How to Team Up with Friends in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet? 

It can be enjoyable to play Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. However, you can also spend some time with your friends in cooperative mode as well. This can be done either online or offline through local consoles and other Switches in offline mode. First of all, it is necessary to have your friends’ Link Code. After connection, one can travel through each other’s worlds while also facing activities with one another. This mode also increases the fun since you can invite friends to accompany you on the journey. Check out the detailed guide below to explore how to set up co-op play, what it takes to unlock it, and tips on how to play co-op with friends.

Playing Co-op in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

• To play Pokémon Scarlet and Violet in co-op mode, you have two options – you can either play locally, meaning nearby with friends who also have the game and their own Nintendo Switch, or you can play online over the internet.

• If you are playing locally, open the Pokémon Center in the game. Find a yellow screen on the side of a building called the Union Circle. Engage with this screen to start co-op mode.

• If you play online, there is co-op mode which can be opened through Poke Portal in the menu Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

• To link your game with your friends’ games, use the Union Circle. This connection gives an opportunity to enter each other’s game world and play activities together.

How to Set Up Co-op Mode in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet? 

• To effectively play Pokémon Scarlet and Violet co-op mode, your Nintendo Switch must have good internet connectivity, specifically Wi-Fi. This connection is important as it will enable one to be able to interact with the other players on the online platform.

• It’s important that you cannot play the co-op mode over the internet unless you have an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription. This membership enables online playing of the game along with some features such as the Poke Portal.

Steps to Start Co-op

• Access Menu: To begin co-op play, press the X button on the main menu screen at any time, excluding during battle or specific story missions.

• Connect to the Internet: Move around the menu and press the L button to toggle between the offline and online modes. This action is marked by the change in the icon at the top right corner from ‘offline mode’ to ‘online mode.’ This means that the device is connected to the internet.

• Navigate to Poke Portal: After going online, locate and interact with Poke Portal via the main menu or walk into a Pokémon Center in the game environment.

• Select Union Circle: In the Poke Portal, find and click on the “Union Circle”. This feature acts as the central point in the coordination of all co-op-related activities or events.

• Form a Group: If you would like to host a co-op session, select “Form a Group”. It is this action that creates a group where other players can come to your game world as observers. To enable this, you will be provided with a Link Code that is unique to you. Use this code to invite friends to connect with you in the current session.

• Join a Group: Alternatively, if you wish to join another player’s game, choose ‘Join a Group’ under the Union Circle. Enter the Link Code given by the host to join their game universe.

• Set Out Together: After all, participants have joined your group and are prepared to start the activity as a host click on “Set out together”. This command puts all players together in the game world at once, which is very handy when starting the co-op session.

How Can I Play Local Co-op in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Without Internet?  

• However, if you and your friends are around, it is possible to play the game’s local co-op mode without an internet connection. First, it is recommended to start the game in offline mode, do not connect it to the internet at this time.

• In local co-op, all the Nintendo Switch consoles that have to be used require to be close physically. This proximity allows the consoles to detect and connect to each other locally.

• While offline, you can use the Union Circle to start a new group with other Nintendo Switch users or join an existing group within your proximity. It works like an online co-op, only without the need for the internet.

Do I need a Nintendo Switch Online Membership for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet co-op?

Yes, you actually need it when playing over Wi-Fi. The membership enables you to share your friends on the internet. But for local play without the internet, like playing with friends within close distance, you do not require a membership. Local co-op means that players can play with others on the console without the need to subscribe to online services.