Pokémon GO’s highly anticipated Max Finale event has arrived, bringing some of the biggest additions the game has seen this year. From the debut of Eternatus in its powerful Eternamax form to massive raid battles requiring 100 players, the event promised to close out the summer with a bang. However, the newly released Deluxe GO Pass has sparked controversy, with players questioning whether its Shiny odds boost delivers what was advertised.
Eternatus Headlines the Max Finale Event
The spotlight of the Max Finale is undoubtedly Eternatus, the Legendary Pokémon from Pokémon Sword and Shield. For the first time, players can challenge its Eternamax form in Tier 6 Raid Battles, designed to push trainers to their limits. Niantic even raised the player cap for Gigantamax raids to 100 players to accommodate the scale of the encounter, setting a new precedent for future raid formats.
Alongside Eternatus, the event continues to highlight Gigantamax mechanics introduced earlier in the year, further cementing 2025 as one of Pokémon GO’s most experimental periods.
The Deluxe GO Pass Shiny Odds Dispute
The Deluxe GO Pass was marketed as a premium option with additional rewards and the promise of boosted Shiny rates for Dynamax encounters. However, a player known as JustKitten_RightMeow shared details from a Niantic Support conversation that cast doubt on how far these Shiny boosts actually apply.
According to the support exchange, the increased Shiny odds only affect Pokémon obtained directly through Pass rewards, not other Dynamax encounters during the event. This contradicts the impression many fans had, who believed the bonus applied universally across all battles.
Niantic has not yet released an official statement clarifying the situation, leaving players uncertain whether the advertised feature matches the actual in-game mechanics.
A Shift Toward Larger-Scale Raids
The introduction of 100-player raids has fueled speculation that Niantic may be testing groundwork for even more challenging raid content in the future. While the raised limit allows more trainers to participate, it also opens the door for tougher mechanics and larger-scale encounters.
The community remains divided—some view this as an exciting evolution of the raid system, while others worry it may increase the difficulty curve too sharply for casual players.
What’s Next After Max Finale
Though the Max Finale marks the end of this summer’s event cycle, Niantic is already preparing its next wave of content. The upcoming Sunkissed Shores event will debut Dondozo, a Generation IX Pokémon, continuing the steady expansion of the Pokédex.
Looking further ahead, players speculate that Tera Pokémon from Scarlet and Violet may soon arrive, as Max Finale appears to be the closing chapter of Pokémon GO’s Sword and Shield era.
For now, trainers have their eyes on Eternatus and the Deluxe Pass controversy—both of which could shape how fans perceive the conclusion of Pokémon GO Fest 2025.
