How Pokémon Scarlet and Violet multiplayer works — and doesn’t

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s online multiplayer component is a little confusing and weird. It may seem like you’re traveling to another player’s version of Paldea, but that isn’t fully the case.

All of the multiplayer features — including, trading, playing with your friends, and completing Tera Raid Battles — can be done by pressing the X button and selecting the “Poké Portal” option.

Use the Union Circle feature, it may seem like one player is the host and the other players are “visiting” their world, but you still remain in your world. However, you can now view your friends’ screens. You’ll also see their activity occasionally in the top left and right corner, noting if they’re doing story or catching new Pokémon.

Here’s a quick rundown of what you can do in Union Circle mode, based on our testing:

• Raid togetherInteract with them You Raid crystals. Interacting with another player’s crystal will give you a message saying it’s not yours, but it will give you league points (LP) and Tera Orb charges. Invites to join the raid will be sent out if you select “challenge as a group,” but the other players cannot be in a battle, cutscene, or otherwise preoccupied to get the invitation.
• Mass outbreaks can be done together, but it will only show the host’s outbreaks.
• You can battle Team Star leaders, gym leaders, Titan Pokémon, and other story-based battles. You won’t do it together.
• The opposite cannot be bought Charcadet evolution itemEven if the game is not your favorite, you can still play it.
• It is possible to can Catch version exclusive PokémonThey aren’t exclusive to your particular game. Two of us — a VioletPlayer and an Scarlet player — tested this by playing Union Circle together. We were both able to find Oranguru spawning in abundance, but didn’t see any Passimian. We’re still testing the conditions of how version exclusivity works in multiplayer (maybe we were just unlucky), and will update when we can.
• You can pick up items without “stealing” themAsk your friend or host to lend you the items. Picking up items will not affect their the host’s items.
• You cannot battle or trade Pokémon with your friendsFrom within the Union Circle feature.
• Fast travel is possible from all points along the wayYou can use the same password even if you host doesn’t have them enabled.
• It’s possible to take adorable selfies with your partner. Check out the guide’s lead image. Cute.

This being said Pokémon ScarletAnd Violet’s multiplayer feature is still okay for being able to raid with your friends quickly, or just seeing how far they’ve progressed, but it’s not as invasive or expansive as some players might have believed before launch.