If you’ve heard of Spotlight Hours and Raid Hours, get ready for Max Mondays in Pokémon GO. This exciting new mini-event takes place every Monday night from 6 PM to 7 PM local time. During this hour, every Power Spot on your map will host a specific Max Raid Boss, providing you with a great chance to battle and potentially add them to your Pokémon collection.
Dynamaxing is the latest feature in Pokémon GO, originally introduced in the main series games, Pokémon Sword & Shield, for the Nintendo Switch. This special ability allows Pokémon to grow massive and unleash powerful Max Moves in battles. To catch Pokémon that can Dynamax, you’ll need to participate in Max Raid Battles, and Max Mondays is a perfect opportunity for that.
Max Mondays Schedule for November 2024
Four Dynamax Pokémon to Battle, Including Drilbur
So far, four featured Pokémon for Max Mondays have been announced, with three events happening in November and one kicking off in early December. Check the table below for details on the featured Pokémon and their weaknesses to get a leg up in your battles:
Date | Pokémon | Weaknesses | Can It Be Shiny? |
|---|---|---|---|
November 11 | Dynamax Charmander | Yes | |
November 18 | Dynamax Drilbur | Yes | |
November 25 | Dynamax Bulbasaur | Yes | |
December 2 | Dynamax Squirtle | Yes |
While the iconic Kanto starters Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle have been in the game as Dynamax Raid Bosses for some time, Dynamax Drilbur is making its debut. It remains to be seen whether it will appear exclusively during Max Monday events or if it will pop up in other events as well.
Keep in mind that you can only use Dynamax or Gigantamax-capable Pokémon in these Max Raid Battles, so be sure to add some to your roster before participating in Max Mondays.
Effective counters for each Dynamax Pokémon are key to success. For Dynamax Charmander, use Blastoise and Inteleon; for Dynamax Drilbur, try Blastoise and Venusaur; against Dynamax Bulbasaur, Charizard and Cinderace are best; and for Dynamax Squirtle, employ Venusaur and Rillaboom. Don’t fret if you lack those Pokémon, as these featured Pokémon generally won’t pose too tough of a challenge.
How Do Max Mondays Work?
A New Weekly Event to Add to Your Calendar
Starting November 11, 2024, a brand new weekly mini-event called Max Mondays will be available in Pokémon GO. Like Spotlight Hours on Tuesdays and Raid Hours on Wednesdays, Max Mondays will take place for one hour, from 6 PM to 7 PM local time for each Trainer. During this period, one primary Pokémon will be featured in all Max Raid Battles, hosted at Power Spots scattered throughout the game.
Power Spots are located at real-world landmarks and are represented by purple towers with an ‘X’ marker on top. When you approach one of these spots, you can tap on it to collect Max Particles and battle the featured Max Raid Boss, if present. Up to four Trainers can team up for a Max Raid Battle, and each participant can bring along three Dynamax-capable Pokémon.
Max Raid Battles function similarly to regular Raid Battles. You continuously tap the screen to unleash Fast Attacks, and once you accumulate enough Energy, you can unleash a Charged Attack. The unique aspect helps you build up Max Energy, and once your Max Meter is full, your Pokémon will automatically Dynamax. You’ll then get three turns to use Max Moves.
Each Pokémon can execute three types of Max Moves: Max Attack, Max Spirit, and Max Guard. Max Attacks mimics the type of the Pokémon’s Fast Attack. Meanwhile, Max Spirit heals all Pokémon in the arena, and Max Guard reduces the damage taken from the Max Raid Boss’s hits. Generally, only the Max Attack is necessary for lower-tier Max Raid Bosses, but defensive strategies become crucial against higher-tier foes.
Max Spirit and Max Guard need to be unlocked with Max Particles and Pokémon Candy before they can be used. All three Max Moves can also be upgraded using these same resources.
Once you defeat a Max Raid Boss in Pokémon GO, you have a chance to capture it, similar to regular Raid Battles. Since catching is never guaranteed, remember to use Razz Berries and aim for Excellent Curveball Throws to boost your chances. The great news is that any Dynamax Pokémon you’ve caught can be used in future Max Raid Battles.