Pokémon Go has continuously added new Legendaries and mechanics over time—Alolan Legendaries joined only earlier this year during Pokémon Go Fest 2024. But the latest major update is one of the biggest changes the game has seen in years. Alongside finally adding the starters from the Galar region, more significantly it adds the region’s unique Dynamax phenomenon. Unfortunately, many of the new mechanics introduced are not explained very well.
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Chances are, if you’ve played Pokémon Go in the last couple of weeks, you’ll have noticed strange, new pink spires all around you, some just offering weird pink blobs, others suggesting battles against enormous versions of the likes of Bulbasaur and Wooloo. What is going on? Even fans who enjoyed the Dynamax features from the mainline Pokémon Sword and Shield series have been left feeling lost. From Power Spots to Max Battles, I’ll be breaking down everything you need to know and how they work in Pokémon Go.
What are Dynamax Pokémon?
Dynamax is a special phenomenon from the Galar region that allows certain Pokémon to transform when exposed to Galar Particles (or Max particles in Pokémon Go). Unlike Mega Evolution, which features a brand-new design and sometimes type changes, visually a Dynamaxed Pokémon just grows in size. They’re also meant to be stronger too, as they get access to Max Moves. Such giant monsters can only be encountered and used within Power Spots as they have the necessary Max Particles to trigger the change.
Something important to remember is that not everything you catch in Pokémon Go can Dynamax, and certainly none you caught before the feature was added. The first two with the ability are encountered by playing the “To the Max!” special research, Wooloo and Skwovet, and after that, only the Pokémon you defeat and catch in Max Battles can Dynamax. My condolences if you had a high-level Charizard that you were hoping to turn into a kaiju.
In this way, it’s pretty similar to how Gigantamax was originally handled in Pokémon Sword and Shield. That special and distinct form of Dynamax was only available to specific Pokémon, and not all members of the species could achieve it.
Are Gigantamax Pokémon in the game?
Speaking of those special forms, Gigantamax Pokemon are currently not available in Pokémon Go. However, it is all but confirmed that they’ll be added in the future. Filters for both Dynamax and Gigantamax can be found if you navigate to your list of currently owned Pokémon and expand the search parameters. It seems we’ll just have to wait for an update.
What are Power Spots in Pokémon Go?
Power Spots are likely the first thing you’ve seen in-game related to these mechanics. They look comparable to Gyms, except they’re bright purple and can have floating orbs near them if you’ve yet to make a daily visit. Every two days they’ll disappear and a different set of Power Spots will pop up on the map.
Another similarity to gyms and Pokéstops is that they’ll be tied to real locations. I’ve seen some that are for nearby businesses that closed down a while ago or some that just represent more general locations, so these might be popular suggestions that didn’t make the cut to be a Pokéstop.
Walk close enough to one to interact with it to see some of those floating orbs, which are Max Particles. Swipe your finger back and forth to collect them. This will be your main method of accruing Max Particles, aside from earning a daily 2km walking bonus or purchasing some from the shop.
Dynamax Pokémon you can fight should also start appearing at Power Spots. These function pretty similarly to Raid Bosses and are called Power Spot Bosses, although you’ll probably hear them more often referred to as Max Battles. They have timers and you’ll be able to take them on with a group of up to four trainers (although, early on, you’ll be fine on your own). If you don’t see any yet, you might need to progress further through “To the Max!” special research. I’ll be going over how battles work soon, but I want to talk more about Max Particles first.
What are Max Particles used for?
Max Particles are used as currency to participate in a Max Battle or to unlock and upgrade Max Moves for a Pokémon. When it comes to the former, the amount needed will increase for stronger opponents. It also won’t be deducted until you’ve beaten the fight, so feel free to keep trying as many times as you like.
Upgrading Max Moves is a lot more costly. There are three separate move types:
- Max Attack Move – These are based on your Pokémon’s fast attack type.
- Max Guard – Increases DEF for your Pokémon.
- Max Spirit – Increases HP for you and your allies.
Every Dynamax Pokémon will have the initial level 1 attack move unlocked by default. The rest need to be unlocked, and then all three can be leveled up with Max Particles and candy. In some cases, it cost me 600 particles and 100 candy just to upgrade to level 2. It will be necessary once stronger enemies are added, but it is certainly expensive, and you’ll need to weigh up whether you were saving those candies to upgrade the Pokémon the regular way.
How do Max Battles work?
With everything else laid out, it’s time to break down how Max Battles work. There are quite a few distinct UI elements and mechanics to differentiate this from other battles. Unfortunately, this is also where the game is leaving a lot of people confused.
The first step is to approach and interact with a Power Spot when you see a Dynamax Pokémon above it. You’ll be able to see how much time is left and the Max Particle cost to challenge it. Remember that you need to have a Pokémon of your own that’s capable of the Dynamax transformation to battle with. A regular one cannot be used in a Max Battle. If you need one, you can get them from the “To the Max!” Research or by trading with a friend.
Before we get to the battle, I do want to point out that you might see a number in the upper right corner. This represents how many trainers have already beaten the Dynamax Pokémon and left their own afterward. The higher this number, the bigger of a damage boost subsequent players will receive in the battle.
Confirming the challenge will take you to a ready-up screen to choose your party of three Pokémon (although if you only have one or two, you can still play). As mentioned earlier, up to four trainers can also band together to fight at the same time.
These start somewhat like Raid battles. Everyone will be focusing on one target, using their fast attacks to build up a charged attack. As in, you’re just tapping that circle like normal. You can hop left and right, but as usual, this doesn’t seem to dodge attacks.
Something unique here is the Max Meter at the top. Each attack you land will fill it, with charged ones contributing more. Little bubbles of additional energy will spawn next to your Pokémon over time as well. You’ll need to swipe your finger to hop left or right onto the bubble to get it.
Once the Max Meter has been filled, you’ll transition to a three-second countdown before your Pokémon Dynamaxes. You can switch to a different Pokémon during this short period if you would rather have someone else Dynamax. Your newly enlarged friend will then have the equivalent of three uninterrupted turns to use their Max Moves. The default option is an attack, but you can use Max Guard and Max Spirit if you have them unlocked. If you’re playing with others, I suggest having at least one trainer act as the team’s healer.
That should be the end of a one-star battle, even if you’re playing solo. Your Pokémon will otherwise return to their normal size after the three Max Moves are picked and the fight continues, but at this point it’s much more likely you’ve already won. If not, deplete what’s left of the opponent’s health and they’ll fall.
You will then have the option to leave a Pokémon behind to earn candy and assist future challengers. It will have to be someone from your party, although they can be returned to you whenever you want. Next is the rewards screen and an arguably unappealing offer to double it for 200 Pokécoins. This might be worth it for higher-level battles if the rewards increase too, but for now, it isn’t the best use of the currency.
The final part of this is your opportunity to catch the gigantic animal you just fought. Your premier ball will transform into a larger Dynamaxed version, so don’t be surprised by the sudden change. Throws go far farther here, but you don’t need to fling like you’re catching a Sawk. Catch it and you’ll have another Dynamax Pokémon to add to your team.
At the time of writing, there are only one-star Max Battles available. Those that play solo should be fine, as these are even easier than one-star raid battles in my opinion. I’m sure the real challenge will begin once Niantic add stronger Pokémon to take on.
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