Particles in Godot 4: it is GPUParticles3D now
By Eduardo Orellana · Updated
Particles is called GPUParticles3D in Godot 4, beside CPUParticles3D, and its draw passes still hold the meshes it emits. In a Godot 4 project, Particles.new() fails to parse with Identifier "Particles" not declared in the current scope.
AppImage, x86_64. Ubuntu 22.04, Debian 12, Fedora 39 or newer.
Intel or AMD Chromebook, with Linux turned on.
What Godot is checking
GDScript resolves every name when the script loads. Particles is not a class in Godot 4, so the analyzer stops before anything runs. Unlike most renamed classes, the message on 4.7.2 suggests no replacement here, as the run shows.
The converter carries Particles to GPUParticles3D and ParticlesMaterial to ParticleProcessMaterial. draw_pass_1 sets the mesh each particle draws, such as a QuadMesh with a billboard material.
Reproduce it
A Godot 3 script that creates a Particles in code, in a Godot 4 project.
extends Node
func _ready():
var particles = Particles.new()
print(particles)
What Godot 4.7.2 prints
Godot Engine v4.7.2.stable.mono.official.ed1daf0bf - https://godotengine.org
SCRIPT ERROR: Parse Error: Identifier "Particles" not declared in the current scope.
at: GDScript::reload (res://answers/particles-in-godot-4/repro.gd:4)
ERROR: Failed to load script "res://answers/particles-in-godot-4/repro.gd" with error "Parse error".
at: load (modules/gdscript/gdscript_resource_format.cpp:46)Fix it
A GPUParticles3D drawing quads with a ParticleProcessMaterial.
extends Node3D
func _ready() -> void:
var particles := GPUParticles3D.new()
particles.process_material = ParticleProcessMaterial.new()
particles.draw_pass_1 = QuadMesh.new()
particles.amount = 64
add_child(particles)
print(particles.get_class(), " amount ", particles.amount, ", draws ", particles.draw_pass_1.get_class())
What the fixed script prints
Godot Engine v4.7.2.stable.mono.official.ed1daf0bf - https://godotengine.org
GPUParticles3D amount 64, draws QuadMeshVerified on Godot 4.7.2
Both scripts on this page were run headless on Godot 4.7.2 (4.7.2.stable.mono.official.ed1daf0bf) on 18 October 2026, and the output above is what Godot printed, unedited.
Where the check lives in Godot's source: [renames_map_3_to_4.cpp line 1460, Particles to GPUParticles3D](https://github.com/godotengine/godot/blob/4.7.2-stable/editor/project_upgrade/renames_map_3_to_4.cpp#L1460), [GPUParticles3D class reference](https://github.com/godotengine/godot/blob/4.7.2-stable/doc/classes/GPUParticles3D.xml).
Questions
- Why are my particles invisible?
- A GPUParticles3D needs a mesh in draw_pass_1 and a process_material; without the mesh it draws nothing.
- Can I convert to CPUParticles3D?
- Yes: select the node and use Convert to CPUParticles3D in the toolbar.