Dailyposts

Knowing the Max Battle schedule is useful if you’re looking to expand your inventory of Dynamax Pokémon in Pokémon Go . It does appear that Niantic will start rotating Pokémon in and out of Max Battles on a month-by-month basis, with some event Pokémon littered in. There are also Max Mondays, a weekly event similar to raid hour, where one Pokémon will show up more frequently in power spots from 6-7 p.m. That said, you’ll want a healthy amount of Dynamax Pokémon in your team if you choose to divulge in the feature, as only Dynamax Pokémon can participate in Max Raids. (So you’re pretty much catching Pokémon to help you catch more Pokémon.) Notably, if you’re just starting out with Max Battles, you should have a “To the Max!” Special Research set that starts you off with a Dynamax Wooloo. Below, we list the currently available Dynamax Pokémon that you can score from Max Battles in Pokémon Go . Pokémon Go Max Monday line up for July 2025 These Pokémon will show up in power spot...

Pikachu (in a party hat) , the mouse Pokémon from Kanto, can be found in the wild in Pokémon Go during special events. Yes, party hat Pikachu can be shiny in Pokémon Go ! These shinies are great, even if they don’t have meta relevance. It’s pretty rare nowadays to get a hat-wearing Pokémon that can actually evolve, so know that you can totally evolve your party hat Pikachu into a party hat Raichu. What is the shiny rate for party hat Pikachu in Pokémon Go? As per old research by the now-defunct website The Silph Road (via Wayback Machine ), the shiny rate for Pokémon on a regular day is approximately one in 500. We’re not sure if Pikachu (party hat) is “permaboosted” or not as part of the 9th Anniversary event, but previous years have not had boosted shiny rates on party hat Pikachu (according to this old The Silph Road post via Wayback Machine ). What can I do to attract more shiny Pokémon? Not much, unfortunately. It appears to be random chance. Shiny Pokémon catch rates ...

Project Hail Mary , an adaptation of the science fiction novel of the same name from The Martian writer Andy Weir, is set to be released on March 20, 2026, but Amazon MGM Studios has already shared a full trailer for the film. Rather than mostly focusing on Matt Damon growing potatoes on Mars, the movie from 21 Jump Street directors and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse writers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller stars Ryan Gosling as a sixth-grade science teacher sent to space to save the Earth. Like The Martian ’s hero Mark Watney, Gosling’s Ryland Grace gets knocked out, wakes up alone, and has to use his wits, good humor, and knowledge of biology to survive outer space. But a lot more is at stake in Project Hail Mary, where an unexplained phenomenon is dimming the Earth’s sun, endangering all life on Earth. Despite his lack of experience and general disinterest in going into space, Grace winds up on a mission to travel 11.9 light years from Earth and try to figure out what’s go...

It’s been more than a year since Marvel Animation revived X-Men: The Animated Series in all of its splashy operatic 2D glory. X-Men ’97 was a triumph, not just in the Marvel canon but in an entire year of TV . As the producers and artists behind the series explain in the new book X-Men ’97: The Art and Making of the Animated Series , translating the ’90s Fox show for new and audience alike was a delicate process. To do it right, they needed legit fans — but also artists who would know when to make changes that would empower the storytelling. A rarity in the series revival business, the crew took a character-first approach to nostalgia. Ahead of the book’s July 1 release, Polygon has obtained an exclusive excerpt, along with some behind-the-scenes imagery from the making of the series. As we wait patiently for X-Men ’97 season 2 — not easy! — here’s author James Field’s deeper dive into what worked so well in season 1. Art Style & Design “I was lucky. I got a phone call fr...

I am ashamed to admit that, while I bought Baldur’s Gate 3 immediately at the launch of its early access period in October 2020, it took me just short of five years to finish my first playthrough of the game. A combination of insufficient hardware and different life priorities got in the way, but my attention and interest in the game never waned. Baldur’s Gate 2 is probably the most important video game I’ve played in my life , so my level of excitement whenever I could dive into the sequel is hard to understate, especially considering the showers of praise the game received over the years. Sadly, I ended my saga on a low note.  When I finally got to confront the Netherbrain, I was excited to see how the team at Larian Studios would weave together the strands of the game’s story, shaped by my choices and interpretation. But for me, these strands didn’t exactly come together. In the final beats of Act 3, I tried to be as selfless as possible in my decisions, acting as an archet...

