How to get more Stardust in the new Pokémon Go

Now that the old Defenders Bonus is gone, how do you get enough Stardust in Pokémon Go to power-up? Here are your options!

Pokémon Go has a whole new Gym system and while it's more accessible to casual players it's also less rewarding to everyone. Specially, it no longer gives you 500 Stardust per Gym, per 21 hour period, as a "Defenders Bonus". It now gives you only 20 Stardust per Berry fed — and costs you the Berry! For many, that's a significant drop in resources and a serious dent in one of the resources needed to power up Pokémon.

So, what can you do to maximize the Stardust options you have left? Here's the breakdown!

What is Stardust in Pokemon Go and why do you want it?

When you're powering up your Pokémon, you need Candy, but you also need Stardust. Unlike Candy, though, there's only one kind of Stardust and all Pokémon can use it.

That makes both Candy and Stardust incredibly valuable in Pokémon Go. At least if you want those 2000-2999 CP defenders for Gyms, and those 3000+ CP attackers for Gyms and Raids.

No Stardust, no powering up.

Best Pokémon to evolve and power up in Pokémon Go

Can you buy Stardust in Pokémon Go?

Sadly, no. Unlike Lucky Eggs, Incubators, Incense, and other items, you can't buy Stardust in the Pokémon Go shop. Unlike Poké Balls, Potions, and Revives, you can't get Stardust by spinning PokéStops either. You can't even get Stardust from leveling up your training.

If you want Stardust — and you do! — you have to get it in one of the ways outlined below.

You get Stardust for catching Pokémon in Pokémon Go?

Yup! The simplest way to get Stardust remains — surprise! — catching Pokémon in the wild. For every Pokémon you catch, you'll get:

• 100 Stardust per base-level Pokémon caught.
• 300 Stardust per second-evolution Pokémon caught.
• 500 Stardust per third-evolution Pokémon caught.

So, catch a Pidgey or Snorlax and you get 100 Stardust. Catch a Raticate or Blissey, and get 300 Stardust. Catch a Beedrill or Dragonite, 500 Stardust.

This includes any Raid Bosses you beat and then catch following Battle Raids.

It's especially productive with a Pokémon Go Plus, since you can click, click, click your way to thousands of Stardust, as long as you have the Poké Balls to catch with.

How to stack bonuses and catch any Pokémon

Do you still get Stardust for your Daily and Weekly Catch Streaks?

You do!

• 600 Stardust for each Daily Catch Bonus.
• 3000 Stardust for the 7-day Weekly Catch Bonus.

Hatching is still a good way to get Stardust, though?

Yup. You still get large amounts of Stardust from hatching Pokémon Eggs. The amount of Stardust varies by the type of Egg but also randomly at the time you hatch it.

• 400-800 Stardust from a 2 KM Egg.
• 800-1600 Stardust from a 5 KM Egg.
• 1600-3200 Stardust from a 10 KM Egg.

How to hatch Pokémon Go Eggs faster

But the Defender Bonus, it's really gone?

Gone gone. Where previously you got 500 Stardust per Gym, per 21 hours, for a maxium of 5000 Stardust for 10 Gyms, now you get a resounding NOTHING for simply controlling a Gym.

If you never played the Gym game, it's not something you'll notice. If you made sure you had a lot of Gyms every day, then it's a profound loss to your strategy.

Now you get Stardust for feeding Berries to friendly Pokémon in Gyms?

Indeed. You get 20 Stardust for every Berry you feed to your own Pokémon, or any Pokémon on a Gym controlled by your team, up to a maximum of 10 Berries to 10 Pokémon every half hour.

Feed 10 Pokémon and you get 200 Stardust — but it costs you 10 Razz, Pinap, or Nanab Berries. Feed 10 Berries to 10 Pokémon and you get 2000 Stardust – but it costs you 100 Berries.

So, to equal the maximum reward from the old Defenders Bonus, you would have to feed 250 Berries – at the cost of 250 Berries — every 21 hours.

Yeah. Ugh. Yikes.

Did Pokémon Go not create some Stardust-based attack bonus for taking down Gyms to make up the difference?

Nope. But I kinda really hope they do. Because the new normal isn't very good.

What about a Star Egg to give you double Stardust for 30 min., like the Lucky Egg does XP?

Also nope. Also kinda really hoping they do.

So, how do you get enough Stardust under the new Gym system to keep powering up your Pokémon?

You have a few options to get Stardust in Pokémon Go, post-Gym update. None of them are as good as the Defenders Bonus for the elite few who managed to routinely collect 5000 Stardust for 10 Gyms every 21 hours, but they're not exactly better for casual players either. At least those who don't want to spend too much money on the game.

1. Buy a Pokémon Go Plus and catch as many Pokémon as you can, all the time. Grinding for Stardust is the new grinding for XP. Spin, spin, spin to keep up your supply of Poké Balls.
2. Buy Incubators and collect and hatch as many Pokémon Eggs as you can, all the time.
3. Feed as many Berries to as many friendly Pokémon as you can every half hour. Spin, spin, spin to keep up your Berry supply.

TL:DR: How do get Stardust in Pokémon Go?

Here's your cheat-sheet:

• 20 Stardust per Berry fed to a friendly Pokémon on a Gym.
• 100 Stardust per base-level Pokémon caught in the wild.
• 300 Stardust per base-level Pokémon caught in the wild.
• 500 Stardust per base-level Pokémon caught in the wild.
• 400-800 Stardust per KM Egg hatched.
• 800-1600 Stardust per 5 KM Egg hatched.
• 1600-3200 Stardust per 10 KM Egg hatched.
• 600 Stardust for each Daily Catch Bonus.
• 3000 Stardust for the 7-day Weekly Catch Bonus.

Any other ways to get more Pokémon Stardust?

On special occasions, Pokémon Go will hold events that temporarily increase the amount of Stardust awarded for catching, hatching, and otherwise gaining Stardust Keep an eye out for the events and you'll get much more Stardust than normal.

• Thanksgiving 2016: 2x Stardust.

Pokémon Go Events: What's coming up next!

Any Pokémon Go questions?

Got any other Pokémon Go problems you need help with? Drop your questions in the comments below!