How to play Pokemon Scarlet and Violet coop with friends

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet coop is done either online, or connecting to local consoles and others Switches in the game's offline mode. You'll need to have your friends' Link Codes either way, but once connected you'll be able to explore each other's worlds and engage with some of the challenges together. Read on to find out how to play Pokemon Scarlet and Violet coop, what you need to unlock it, and how it can be used to have fun with friends.

How to play Pokemon Scarlet and Violet coop

To play Pokemon Scarlet and Violet coop, players can play either locally or online via the internet, but either way will need other friends with the game and their own Nintendo Switch. To play coop either way, head to either a Pokemon Center, or the Poke Portal section of the main menu, so you can use the Union Circle.

If you're headed to a Pokemon Center, the Union Circle is the Yellow Screen on the side of the building. Interact with it to begin (you can also redeem Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Mystery Gift codes here).

How to play coop online

To play Pokemon Scarlet and Violet coop online, you'll need the following:

• Your Nintendo Switch should be connected to a reliable Wi-fi signal
• A Nintendo Switch Online Membership Subscription

Once you have both of those set up, you need to do the following:

• Open the main menu with the X button whenever you're not battling or in a special story mission
• Press the L button to connect to the internet
• If successful, the icon at the top right should change from "offline mode" to "online mode"
• Open the Poke Portal either through the Menu or the screen at a Pokemon Center. 
• Select "Union Circle" at the top.
• Here you have a choice to either "Form a group" or "Join a Group."

If you form a group, players will enter your game, join your world, and effectively be your guests. If your connection fails or you close the game, they will all be forced to leave. If you join a group, the other player is the host and you'll be in their game.

If you form a group, you'll enter a special menu with three other spaces for players, and a "Link Code". Tell the other players this code, so they can enter it when they join your group - it acts like a special password that allows them to join.

If you join a group, you'll immediately be asked for the Link Code (there's no way to join a group without one). The host should tell you the code, and all you need to do is enter it - and then you'll be in the group! 

Once enough people have joined, the player who formed the group simply needs to press "Set out together," and everybody will be brought into their world.

How to play coop locally

Though there's no way for two people to play Pokemon Scarlet and Violet and on the same Switch console, if a friend has their own Switch and copy of the game, you can play without an internet connection, if you're close together - as in, the same room or so. 

To play locally, simply follow the steps for online coop, but do not connect to the internet at the beginning! The game doesn't search for local consoles if you're online, it only checks the internet. Make sure you're in the offline mode, then repeat all the steps above - you'll be able to form a group or join a group in the same way with nearby consoles. Just make sure not to get too far away from each other!

Do you need a Nintendo Switch Online Membership to play Pokemon Scarlet and Violet coop?

Yes, you do need a Nintendo Switch Online Membership to play Pokemon Scarlet and Violet coop - but only if you're playing it online via Wi-fi. Players who play it locally offline won't need a Switch Online Membership, so won't have to worry about payment. However, if you're going long distance - yes, the Membership is a mandatory thing.

What you can do in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet coop explained

When you play Pokemon Scarlet and Violet coop multiplayer, you can do the following with the other players in your game, usually by using the Poke Portal:

• Explore each other's world
• Trade and battle with each other using the Poke Portal
• Battle in Tera Raids together
• Have picnics

Your options as a whole are pretty limited - the game doesn't let you fight wild Pokemon, Trainers or Gym Leaders together, it's more of a social experience than anything else, so calling it cooperative is a bit of a misnomer when there isn't much you can cooperate on, beyond the Tera Raids. Still, it's got its advantages - you can see if your friends picked one of the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet best starters and their evolutions!