Technologies

Greninja Raid Guide: Best Counters

Speculating on the best Greninja counters.

The next seven-star raid is coming to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet this Friday, Jan. 27, featuring a poison-type Greninja. The first round runs through Monday, Jan. 30, and the second round picks up about two weeks later, from Friday, Feb. 10, to Monday, Feb. 13. Like the other seven-star raid Pokemon, Greninja will have the mightiest mark, and you’ll be able to catch only one per save file. Based on the previous seven-star raids, the Pokemon will take some careful strategizing to beat.

We don’t know the full details of the Greninja raid just yet, but we can make some assumptions based on previous seven-star raids. First, it’s a pretty safe bet that Greninja will have its hidden ability, Protean, since Charizard and Cinderace both came with their hidden abilities. Fortunately, that won’t affect the raid itself, as terastallization negates the effects of the protean ability. We can just plan around the tera type.

Greninja is confirmed to have a poison tera type for the raid, which lets us speculate about likely movesets. Assuming it uses moves that match its natural typing and tera type, we predict a moveset along these lines, assuming it’s a physical attacker:

Liquidation.
Night Slash.
Gunk Shot.
Ice Punch.
Swords Dance.

A special attacker build might look like this instead:

Water Shuriken / Hydro Pump.
Dark Pulse.
Tera Blast (poison).
Ice Beam.
Rain Dance.

Remember that seven-star raid Pokemon can use more than four moves — Cinderace, for example, used four attacks and Bulk Up, even though the latter wasn’t in its moveset once caught. Swords Dance would make Geninja a terrifying threat in a physical attack build, whereas Rain Dance would make its water-type attacks extra threatening, similar to the seven-star Charizard raid with Sunny Day.

Best Greninja counters

We won’t know the perfect Pokemon or builds to bring to the raid until the full details are live, but here are the Pokemon that appear to be well-positioned for the raid. To give yourself the best chance at victory, make sure your Pokemon is level 100 and has a nature that boosts its relevant attack stat (usually Modest for special attackers and Adamant for physical attackers).

Vaporeon

Tera Type: Steel
Ability: Water Absorb EV spread: 252 HP / 252 special attack / 4 special defense

Moves:

Stored Power.
Calm Mind.
Acid Armor.
Wish.

The water-type Eeveelution is an early favorite for this raid, thanks to a variety of advantages it has, especially if Greninja uses a special attack build. Vaporeon’s normal ability is Water Absorb, which allows it to regain health if hit by a water-type attack. This turns one of Greninja’s scariest setups (rain-boosted water attacks) into a benefit. These seven-star raids are wars of attrition, and having reliable ways to restore health are important. Vaporeon also has access to Calm Mind, which boosts its special defense and special attack, as well as Stored Power, a psychic-type attack that will hit the poison-type Greninja for double damage and that deals additional damage based on your boosted stats (on top of the special attack boost it gets from Calm Mind). With Vaporeon’s decently high special attack stat and immunity to water attacks on top of massive HP, stacking Calm Minds into Stored Power should be a reliable way to work down the raid boss’s health. The biggest danger with Vaporeon is that it doesn’t naturally resist poison, and a Greninja with Gunk Shot could threaten Vaporeon’s underwhelming defense stat. However, a steel tera type would help overcome that problem.

Klefki

Tera Type: Steel
Ability: Prankster EV spread: 252 HP / 252 special attack / 4 special defense

Moves:

Stored Power.
Calm Mind.
Iron Defense.
Sunny Day.

This Pokemon benefits from its steel/fairy typing, which gives it resistance to dark-type attacks and full immunity from Greninja’s tera-boosted poison attacks. Klefki also has access to the same «stack Calm Mind into Stored Power» combo that Vaporeon has, though it won’t be able to hit quite as hard as Vaporeon. Still, a natural immunity to poison may be worth that trade-off, especially if Greninja ends up running Gunk Shot. Sunny Day combined with Klefki’s Prankster ability makes it particularly effective at guarding against Greninja setting up in the rain. The biggest drawback for Klefki is its lack of access to a reliable recovery move, as Draining Kiss will do minimal damage to the poison-type Greninja. Klefki also boasts a relatively high defense stat, which it can boost with Iron Defense (also supporting Stored Power), making it a better choice if Greninja is built with physical attacks.

