Pokemon Sword & Shield: Last Chance To Catch Gigantamax Snorlax, Butterfree, And More

Pokemon Sword and Shield's current crop of Max Raid events is coming to an end this week. Since the games' launch, a handful of Gigantamax Pokemon have been appearing more frequently in Max Raid dens, but those monsters will become much rarer starting January 9.

Until that date, you'll have a good chance of coming across Gigantamax Snorlax and Butterfree in both Sword and Shield. On top of that, each version has an exclusive pair of Gigantamax Pokemon. Those playing Sword can encounter Gigantamax Drednaw and Sandaconda, while Shield players are more likely to find Gigantamax Corviknight and Centiskorch. You can see all the current Gigantamax Raid event Pokemon below.

Pokemon Version End Date Gigantamax Snorlax Sword and Shield January 9 Gigantamax Butterfree Sword and Shield January 9 Gigantamax Drednaw Sword January 9 Gigantamax Sandaconda Sword January 9 Gigantamax Corviknight Shield January 9 Gigantamax Centiskorch Shield January 9

As previously mentioned, these Gigantamax Pokemon will appear frequently in Max Raids until January 9. That doesn't mean the Pokemon will be leaving the game entirely after that date; you'll still have a chance to encounter them in Max Raids, although they won't be as easy to find as they currently are. If you need help catching them, be sure to check out our Sword and Shield Max Raid guide.

Those certainly aren't the only Gigantamax Pokemon available right now. A handful of other monsters have Gigantamax forms, including Charizard, Gengar, and Lapras. These can likewise be encountered in Max Raids, although your odds of finding one are incredibly rare. You can see all the Gigantamax Pokemon in Sword and Shield here.

Time is also running out to claim some of Sword and Shield's free gifts. All players can receive a free Gigantamax Meowth until January 15 via Mystery Gift. The Pokemon Company is also giving away rare Poke Balls and Battle Points until January 30. You can see all the freebies available in Sword and Shield right now and how to get them in our roundup.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.