Pokemon Let's Go needs a Nintendo Online subscription to trade and battle with other players

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Pokemon Let's Go trading and battling will be off limits unless you pay a monthly subscription

It's already been confirmed that Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee will let you trade and battle with other players, but it seems there's a bit of a catch. It turns out you'll need to pay for a Nintendo Online Service subscription in order to battle or trade online - either wirelessly or locally - with other trainers. 

The news comes via a statement from The Pokemon Company issued to Eurogamer, which clarifies the online requirement and even gives us a few more details on exactly what the gameplay will be like when the pair of games arrive in November. Obviously, this isn't the core RPG Pokemon Switch game we've been waiting for, so not all of the features will be made available in Pokemon Let's Go, but it's interesting to see just how different the games will be.

"Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Pokemon Let's Go Eevee will have online play functionality," reads the statement. "Battling and trading with other players over the internet or locally will be available in these games."

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"However, the feature set will be somewhat simplified in comparison to previous online games in that there is no GTS, Wonder Trade, or Battle Spot (Rating Battle, Free Battle, and Online Competition, etc.) for example. Further details will be revealed at a later date."

"An active membership for the Nintendo Switch Online service, which is scheduled to begin in September of this year, will be required to access these features."

The Nintendo Online service is £18/$20 a year, which is actually very reasonable compared to the likes of PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold. The service will allow you to play games online and access a library of NES titles, as well as actually back up your save games in the cloud at long, long last. It may well be an issue for younger gamers looking to get their Pokemon fix but face a paywall to play with their friends.

Are you going to subscribe to the Nintendo Online service or do you think it's too expensive? Let us know in the comments below. 

Sam Loveridge
Sam Loveridge
Brand Director, GamesRadar+

Sam Loveridge is the Brand Director and former Global Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar. She joined the team in August 2017. Sam came to GamesRadar after working at TrustedReviews, Digital Spy, and Fandom, following the completion of an MA in Journalism. In her time, she's also had appearances on The Guardian, BBC, and more. Her experience has seen her cover console and PC games, along with gaming hardware, for a decade, and for GamesRadar, she's in charge of the site's overall direction, managing the team, and making sure it's the best it can be. Her gaming passions lie with weird simulation games, big open-world RPGs, and beautifully crafted indies. She plays across all platforms, and specializes in titles like Pokemon, Assassin's Creed, The Sims, and more. Basically, she loves all games that aren't sports or fighting titles! In her spare time, Sam likes to live like Stardew Valley by cooking and baking, growing vegetables, and enjoying life in the countryside.