• Guide

How to play with friends - Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Here's how you can play with friends and explore the Paldea region together in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Donovan Erskine

November 18, 2022 7:30 AM

Game Freak

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Pokemon Scarlet and Violet encourage players to explore its vast open world, uncovering its secrets and discovering the diverse roster of Pokemon within. For the first time ever, you’re free to roam the game and progress through the story alongside other players. If you want to squad up with some mates for your Pokemon journey, we’ll show you how to play with friends in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

How to play with friends - Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

To play with friends in Pokemon Scarlet select Poke Portal from the pause menu and click on Union Circle. This can also be accessed by interacting with the yellow screen at any Pokemon Center. In the Union Circle, you can either form a group or join one. If you form the group, your friends will be joining your world. If your friends are hosting, you’ll be joining theirs. From this screen, you can decide if you want to play locally or online.

When you form a group, the game will give you a four-digit Link Code that you’ll need to give your friends. If you’re trying to join them, ask them for the Link Code. Once you’re in a game together, you’re free to roam the Paldea region. You can go off and engage in battles, catch Pokemon, and explore with your pals. While in a game together, you can easily battle, trade, and take on Tera Raids with your friends. Keep in mind that if the host player loses connection, the entire group will be disbanded. Try to make sure the player with the most reliable connection is the host.

That’s how you can play with friends in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. As you continue to explore the Paldea region and uncover its secrets, stick with Shacknews for some helpful guidance along the way.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a young journalist from Maryland, who likes to game. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge Scream nerd and film fanatic that will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_