What Are Gold Mass Outbreaks In Pokemon Scarlet & Violet?

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet borrowed the Mass Outbreak mechanic from Pokemon Legends Arceus, but with a slight twist. However, players might notice that some Mass Outbreaks in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet appear on the map with a red icon while others are gold with sparkles.

What Are Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Gold Mass Outbreaks?

Gold Mass Outbreaks signify an outbreak that is part of an event. When you connect your Nintendo Switch to the internet it will populate your Pokemon Scarlet & Violet maps with normal red outbreaks and with limited-time event mass outbreaks.

Most of the time, these gold Mass Outbreaks aren’t anything super special. They simply allow certain species of Pokemon to spawn more often where they otherwise wouldn’t. For example, the Clefairy event in September 2023 allowed Clefairy to spawn in Paldea, Kitakami, and Blueberry Academy.

Do Gold Mass Outbreaks Have Higher Shiny Odds?

Yes and no. The shiny odds of a gold Mass Outbreak in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are determined by the event itself. At the time of writing, Varoom, Magikarp, Shinx, and Rellor appeared in different areas of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, and they all increased Shiny Odds.

Here are the current shiny odds of gold Mass Outbreak Pokemon:

• No Charm – 1/190
• Shiny Charm – 1/174
• Sparkling Power 3 + Charm – 1/154
• SP3 + Charm + Outbreak 60+ – 1/144

Players have until May 6 to capture as many Shiny Outbreak Pokemon as they can before the current Pokemon Scarlet & Violet event ends.

However, not all events have increased shiny odds. The previous event, which featured baby Pokemon such as Munchlax, Happiny, and Elekid, did not have increased Shiny Odds. Yet, they did have an increased chance to have the Vigor Mark.

The only way to know if an event outbreak has increased Shiny Odds is by checking the official Pokemon Scarlet & Violet blog. Or you can check out our hubs for each event!