Max Particles and Power Spots in Pokémon Go explained

How to collect Max Particles from Power Spots in Pokémon Go

There are two main methods you can use to collect Max Particles in Pokémon Go - visiting a Power Spot, which are new locations appearing on the map alongside Gyms and PokéStop, and walking 2km per day.

Before we get into specifics, however, it's important to note that you can only collect 800 Max Particles by day.

This is a soft cap, however, so you won't loose out on any bonus Max Particles you earn from Power Spots. Despite this, there is a downside - if you're over the 800 Max Particle limit, but haven't collected the Max Particles you earn from walking, you'll be unable to collect them as you can see in the screenshot to the right. If you're beneath this limit, at 700 Max Particles for example, then you will be able to collect this extra amount and safely go over the cap.

It's also important to note that you can only carry a certain number of Max Particles at a time and must spend them before collecting more.

With that out of the way, let's take a look at how to collect Max Particles!

To collect Max Particles from a Power Spot, you must first visit one on the map. Once you've there, simply press on the Power Spot like you would a PokéStop before moving your finger over the glowing purple orbs to collect the Max Particles. (No, I don't know why Max Particles are floating purple orbs. Sorry.)

You will earn 120 Max Particles per Power Spot, the 20 appearing to be a bonus. Yet, the first Power Spot you interact with each day will grant you slightly more and, in my case, this was 200 Max Particles.

You can only earn Max Particles from a Power Spot once per day and can tell whether a Power Spot has Max Particles waiting for you by the glowing purple orbs circling around it on the map. If the orbs are present, then you can grab some Max Particle. No orbs? No particles.

To earn Max Particles from walking 2km, you first to, well, walk 2km. You can keep track of this by opening your Pokémon radar in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen and scrolling along to the Power Stop section. There you'll find a counter outlining how far you've currently walked to reach this requirement.

Walking 2km will earn you 300 Max Particles and, once you've traveled this distance, simply return to the Power Spot menu in your Pokémon radar and press 'Done!'

Finally, you can also collect Max Particles from completing parts of certain research quest, such as To the Max! quest.

The Dual Destiny Season is here! It brings the Holiday Part 2 event with it. You can now catch Dynamax Pokémon through Max Battles. First, however, you need to visit Power Spots to collect Max Particles and complete the To the Max! quest. Don't forget to try out Routes, Gift Exchange and Party Play while you're hunting down rare Pokémon, fighting in the Go Battle League or competing in PokéStop Showcases.

What are Max Particles used for in Pokémon Go?

Max Particles have two primary purposes in Pokémon Go - for partaking in Max Battles at Power Spots and levelling up a Dynamax Pokémon's Max Moves.

The amount of Max Particles you'll spend to enter a Max Battle differs depending on the star rating of the Power Spot Boss. Entering a Max Battle with a one-star Power Spot Boss costs 250 Max Particles, but a higher ranking boss would cost a lot more.

The good news, however, is that your Max Particles are only consumed if you win the Max Battle. This means you can easily try the battle again if you do loose or simply come back another day if you don't fancy fighting the same Pokémon twice. It also cuts down on the amount of time you have to spend collecting Max Particles!

When it comes to Max Moves, it's first important to note that only Pokémon with the ability to Dynamax can learn them, such as the Wooloo you'll earn from the 'To the Max!' quest and ones caught from Max Battles. Each Dynamax Pokémon has three Max Moves, but some Dynamax Pokémon will need a number of their Max Moves to be unlocked first before they can be used.

Max Moves can be used in battle against other Dynamax or Gigantamax Pokémon. You can find a Dynamax Pokémon's Max Move set by pressing the Dynamax option on their Pokémon page in your storage. It sits directly beneath where their type is outlined.

Max Particles can be used to both level up and unlock Max Moves, alongside a required amount of the correct candy for the Dynamax Pokémon whose moveset you wish to improve.

Using the Dynamax Wooloo from the To the Max! quest as an example, levelling up its Max Strike move requires 600 Max Particles and 100 Wooloo Candy. The amount required for both then increases as I continue to level up this move.

Meanwhile, unlocking its other two Max Moves - Max Guard and Max Spirit - requires 400 Max Particles and 50 Wooloo Candy each. This means I need a total of 800 Max Particles and 100 Wooloo Candy to access its full Max Move set.

Power Spots in Pokémon Go explained

Power Spots are a new location in Pokémon Go where you can collect Max Particles and partake in Max Battles. They have a purple hued design, a little stadium field sitting in the middle, with the Dynamax symbol floating above them.

If you're yet to collect the Max Particles from a Power Spot, then they'll also have a collection of purple orbs floating around them. If these orbs are gone then so are the Max Particles and you'll have to wait for them to return before collecting them again.

Each Power Spot stands independently to Gyms and PokéStops, meaning they have not replaced any previous location in Pokémon Go. Interestly, unlike these other locations, Power Spots do not have a Photo Disc but their location is labelled, such as 'Town Hall' for example.

Unlike Gyms and PokéStops, you can not earn items from Power Spots - only Max Particles. Power Spots are also temporary and will vanish over a certain period of time. Thankfully more Power Spots will appear on the map, so you'll never be without one.

You can check how long a Power Spot will be available for by opening the Pokémon radar in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen and scrolling to the 'Power Spot' tab. Here you'll find a list of all the Power Spots close to your current location alongside with how long it will remain in place. Since the locations of Power Spots are constantly changing, it's worth keeping an eye on their locations so you can incorporate them into your Pokémon Go walks to ensure you never miss a Max Battle or run low on Max Particles.

Power Spots are also where you can partake in Max Battles. Here a Power Spot Boss will appear in the form of a Dynamax Battle and you'll need a certain amount of Max Particles to defeat it. Though these particles will only be consumed if you win the battle thankfully!

If you do win the battle, then you can place a Pokémon from your battle party at the Power Spot and it will go on to assist other players, earning you candy while doing so. The maximum number of Pokémon you can have sitting in different Power Spots is 20, so this is a good way to earn additional candy.

After visiting a Power Spot you may even find yourself encountering a Dynamax Pokémon in the wild if a Gigantamax Pokémon has been placed at said Power Spot! Though I would like to test this feature out first before fully confirming its details.

Best of luck collecting Max Particles from Power Spots in Pokémon Go!