Pokemon Legends Arceus Mass Outbreaks - How to farm Mass Outbreaks

Pokemon Legends Arceus Mass Outbreaks are a twist on a familiar feature from earlier games that give you a better chance to find Shiny Pokemon and even complete some research tasks.

There’s an element of luck in forcing these to occur, but if you’re patient, the payoffs are worth the wait.

What are Mass Outbreaks in Pokemon Legends Arceus?

Mass Outbreaks are a combination of X and Y’s horde battles and the Pokemon swarms you could learn about on TV in Diamond and Pearl. There’s a random chance when you leave Jubilife Village that a certain Pokemon species will be swarming in one of Hisui’s regions. The gatekeeper tells you about it, and you can see it on your map. The region icon is replaced by an image of the Pokemon swarming there.

Once you arrive, you’ll see probably between three and five of that Pokemon meandering around in a group. Catch or defeat them all, and you’ll see more of them respawn to fill the gaps. That makes Mass Outbreaks ideal for Shiny hunting, finding Alphas, or even just spamming research tasks and filling out Pokedex entries.

How to farm Mass Outbreaks in Pokemon Legends Arceus

Arrekz Gaming found a handy way to force Mass Outbreaks to happen, though it takes a bit of time and patience. When you’re in the field, fast travel back to a base camp – assuming you have one set up in that region, which you should – and tell Professor Laventon you want to go back to Jubilife. Then leave the village and see if an Outbreak occurred.

Arrekz estimated it takes roughly five times or so for this method to bear fruit, though it can vary depending on how the numbers roll behind the scenes.

Pokemon Legends Arceus Mass Outbreak tips

Make sure you’ve upgraded your Satchel a few times so you’ve got room to carry some essentials alongside the usual items. Obviously, you’ll want plenty of Poke Balls of whatever variety. Smoke Bombs are also essential, as they provide temporary cover that lets you get closer to Pokemon without being seen.

Berries are another handy tool if you need Pokemon to move a certain direction, and Rotten Apricorns are a good way to distract them should they notice you and attack.

Make sure to turn auto-save off before you arrive at the Outbreak location. If a Shiny Pokemon appears, save your game manually, so you can reload if it runs away.

It’s a good idea to reach level 10 research for as many Pokemon as possible too. It drastically increases your chances of finding a Shiny Pokemon, which are substantially improved already during a Mass Outbreak.