Bronzong

Tera Type: Steel
Ability: Levitate EV spread: 252 HP / 252 special attack / 4 special defense

Moves:

Stored Power.
Calm Mind.
Iron Defense.
Sunny Day.

Bronzong operates similarly to Klefki: immunity to poison damage, good natural defenses, and Calm Mind + Stored Power combo. The biggest difference is that Bronzong is weak to Greninja’s natural dark type, which could make Bronzong a less reliable pick if Greninja runs Night Slash or Dark Pulse. However, it gains a same-type attack bonus, or STAB, for pyschic-type moves, allowing it to hit harder than Klefki would.

Kingambit

Tera Type: Steel
Ability: Defiant EV spread: 252 HP / 252 attack / 4 defense

Moves:

Zen Headbutt.
Swords Dance.
Iron Defense.
Sandstorm.

A slightly less obvious pick to counter Greninja, Kingambit is another steel type that benefits from poison immunity. A strong physical attacker, Kingambit can run Swords Dance to boost its attack and unleash supereffective Zen Headbutts on the poison-type Greninja. The downside is that Kingambit will be slightly worse if Greninja runs Rain Dance and special attack water moves, which hit Kingambit for neutral damage. However, Kingambit can run Sandstorm to negate Rain Dance and somewhat offset that risk. It’s worth noting that Zen Headbutt has only 90% accuracy, which makes this strategy higher-risk than bringing Vaporeon or Klefki. The lack of recovery moves for Kingambit means you’re virtually required to run Shell Bell as your held item to help you sustain through the raid.

Clodsire

Tera Type: Ground (though you may want to avoid terastallization to maintain your double poison resistance)
Ability: Water Absorb EV spread: 252 HP / 252 attack / 4 special defense

Moves:

Earthquake / Bulldoze.
Helping Hand.
Recover.
Chilling Water / Haze.

An unlikely hero for the raid, Clodsire will be virtually impossible for a special attack Greninja to take out. The Water Absorb ability allows Clodsire to turn a traditional weakness (water-type attacks) into HP recovery, and its natural typing means it takes only 25% damage from poison-type attacks. Clodsire is a little worse if Greninja runs an ice-type attack, but otherwise it’s a powerful special tank with enormous HP, strong special defense, and access to recover as an egg move. Clodsire can’t boost its own attack like the other Greninja counters, but it does learn Helping Hand by TM, allowing it to boost teammates’ attacks. (Helping Hand can make a properly stacked Stored Power deal massive damage.) Earthquake is your main damage move, though you could run Bulldoze instead for speed control at the cost of less damage. Bringing Clodsire to the raid means you won’t be doing the most damage in the party, but you’ll stick around forever and prevent your team from losing time due to being knocked out.

Other Greninja raid tips

You can always choose to run more of a supportive build instead of offensive builds, as many of the counters listed here have solid defensive stats. However, when you bring a support Pokemon to a seven-star raid, you’re relying on your other three teammates to do a ton of damage, which can be a gamble with random teammates. In premade groups, two or three sweepers and one or two support Pokemon will be the most consistent composition. But after losing plenty of Cinderace raids to a lack of damage, I recommend offensive builds if you’re relying on unknown teammates.

If you have the benefit of planning around other teammates, I’ve included two support builds here. Remember that the clock is your real enemy in seven-star raids: The only way to win is to efficiently take out your opponent’s HP. Big bursts are the most effective way of doing that, which is why we recommend stacking Calm Mind into Stored Power as the most reliable way to fight Greninja. But staying alive is also important, as getting knocked out by Greninja will instantly remove a section of the remaining raid timer, which puts a bigger squeeze on a limited resource. Pay attention to how much damage you’re taking from each attack, and use your recovery moves and your cheers to keep your Pokemon healthy enough to survive the next attack.

Vaporeon support build

Tera Type: Steel
Ability: Water Absorb
EV spread: 252 HP / 252 defense (vs. physical Greninja) or special defense (vs. special Greninja) / 4 special attack

Moves:

Chilling Water / Surf.
Charm / Fake Tears.
Helping Hand.
Wish.

Klefki support build
Tera Type: Steel
Ability: Prankster
EV spread: 252 HP / 252 defense or special defense / 4 special attack

Moves:

Psychic.
Metal Sound.
Reflect / Light Screen.
Sunny Day.

Technologies

The James Webb Space Telescope Finds New Moon Orbiting Uranus

For now, the tiny new moon has a clunky name, but if it passes peer review, they might call it something better.

