Is there multiplayer in Pokémon Legends: Arceus?

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a big shake-up compared to the usual formula of Pokémon games. Instead of the narrow funneling of past titles, it's an open-world adventure that changes almost everything about how you interact with Pokémon. With all these changes, we do know that some form of multiplayer is in. With the arrival of reviews, we now know that the game supports trading multiplayer, but not any other form. So, at least you'll be able to trade shiny Pokémon with a buddy if you find one.

The official listing for the game by Nintendo confirmed that Pokémon Legends: Arceus supports one or two players. This means, to some extent, two players can play together. Before launch, it was not clear if there was a separate mode, a kind of co-op play, a dedicated area, or any other requirements in place.

There's a long list of Pokémon in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, so we have confirmation of trading support in the game. Right now, there is no other kind of multiplayer in the game. With only two-player multiplayer support, we aren't expecting to see massive group raid battles or teaming up to fight other trainers in squads, even in post-launch support. We'll have to wait and see if some other multiplayer mode is added in the future though.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is set in the land of Hisui, a land that eventually comes to be named the Sinnoh region. The world is wild and untamed. In one of the biggest changes of all, you can just throw a Poké Ball directly at a Pokémon that you find in the wild, instead of engaging in a turn-based battle. You'll need to catch them all, as you are building the first Pokédex. One thing's for sure, it'll certainly be different from your usual Pokémon games.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is currently set to launch for Nintendo Switch on Jan. 28, 2022.