In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, the newly introduced mechanic of Mass Outbreaks, will cause many of the same Pokémon to appear in the same area at once. Players will be notified of a Mass Outbreak by the Galaxy Team security guard near the exit of Jubilife Village. In addition, players will see an icon to identify which Pokémon is currently available to catch in abundance during the Mass Outbreak. This farming opportunity is one of the best chances for players to hunt for shiny Pokémon in Legends: Arceus.
When players arrive at the location of the Mass Outbreak, the exact amount of the available Pokémon may vary, but at a minimum, there should be at least eight. As players catch the available spawns, more of that Pokémon will continue to appear. While Mass Outbreaks are a timed event, players should spend as long as possible catching as many of the specific Pokémon as possible, hoping a shiny will appear. During Mass Outbreaks, players are 25x more likely to find a shiny. The odds are further increased to 32x if the player has a completed Pokédex for that Pokémon and is using a shiny charm Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
Players will know when they have found a shiny Pokémon by its distinct color. Additionally, shiny Pokémon will make a unique sound when they appear in-game and are surrounded by faint glowing stars. This extra identification is especially useful for Pokémon whose shiny variant is only slightly different from their normal coloring, such as Pikachu.
How Mass Outbreaks Work in Pokémon Legends: Arceus
While Mass Outbreaks significantly increase the odds of finding a shiny during a Mass Outbreak, the likelihood of one appearing is still 1/158.02. If players obtained level 10 for the specific Pokémon in their Pokédex that is experiencing a Mass Outbreak, the odds for finding a shiny are further increased to 1/152.19. While Mass Outbreaks are a great opportunity for finding shiny Pokémon in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, they are a timed event. So, players should spend as much time as possible catching the specific Pokémon to cause as many respawns as they can within the time limit.
The best strategy for catching as many of the Mass Outbreak Pokémon as possible during the timed event will vary depending on the Pokémon's behavior. More skittish Pokémon are likely to flee, and for these Pokémon, players will want to hide and throw Poké Balls without drawing attention to themselves. This strategy is most effective against small and easily caught Pokémon, such as Togepi or Kricketot. For more aggressive Pokémon, like Luxray or Tentacruel, with lower catch rates, players may have better luck engaging them in battle directly and lowering their health before attempting to make the catch in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
While players cannot control when a Mass Outbreak occurs, it is notable that only Pokémon native to the region the player is in will be the featured Pokémon. Accordingly, players hoping to find a shiny of a specific Pokémon may want to stay in its native region and wait for a Mass Outbreak. However, if the player chooses to go to a different area after the Mass Outbreak is announced, the outbreak will disappear. Additionally, it is possible to have more than one outbreak occur after exiting Jubilife Village, so players may need to choose which shiny Pokémon to pursue.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is now available for the Nintendo Switch.