Mass Outbreak Pokémon Legends: Arceus: What is it?

The Mass Outbreak in Pokémon Legends: Arceus is something that sounds bad, but turns out to be an event that all trainers should hope to experience often.

As the first open-world action RPG in the iconic franchise's history, it's perhaps no surprise that the title comes with an added wrinkle to Shiny hunting.

Mass Outbreak Pokémon Legends: Arceus: What is it?

As seen in previous Pokémon games, Mass Outbreaks are random in-game events where a specific species of Pokémon appear in a certain area for an extended period of time.

When leaving Jubilife Village, trainers will be notified if a Mass Outbreak is happening, as well as which region(s) is/are being affected. When a trainer enters a region with a Mass Outbreak, they can then view the exact spot of the event on the map.

Additionally, however, Mass Outbreaks in Pokémon Legends: Arceus are unique in that they also come with a boosted Shiny rate — a 1 in 160 chance without any other modifiers, according to ComicBook.com.

As discussed on Reddit, Pokémon Legends: Arceus presents a subtle hint to the hidden utility of Mass Outbreaks in an interaction with a NPC.

“I could’ve sworn one of the Pokémon in that mass outbreak was a different color from the others ...”

- Pokémon Legends: Arceus (2022)

Pokémon Legends: Arceus released worldwide for Nintendo Switch on Jan. 28, 2022.

For more on Pokémon Legends: Arceus, feel free to check out our guides on whether or not you can collect all of the starters, as well as how to evolve Pokémon.