Pokemon Sword & Shield exploit helps players hunt Gigantamax Pokemon

Jacob Hale

A new exploit has been discovered in Pokemon Sword & Shield raid battles that allows players to easily farm Gigantamax Pokemon in a matter of seconds, ruining the experience for players attempting to play through the game and complete their Pokedex properly.

Raid Battles are a new co-operative multiplayer mode where up to four players can work together to battle wild Gigantamax Pokémon and get a chance to catch them. Gigantamax Pokemon are essentially massive, super-powerful versions of species already in the game.

These are great for leveling up your Pokemon and bolstering your party but, as is tradition whenever gamers can work together to achieve something, players have found an exploit that allows you to pick which Gigantamax Pokemon you want to encounter.

Pokemon CompanyNot all Pokemon can come in Gigantamax form, but fan-favorite Charizard is one that can.

This new exploit is a fairly simple one, a concept that has been used in games for years. All you have to do is adjust the time or date on your Nintendo Switch console and head to the correct area to find the Pokemon you want.

You can also use this method to farm Watts, a currency you can use to buy different items across Galar. The method can be used either online or offline, but in the tweet below it is being done offline.

Since the exploit was discovered, there has been an increase in players unable to find or join lobbies due to the fact that when doing this method, you have to create a new lobby – meaning many lobbies are open at certain times, but aren’t actually active.

For many, this is killing off the enjoyment of hunting Gigantamax Pokemon, rendering the activity a frustrating addition to the game. It’s likely that Game Freak will aim to address this exploit as soon as possible and avoid any more bad publicity since they announced that the game would have no National Dex.

It’s such a simple exploit but the rewards probably make it worthwhile for anyone looking for a shortcut to train their Pokemon and grow their party, especially before the developers have a chance to act.

That said, we won’t advise taking part in this exploit or taking advantage of it; as they say, cheaters never prosper.

About The Author

Jacob is Dexerto’s UK Editor and Call of Duty esports specialist. With a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Creative Writing, he previously worked as an Editor at Ginx TV. Jacob was nominated for Journalist of the Year at the 2023 Esports Awards. Contact: jacob.hale@dexerto.com.