Pokémon has always incorporated multiplayer elements in its games, starting with the ability to trade and battle in the original Red, Blue, and Japan’s Green.
Each generation brings new additions to the multiplayer suite of content offered, changing things and making the games evolve in new ways. And even from early on, this is something Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are putting a focus on.
When it was first revealed, Game Freak confirmed SV would be the first true attempt at an open-world game for the franchise where players can “explore an open world where various towns with no borders blend seamlessly into the wilderness.” The developers also noted that players will be able to tackle the game’s locations in any order, without relying on items or the story to unlock certain paths. The exact specifics of how that will work have yet to be shared.
With that open-world element fully incorporated and the developers looking to take the game in a new direction in many ways, a new form of multiplayer is a big focus for SV.
What kind of multiplayer does Pokémon Scarlet and Violet feature?
It isn’t quite at that MMORPG level, but SV does offer the most impressive multiplayer experience of any core Pokémon title. For the first time, players will be able to actively play a Pokémon game with up to three friends on the same “server”—SV supports four-player online co-op. No details about offline multiplayer have been shared but it is unlikely it will be used in any significant way, if it appears at all.
This is a big departure from Sword and Shield’s Wild Area, which previously allowed players to connect to the internet and bring in more than four characters from other players into their game. But those were all NPCs simply using another player’s data to simulate looks and name. None of them moved in real-time and the only interaction you could have was occasionally talking to them and getting an item.
SV’s four-player multiplayer seems to be much more intrinsic to the gameplay, with players able to emote to each other, interact in various ways, and play the game alongside each other in real-time.
How do Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s online features and multiplayer work?
By using the Union Circle, players can invite up to three friends into their world. Based on the Pokémon Presents from Aug. 3, it seems that all four players can traverse the map together. This means family and friends can join up and battle wild Pokémon together, explore the map, and go on adventures.
Trading and battling with other trainers is done through the Poké Portal. Players can trade Pokémon using the Link Trade option, which will allow two trainers to trade with each other after they both enter the same code. There will also be a Surprise Trade, which pairs random trainers with each other to trade a random Pokémon with one another. Link battles will also be available in the Poké Portal so players can battle other trainers from around the world.
A lot of the decisions so far in SV show locations like Pokémon Centers and gyms, if that is what was shown in the trailer, being moved outside for the first time. No reason has been given for this, but it could show Game Freak is trying to limit how many sequences involve players going into different areas, which could disrupt their online connection.
You will likely still need open a menu to turn on communication features once they become available, but early on, it appears like SV is specifically being designed to keep players online and playing with others with that seamless, open-world model.
More details should be shared ahead of the games’ worldwide Nov. 18 release.