Wizards of the Coast uses the Unearthed Arcana playtest series to test reactions to proposed new content for Dungeons & Dragons . Some of these ideas never make it into a book, and some are published with only slight tweaks. But the backlash to the proposed new version of the Warlock subclass Hexblade released in May proved so negative that the designers of D&D have taken another crack at it. Spellcasters who gain magical abilities from making a pact with a powerful entity, Warlocks in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition typically stand in the back of the fight and lob eldritch blasts and hexes at enemies. The 2017 book Xanathar’s Guide to Everything changed that up with the Hexblade subclass, giving Warlocks who cut a deal with a mysterious force from the Shadowfell a magic blade they could summon and use to fight in melee while wearing heavier armor. The subclass – which rolled out to Baldur’s Gate 3 in May’s final Patch 8 – quickly became one of the most popular option...

If you think Digimon are a cheap Pokémon ripoff inspired by a virtual pet toy from the ’90s, you don’t know Digimon. From anime shows, webcomics, novels , an official trading card game, and now the buzzy new RPG out of Summer Game Fest,   Digimon Story: Time Stranger , the Digimon franchise has expanded significantly since its introduction in 1997. Even so, its growth has always been followed by the shadow of Pokémon, with which everything Digimon-related is wrongly compared, scrutinized, and ignored.   Digimon Story: Time Stranger could change that. Or it should, even with Pokémon Legends: Z-A looming. Based on early gameplay and reveals, Bandai has at least aimed to produce a game for a wider audience that addresses past mistakes. From investing in making the world of Time Stranger feel alive with cities filled with digimon to giving a special attention when putting 450 creatures in the game by designing special animations for each of them, it’s also clear the co...

Balatro is one of the (many, many ) games marked down for Steam’s annual summer sale . Take it from me: Picking up Balatro on sale — no matter how big or small the discount — is one of the safest bets you can make. As someone who couldn’t tell a flush from a full house but could rattle off every Pokémon TCG Pocket mechanic by heart, I only gave Balatro a shot because it cleaned up at The Game Awards in 2024 . Balatro , a card-based roguelike that lets you play god with the rules of poker, is the brainchild of solo dev LocalThunk. Despite its modest origins, Balatro exploded in popularity following its February 2024 release, thanks to a mix of glowing reviews, viral gameplay, and “just one more run I don’t care that it’s 3 a.m.” playstyle. Initially released on consoles and Windows PC, it received ports for mobile phones in September 2024, meaning, like Fortnite and Minecraft , it’s one of those Everywhere Games. I wanted to try Balatro so bad, I burned my entire three-mon...

Brahms! My boy! In the new horror sequel M3GAN 2.0 , the killer robot doll from the first movie meets the memes where they live. She gets taller and faster and more fashion-forward; she flies through the air in a high-tech wingsuit; she sings Kate Bush; and, with a self-consciousness that threatens to ruin the bit, she goes on undercover missions where people say things like “M3GAN, you’re up.” As one might expect off the back of a big hit that positioned her as the most beloved killer doll since at least Annabelle and possibly Chucky, she continues to do the most.  But is the most also maybe too much? After two full movies of M3GAN-led mayhem, newfound killer-doll aficionados might well be exhausted by all of the faux-outrageous PG-13 quippery. (Chucky, a true vulgarian, is a homicidal doll of the people in that regard.) Anyone who needs a break from Megan’s understandable self-regard — she is, to be clear, fabulous — would be well-advised to consider a possibly haunted w...

Imagine, after two grueling waves in Elden Ring Nightreign , you and a couple of comrades reach the boss at the end of the second night and take him head-on, with surprisingly good results. It’s nearing the halfway mark of its health, and before Crucible Knight goes into its aggressive secondary phase, another health bar populates on the screen. It’s the hungry, hungry Golden Hippopotamus here to ruin your hot streak.  There’s nothing more demoralizing than Golden Hippopotamus spawning in the middle of an Elden Ring Nightreign boss fight. The Golden Hippopotamus, a field boss who first appeared in the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, is a massive hippo with the horn of a rhino and the ferocity of a pitbull. It only has three attacks — Hippo Bite, Hippo Rush, and Fanged Charge — but they’re all relentless, capitalizing on its speed and size to force players to continuously dodge. Especially tough is the charge attack, which sees players get chewed up and spit out in a lo...