No joke: Science has found a new teeny, tiny moon orbiting Uranus. NASA announced on Tuesday that the James Webb Space Telescope found yet another moon floating around Uranus, an ice giant that already had 13 other known moons.

The discovery was made thanks to images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. A team from the Southwest Research Institute noticed an unfamiliar object that appeared to be orbiting Uranus. The images have been stitched together in a slideshow on YouTube of the moon, which orbits much closer to Uranus than the planet’s 13 other known moons.

«This object was spotted in a series of 10 40-minute long-exposure images captured by the Near-Infrared Camera,» said lead scientist Maryame El Moutamid. «It’s a small moon but a significant discovery, which is something even NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft didn’t see during its flyby nearly 40 years ago.»

In terms of size, this moon is indeed small at around six miles in diameter. For reference, Earth’s moon is 2,159 miles in diameter, and the largest moon in our solar system, Jupiter’s Ganymede, is 3,270 miles. The moon also has a circular orbit, per the SwRI team, meaning that it likely formed in the same area where it currently orbits.

Better name TBA

Despite obtaining a 14th moon, which NASA is calling S/2025 U1, Uranus has a long way to go to compete with Jupiter and Saturn, which have 95 and 274 confirmed moons, respectively. However, Uranus is the king of tiny moons.

«No other planet has as many small inner moons as Uranus,» said Matthew Tiscareno, research member of the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California. Since S/2025 U1 is so much smaller than the known moons, Tiscareno posits that there may be even more small moons drifting around that have yet to be discovered.

NASA does note that this research hasn’t been peer-reviewed yet, so the for-now clunkily named S/2025 U1 may still be dismissed as a non-moon. However, if it is confirmed, the moon will receive a better (we hope) name from the International Astronomical Union and become completely official.

Technologies

Made by Google 2025: The Biggest Pixel 10 Leaks We’ve Heard Ahead of Launch

Google’s Pixel 10 could get plenty of new features alongside its new processor, camera systems and magnets. Here’s what we know.

The new Pixel 10 line will debut Wednesday at the Made by Google event and it almost feels like we’ve already seen the phones revealed thanks to a combination of official glimpses of the new phones from Google alongside a plethora of rumors.

Google isn’t hiding that the Pixel 10 is coming, as the company itself has posted multiple stylized shots of the phone to promote its launch event. However, Google is still keeping detailed specs and features of the Pixel 10 line to itself so we won’t get the full picture until the official reveal — which is happening tomorrow, Aug. 20. Check out our Pixel 10 reveal liveblog for all the details.

Several recent rumors suggest a lot of new life to the phone line, though. While we do expect the Pixel line to reflect the overall lineup of the Pixel 9 — including a base Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL and Pixel 10 Pro Fold — rumors are pointing to significant changes to what’s inside these phones to make them more feature-packed than ever.

We’ve rounded up the biggest rumors we’ve found so far about the Pixel 10 line here and will continue updating as we hear more ahead of the Aug. 20 event.

How to watch the Made by Google event

The Made by Google event will begin at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) Wednesday and Google will be streaming the Pixel 10 reveals with a livestream on YouTube. You can also tune into CNET’s Made by Google preshow, starting at 12:30 p.m. ET (9:30 a.m. PT). The preshow will be hosted by CNET’s Bridget Carey and PCMag’s Iyaz Akhtar, and feature the final analysis and commentary for what we know about the phones. The preshow will transition directly into Google’s event when it begins, and then afterward the postshow will dive into all of the new announcements.

Pixel 10, 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL’s release date, pricing and cameras

Starting with the three non-folding phones in the Pixel 10 line that are getting revealed Aug. 20, we expect the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL to look similar to the Pixel 9 line on the outside. This includes the same rounded camera bar on the back. The entry-level Pixel 10 will get a new third rear camera. While we can see the third camera in the photos Google posted of the Pixel 10, according to a chart posted by known leaker Evan Blass, this will be a 10.8-megapixel telephoto camera that will join a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera and a 13-megapixel ultrawide. This will help the Pixel 10 compare better with the base Galaxy S25, which also has a telephoto camera.

The 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL will continue to be differentiated from the standard Pixel 10 with a higher-specced camera system, which includes a 50-megapixel wide-angle, 48-megapixel ultrawide and a 48-megapixel telephoto, according to the same chart posted by Blass.

