Dynamax is Coming to Pokemon Go

It was just a day like any other for me; wake up, let out my pet dogs for the morning, do my daily routine, and check the Gamepress Discord to see what people are currently talking about. I start where I normally do, in our Site Suggestions channel, where people report errors, issues, and occasionally some news, and... oh, look; one of our regulars posted the latest promotional image put out by Niantic for the anniversary. Let's take a loo-....

....oh, oh dear. Well, I'm now very glad that I've at least talked about Gigantamax in the Typing Review series.

Dynamax is Coming

In a rather unexpected turn that has absolutely no reference within the article that this image is posted to, it seems that Niantic has now confirmed that Dynamax, the regional gimmick of Galar, is about to make its grand debut in Pokemon Go. Less well known than the well beloved Mega Evolution, this unique means of Pokemon transformation had its time in the spotlight, and was fairly controversial in the Main Series due to what exactly it did to our Pokemon. And what might that be, exactly?

What Is Dynamax?

Dynamax is a phenomenon that is very similar to Mega Evolution in some respects, as it provides a power-boost to a single Pokemon on the player's team. In the main series, Dynamaxing a Pokemon had a few direct effects when activated, and here are the basics:

• The Dynamaxed Pokemon will greatly increase in size, becoming an absolute giant.
• The HP of the Dynamaxed Pokemon depends on the given Pokemon's Dynamax Level, which players can increase via specific tasks.
• The Dynamaxed Pokemon's HP will greatly increase, making them substantially harder to take down
• The Dynamaxed Pokemon's entire moveset will change, with attacks of any given type turned into Max Moves, which are extremely powerful attacks with unique effects when used.
• Status moves will all change into Max Guard, which blocks all incoming damage, but the fact that we don't have any non-damage-dealing moves (even Lock-On deals damage) means that this is irrelevant, but it still is worth mentioning.
• The Dynamaxed Pokemon will return to normal in 3 turns.

So while Mega Evolution is a boost that powers up very specific Pokemon for a prolonged period, Dynamax provides an arguably larger boost for a short period of time. However, when we're talking about Dynamax, we also have to talk about its rather unique cousin: Gigantamax.

What Is Gigantamax?

When Dynamax was announced, it was seen as a way to bring equality to Pokemon. Back in Kalos/Hoenn, Mega Evolution was given to only a select number of Pokemon, leaving the rest of the Pokedex high-and-dry, so they made sure that every Pokemon in Galar had the ability to Dynamax so that everyone was equal.... but then they decided to make some Pokemon a bit more equal!

Gigantamax is essentially the exact same thing as Dynamax; take a Pokemon, make them big, give them a ton of HP, and change their moves to something absurd. But where they actually differ is in appearence, as they all look very different from their base formes, and moves. While all moves of a given type become virtually the same thing for Dynamaxed Pokemon (with some variation due to stronger base attacks translating into stronger Max Moves), Dynamaxed Pokemon can fire off special variations of these attacks with various unique side-effects. It's also worth noting that, in the main series, Gigantamax Pokemon are only available from Max Raids, or via a special item that turns a normal Dynamx Pokemon into a Gigantamax.

The Wartortle in the teaser image is definitely Dynamaxed, as Wartortle cannot Gigantamax. However, the confirmation of Dynamax means that we can rest assured that Gigantamax will probably follow suit, as the two are basically one-and-the-same. For context, here's a complete list of Pokemon that have Gigantamax Formes in the Main Series:

If you want to see what these Pokemon look like when Gigantamaxed, then we recommend a look at Serebii's Gigantamax List. If you're unfamiliar, then it's definitely worth a look; some of these formes are wild.

Dynamax in Pokemon Go

Let's be honest; Dynamax is a bit different from Mega Evolution at its core, so it can be hard to speculate about how it will effect Pokemon Go in the future. However, here is a bit of what we believe will be likely given the way that Dynamax works in the main series, combined with current knowledge:

• Unlike Mega Evolution, Dynamax will likely only be achievable while fighting. We likely won't be able to have Dynamaxed Pokemon running around on the map with us like we can with Mega Evolutions.
• There will likely be some sort of energy requirement in-battle that will need to be utilized in order to Dynamax a Pokemon. Perhaps spending 100 energy, instead of just launching Charged Moves?
• Dynamax will likely increase a Pokemon's HP temporarily and replace their Charged Moves with Max Moves, which will be extremely powerful attacks.
• Dynamax will likely have a timer, with the effects ending once the timer comes to an end.
• Dynamaxed Pokemon could very likely provide a buff to other Pokemon on the field while active, similar to Mega Evolution.

• It seems likely that we won't be able to have a Mega Evolution and Dynamaxed Pokemon in the same battle due to the fact that Gamefreak seems to not like putting multiple regional gimmicks in a given game post-Alola. This could be incorrect, as Dynamax would have to be very powerful to compete with select overwhelmingly strong Mega Evolutions, but it could add a level of trade-off depending on what Niantic does with the system.
• Players will very likely need to unlock the ability to Dynamax a given Pokemon, and Dynamax will likely have multiple levels that players will need to spend resources on in order to make a given Dynamax Pokemon stronger.
• Max Raids are almost definitely on the horizon.

Honestly, the relevant points here could apply to both PvE and PvP matches. Remember that we can utilize Mega Evolutions in PvP matches... just not in the Go Battle League, so Dynamax will likely be relegated to the same seat in the corner when it comes to being actually useful for PvP. However, this is overall could be a pretty fun mechanic.... so long as Niantic doesn't attempt to over-monetize it like they did when Mega Evolutions made their debut.

The Darkest Day

In the main series, we have lore surrounding every one of the regional gimmicks. For example; Mega Evolution is brought about due to something called The Ultimate Weapon in Kalos, as well as Mega Rayquaza. However, the Dynamax Phenomenon is unique, as it is inextricably linked to one specific Pokemon: Eternatus.

The overwhelming power of this Dragon/Poison Type Pokemon is said to be the energy source for the Dynamax phenomenon, making it the direct progenitor of these unique transformations. If you don't have Eternatus around in some form, you don't have Dynamax or Gigantamax.

Is this to say that Eternatus is going to make a surprise debut soon? Maybe. The lore of Pokemon is something that Pokemon Go plays a bit fast-and-loose with, so they may keep Eternatus held back for a while. Still, do not be surprised if this monster makes its debut alongside the Dynamax Phenomenon in Pokemon Go!

And no, we're not going to talk about Eternamax Eternatus. That absolute monster needs to not be obtainable by any player, regardless of the game....