If you’re participating in the full-ticketed Pokémon Go Fest: Global 2025 event , then you’ll get access to a new Special Research set focused on the Pokémon Volcanion . You will need to login during the Go Fest event (on June 28 and 29 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.) to get the research. Once you do so, you’ll be able to finish it at your leisure — though keep in mind that the perks throughout Go Fest will likely make completing this easier, so it’s best to do it while you can. This research does have a ton of rewards, including rare encounters with Pokémon like Klefki and just generally nice rewards like XL Candy. Below, we list all the steps to the “Full Steam Ahead” Volcanion Special Research set. ‘Full Steam Ahead’ Special Research Tasks and rewards ‘Full Steam Ahead’ step 1 of 6 Spin 12 PokéStops or gyms (1 Incense) Use an Incense (20 Poké Balls) Catch 12 Pokémon (1 Lucky Egg) Rewards : 1 Star Piece, Pikachu (red top hat) encounter, 2,025 XP ‘Full Steam Ahead’ step 2 of ...

Pokémon Go ‘s big yearly event is upon us. Pokémon Go Fest 2025 comes with its usual perks, including rotating spawns and the global debut of the Crowned forms of Zacian and Zamazenta . The Crowned forms are the main feature here, encouraging all players to hop into raids to score energy to turn their Hero of Many Battles form puppies into big dogs. This event also features the global debut for Volcanion , but only if you have the paid ticket for the event. As usual with these events, there’s a ton of perks (including increased shiny rate for wild spawns) locked up behind the $15 ticket, but free players can still take advantage of fun spawns and Crowned Zacian and Zamazenta. Below we dive into the perks and rotating spawns for Pokémon Go Fest: Global 2025. What time does Pokémon Go Fest start and end? Pokémon Go Fest 2025 will run on June 28 and 29, starting at 10 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m. in your local time . There are a few ticket-holder bonuses that also last outside of ...

The Crowned forms of Zacian and Zamazenta are getting their time in the spotlight as part of Pokémon Go Fest 2025 , allowing you to power up these puppies into their big strong forms – that can even be used in Max Battles, even though they’re not Dynamax. Unlike previous special Legendary Pokémon that use energy, these are not fusions. You don’t need two Pokémon to get a Crowned version or anything like that. You just need a Zacian or Zamazenta , as well as their respective energy. You can also turn any previously caught Zacian or Zamazenta into their new shiny forms, as long as they know the right move. Below we explain how to get Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta in Pokémon Go , as well as how their Adventure Effects work, along with other information we have on these two powerful Legendaries. How to get Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta in Pokémon Go To turn your Hero of Many Battles Zacian and Zamazenta into their Crowned versions, you will ...

Your Porter Grade might initially seem like a fluffy little throwaway system in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach , just a way to get new tags that show up when other players interact with your objects in the world. It’s much more than that, though. Increasing your Porter Grade unlocks new APAS enhancements once you make a bit of progress in the main story, and those let you customize Sam’s abilities to fit certain playstyles or even specific jobs. Below, we explain how to raise Sam’s Porter Grade stats and why you’d want to. How to raise Porter Grade stats in Death Stranding 2 Sam has five Porter Grade stats, and these are independent from his normal ones, such as efficacy with assault rifles or ability to navigate terrain well. Death Stranding 2 tells you how to raise those in the stat description, but it’s not quite so forthcoming with Porter Grade stats. Here’s how to improve those: Porter — Complete delivery missions. Main story quests count toward this as well Servicem...

Some roles are a stretch. Other are more like a leap of faith. Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* is headed to digital and Blu-ray, and Polygon has exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of Florence Pugh gearing up for her death-defying stunt. The charming, never-before-seen clip shows Pugh working through nerves and anxiousness as she prepares to take her tower leap from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s Merdeka 118 — the second-tallest building on the planet, alongside the production crew behind the anti-hero-centric film. Director Jake Schreier recently explained in a featurette called “ The Jump ” that the stunt was incorporated into the film’s opening sequence to give the “movie more weight and a little bit more surprise…to up the stakes.” Pugh’s behind-the-scenes confessions add to Schreier’s admission, humanizing the cinematic stunt, explaining that they took the jump “really, obviously, unbelievably, seriously,” and it was admittedly scary. However, there was magic in the light and the “s...