The colors for the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro phones also appear to have leaked, with Android Headlines reporting that the base Pixel 10 will come in obsidian, indigo, frost and lemonade editions. These names would roughly correspond to a black, blueish purple, light blue and yellow, respectively. The Pro models will also come in four colors, with Android Headlines reporting models named obsidian, porcelain, moonstone and jade. Those should roughly match up to black, white, gray and a light green. More photos of these phones were posted by Blass, purporting to be the Pixel 10 lineup from the front, back and side profiles

Despite the concerns with tariffs, the Pixel 10 line is rumored to keep the same starting prices as the Pixel 9 line.

Pixel 10 line rumored prices

Phone	Storage	US Price
Pixel 10	128GB	$799
Pixel 10	256GB	$899
Pixel 10 Pro	128GB	$999
Pixel 10 Pro	256GB	$1,099
Pixel 10 Pro	512GB	$1,219
Pixel 10 Pro	1TB	$1,449
Pixel 10 Pro XL	256GB	$1,199
Pixel 10 Pro XL	512GB	$1,319
Pixel 10 Pro XL	1TB	$1,549

Pixel 10 could support Qi2 magnetic charging

The Pixel 10 series could support magnetic accessories, making it one of the few Android phones that would work with many of the MagSafe accessories that were first built to work with Apple’s iPhone. That’s because the Pixel 10 is rumored to fully support Qi2 wireless charging, which supports magnetic alignment and has magnets built into the phone without needing a case.

An image posted by Blass appears to show a Pixel 10 with a circular wireless charger attached to the back, likely using magnets similar to how MagSafe works with the iPhone. If this is the case, it’s a huge step for the Qi2 wireless standard, as the only other Android phone so far that supports magnetic accessories is the HMD Skyline.

This would allow the Pixel 10 series to natively work with magnetic phone chargers, wallets, mounts and other accessories. Google might also create its own branding for this feature, as an Android Authority report claims that official Pixel 10 accessories that magnetically attach would be called PixelSnap.

If this comes to be, it would also make it easier to swap accessories between the iPhone and the Pixel. In addition to the iPhone’s support for charging over USB-C, this would mean that MagSafe accessories first purchased to use with an iPhone should work just as well when swapping over to a Pixel 10 phone.

Google’s Tensor G5 chip

Following last year’s Tensor G4 chip in the Pixel 9 lineup, we presume that the Pixel 10 phones will be powered by a (supposedly named) Tensor G5 chip. We’ve heard a few Tensor G5 rumors, including that it will be made on an industry-standard 3nm process by chip fabricator TSMC, according to an Android Authority March report.

Other rumors are less promising, like a July report from WCCFTech suggesting that while the Tensor G5 is a significant upgrade on last year’s Tensor G4, a leaked benchmark test claims it will run slower than the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor that’s used in Samsung’s Galaxy S25 line and the OnePlus 13. That Qualcomm processor might also soon be surpassed by the next Qualcomm silicon coming at Snapdragon Summit in September. That’s not to imply the phone itself will perform slowly, as the same report says it will run faster than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor that powers

Whether the Tensor G5 trails other mobile chips isn’t as worrying as it might seem as the Tensor chips are built for Google’s Pixel devices — and those don’t seem to be underperforming in daily use. As CNET Editor-at-Large Andy Lanxon said about the Tensor G4 powering the Pixel 9 Pro XL, «On the one hand, it’s disappointing not to see more of a tangible improvement over the predecessor. On the other hand, it doesn’t feel like it’s lacking in power in any major way.»

Pixel 10 Pro Fold

Google on Aug. 12 released a video that shows off what the Pixel 10 Pro Fold will look like. This peek only provides a look at the phone’s design — which seems to be similar to last year’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold — saving a more detailed look at its specs and cameras for the Aug. 20 event.

The more iterative design makes sense, as last year’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold already debuted a larger overhaul that altered its design from the wider passport-size original Pixel Fold to a taller, narrower format similar to other foldables like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

One Pixel 10 Pro Fold rumor from WCCFTech only shared details about the supposed Tensor chip powering it. But a recent rumor from Blass suggests we could expect the usual upgrades: a new Tensor G5 chip, perhaps slight spec upgrades and maybe even similar camera or battery upgrades if they are announced for the Pixel 10 lineup.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold would presumably get Android 16 out of the box, but as that software upgrade has been released early (mere weeks after Google I/O 2025), last year’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold already has that update.

