Dynamax and Max Battles Details Revealed
Dynamax Pokémon and Max Battles will arrive in Pokémon GO on September 10 during the GO Big event. We’ve had few details about the new features since the announcement of the new Season, Max Out. However, new information was published by Japanese media outlets, like Famitsu and getnews.jp, about how Dynamax will work in Pokémon GO.
Max Battles begin similarly to Raid Battles
Max Battles require an entry cost and use a new resource called Max Particles or MP. In the Max Battles below, you can see it costs 250 MP to challenge Dynamax Bulbasaur, Dynamax Charmander, or Dynamax Squirtle.
MP costs increase based on the tier of a Power Spot Boss.
Up to four Trainers can join a Max Battle. They can only be joined locally. It is also noted that Trainers are put in lobbies in the order they join so you’ll need to coordinate joining if you want to battle with your friends.
Each Trainer brings up to three Pokémon and only Dynamax capable Pokémon can be used. To get Trainers started, they will be able to catch a Dynamax Pokémon from Special Research available at the start of the GO Big event.
Pokémon in Max Battles will use Fast Attacks, and build up energy to use Charged Attacks as usual. Attacking will build up the Max Meter through battle. Once it’s full, the Pokémon in battle can Dynamax for 3 turns.
In the following image, a Dynamax Blastoise is battling against a Dynamax Charmander. At the bottom of the screen, the following moves are displayed:
- Max Guard (Defend) - Reduces damage from the opposing Pokémon
- Max Geyser (Attack) - A powerful special attack that depends on typing. In this case, it’s the Water-type Max Move Max Geyser.
- Max Spirit (Heal) - Restores HP for yourself and your teammates.
Max Moves can be improved with Max Particles and Candy/Candy XL on the Pokémon’s info page before battle.
There are a limited number of Max Moves that can be used during Dynamax.
After the Dynamax Pokémon is defeated, Trainers will have the option to place a Pokémon at the Power Spot. Pokémon placed at Power Spots will help other Trainers in their Max Battles and earn Candy.
Trainers will see their rewards and have the option to “Upgrade Rewards” with PokéCoins for more items and Premier Balls.
It’s noted that Dyanamx Pokémon are further away on the encounter screen than a normal Pokémon.
Max Battles Take Place at Power Spots
Max Battles will appear at random locations on the map on a new point of interest called a Power Spot. They will not take over existing Gyms or PokéStops. There is a timer that denotes when the Power Spot will expire. New Power Spots will appear on the Overworld map daily.
You can collect 100 Max Particles at a Power Spot location. Trainers can recieve a bonus 20 Max Particles if it’s their first time visiting that Power Spot.
Trainers can also collect 300 Max Particles through walking 2 km. A total of 800 Max Particles can be earned per day through visiting Power Spots and/or walking. Note that this is a soft limit so, for example, if you claimed your walking rewards while having earned 700 Max Particles that day, you would still earn 300 Max Particles for a total of 1000 for the day.
There is a new tab on the nearby menu that will show nearby Power Spots and Max Battles. You can check your current MP and collect MP from walking.
FAQ
The following are some questions asked by Japanese media and answered by Niantic. I’ve reworded some of them for clarification.
Q: Is it possible to evolve Dynamax Pokémon? For example, can Dynamax Charmander become Dyanamax Charizard?
A: Yes. You can evolve a Dyanamax Charmander to Charizard.
Q: Is it possible to heal using Items during Max Battles?
A: No, currently using Max Spirit is the only way.
Q: Is it possible to collect Max Particles using devices like the Pokémon GO+?
A: It is currently not possible.
Q: Can the Dyanamax Pokémon encounter be shiny?
A: Yes, they can.
Q: Is it possible to Dynamax a Pokémon previously caught before Max Battles were introduced?
A: No, it’s not possible.
Q: How will Dynamax Pokémon be treated in the Pokédex?
A: They will have their own Pokédex.
Q: Can I battle in Max Battles even if I don’t have 4 people?
A: You can challenge Max Battles with 3 or less Trainers. You can even challenge them solo.
Q: Is it possible to pay to battle in Max Battles, like with Raid Passes?
A: Max Particles can be purchased with PokeCoins.
Q: Will Gigantamax be a feature?
A: There are currently no plans. It is under consideration.
Q: How do I get my first Dynamax Pokémon?
A: You can get it from Special Research.
Q: Will all Dynamax Pokémon be available from the start?
A: They will be available one by one like Shadow Pokémon.
Q: Do Dynamax Pokémon have IVs?
A: Yes.
Q: Can Dynamax Pokémon be used outside of Max Battles?
A: They can be used in Raid Battles and Team GO Rocket battles. However, they will not be able to Dynamax. They can learn Fast and Charged Attacks in the same way as normal Pokémon.
Q: Do Dynamax Pokémon appear in the wild?
A: No.
