, you can turn off auto-save, manually save your game at the start of an Outbreak, then close and open your game back to this save later on, if you want to keep a particular Outbreak around for as long as possible.

Additionally, Outbreaks will not disperse as long as the clock doesn't tick over to midnight. You can change the time on your Switch back a few hours to keep an Outbreak open, or even skip ahead a day to generate new Outbreaks.

Now that we know how they work, you may be wondering what you can do with them. As you defeat Pokemon in an Outbreak, your chance to obtain Shiny Pokemon increases.

At around 20 to 30 Pokemon defeated, you will gain an additional Shiny Chance roll, increasing the likelihood of encountering a Shiny from 1 in 4096 to 1 in 2048. Another Shiny chance is gained after defeating around 60 Pokemon, further increasing your rates to 1 in 1365. Without the Shiny Charm or Sandwich Powers, this is the best the rate will get in an Outbreak.

If defeating 60 Pokemon sounds time-consuming, don't worry. You can use the Let's Go! feature to quickly auto-battle through these encounters.

These increased rates make Shiny hunting through Mass Outbreaks very efficient, as you can see multiple Pokemon in the world at once. If you're hunting for a specific Pokemon, you can set your Switch's time forward and check back until your target has an Outbreak.

Next: Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: How To Check IVs

Jacob Whaling is a guide writer for TheGamer. Besides oversharing about FFXIV lore, he enjoys snapping together model kits, reading comics, and Monster Hunter-ing.