We’ll keep updating this roundup as we get closer to Google’s Aug. 20 event for the Pixel 10 series.

Technologies

Gears of War, Dragon Age and Herdling Coming to Xbox Game Pass in August

Xbox Game Pass subscribers can play Gears of War: Reloaded soon.

Gears of War is one of the most iconic Xbox series, spawning sequels, spinoffs and books. I fell in love with the series almost 20 years ago when the original landed on the Xbox 360. So I can’t wait to play the remastered edition of the game, called Gears of War: Reloaded, when it launches on Xbox Game Pass on Aug. 26.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a CNET Editors’ Choice award pick, offers hundreds of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, smart TV and PC or mobile device for $20 a month. A subscription gives you access to a large library of games, with new ones, like Doom: The Dark Ages, added monthly, plus other benefits such as online multiplayer and deals on non-Game Pass titles.

Here are the games Microsoft is adding to Game Pass soon. You can also check out other games the company added to the service recently, like Assassin’s Creed Mirage.

Blacksmith Master (game preview)

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play now.

Adventuring in a medieval world can be fun and challenging but it can also be difficult work. If you’d rather run and manage a shop in a medieval setting, give Blacksmith Master a try. You run your own forge and have to manage resource acquisition, production and sale of goods. You’ll build your own forge, craft everything from utensils to weapons and become one of the most skilled craftsmen in the kingdom — all without fighting dragons or other dangerous creatures.

Void/Breaker (PC)

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play now.

You’re trapped by a ruthless AI in an endless loop where you’re forced to fight hostile enemies, die and then repeat. In this roguelite game, each time you die, you’ll face new challenges. Fast gunplay, quick movements and all-out destruction are your friends in this adrenaline-filled adventure. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get out one day.

Goat Simulator Remastered

New for Game Pass Standard subscribers on Aug. 20.

Chaos. That’s the best way to describe this game. You play as a goat and your mission is the total destruction of everything in sight. Can’t stand the look of that car? Run it off the road. Don’t like the town hall’s placement? Demolish it. Want that kid’s ice cream? Eat it. Do what you want in this sandbox-style game where anything is possible.

Game Pass Ultimate subscribers got access to this game in November and Game Pass Standard subscribers can get in on the fun soon, too.

Persona 4 Golden

Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Game Pass Standard subscribers can play on Aug. 20.

A string of serial murders set this game in motion, where you’ll travel between the real world and the world within TVs as you try and find out who — or what — is behind the murders. You’ll explore your town and carry on daily activities, as well as travel to the TV World to explore different dungeons and battle monsters in this RPG.

Herdling

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play on Aug. 21.

Get ready for a grand alpine adventure as you shepherd some giant Calicorns — which look like Appa from Avatar: The Last Airbender — up into a mountain pass. You’ll encounter eerie dangers, puzzles and more on your adventure. And before you ask, yes, you can pet these wonderful creatures.

Gears of War: Reloaded

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play on Aug. 26.

The iconic Gears series is back with a new, remastered edition of the original game. This game maintains the original story of Marcus Fenix and his squad as they take on the alien Locust hordes and it includes a bonus campaign act, every multiplayer map and mode, plus characters and cosmetics unlocked through progression.

This game is also coming to PlayStation 5 and PC, and thanks to cross-play functionality, you’ll be able to play with and against your friends on those platforms.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play on Aug. 28.

Step into the enchanted world of Thedas, a land full of untamed wilderness, glittering cities and strife. A pair of corrupt ancient gods has broken out of their hold and is wreaking havoc across the globe. It’s up to you to gather a team and stop them, but that’s just the main quest. You can also embark on side quests and companion quests that shed light on who they are and how the world is changing around you. Veilguard changes the Dragon Age formula with a more action-oriented approach, though it retains familiar aspects like branching dialog choices and skill trees. So get ready to dive into a wild adventure, make new friends and become a legend.

Games leaving Game Pass on Aug. 31

While Microsoft is adding those games to Game Pass soon, the company is also removing five others from the service on Aug. 31. So you still have some time to finish up your campaign or any side quests before you have to buy these games separately.

Ben 10: Power Trip

Borderlands 3
Paw Patrol Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay
Sea of Stars
This War of Mine: Final Cut

For more on Xbox, discover other games available on Game Pass now, read our hands-on review of the gaming service and learn which Game Pass plan is right for you. You can also check out what to know about upcoming Xbox game price hikes.