Pokemon Pokopia has multiplayer, but not in the way you might expect

Some are anticipating that Pokemon Pokopia could be the best selling spin-off Pokemon game of all time thanks to its cozy vibes and Animal Crossing-like gameplay that so many love.

Thankfully, you are able to share this experience with another due to multiplayer being available, but there are some switch-ups to the usual formula.

Some will love the changes, some will be a bit confused why they’re a thing, but we’ll reveal all below.

How does Pokemon Pokopia’s multiplayer work?

So, there are some traditional multiplayer elements in Pokemon Pokopia in the form of both local and online co-op, allowing you and three others to join in on some island shenanigans. A Nintendo Switch Online membership is required for the latter, but this is pretty standard practice.

There is also game sharing available, meaning if you do want to get some close multiplayer going with a friend, you can do so without them even needing to purchase Pokopia.

However, the big departure you might not have expected is that the game will have Minecraft-like world sharing. This enables those who want to play on the host’s island to do so when they wish; there are no constraints for the owner/creator to be online.

This is has been named ‘Cloud Island’ and in a recent interview with senior director Shigeru Ohmori, he went into more detail about how this works:

“(Cloud Island) allows everyone to develop the island together, but even if the host (island owner) isn’t playing, everyone can join in and play. Even if you can’t find time to play together, you can cooperate and develop the island little by little when you have free time.”

The big drawback to playing online in this way is that none of the progress you make carries over to your single-player world or main story. This means any encountered Pokemon, new items, and more will need to be rediscovered.

It is also limited to four players again, so don’t think you’ll have others flooding and overcrowding your island. Maybe this will get expanded in the future, but at this time, we don’t think it’s likely.