Is Pokemon Scarlet and Violet an MMO?

Once upon Pokemon used to be a solo affair. We know we’re showing our ages by being nostalgic about those Gameboy days. But the series has morphed to allow players to play along and be the very best among their group of friends. But Pokemon Scarlet and Violet has fans questioning exactly how co-op works.

The Pokemon Team at Game Freak always tries to add new features to the Pokemon experience. New features of course cause speculation. This time one of the frequent questions seems to be: is Scarlet and Violet going to be an MMO?

Is Pokemon Scarlet and Violet an MMO?

The short answer is: no, not really. The game features only a four-player co-op. Because of the limit of only a few players at once, it is not described as a “Massively” multiplayer game. That would require more than 100+ players to interact at once at any given time.

Related: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet – Every Pokemon Confirmed in New Trailer

However, these features of multiplayer interaction look toward a possible future. One day, hundreds, if not thousands of players could one day interact on a larger hub of Pokemon battles and exploration.

What is an MMO?

So what is an MMO and what kind of MMO features is Game Freak possibly imploying into these new Pokemon games? An MMO, standing for “Massively Multiplayer Online” game, is an online game that thousands of players can play together simultaneously.

You can interact with dozens, if not hundreds of players a day, maybe more. Pokemon has always encouraged sharing and cooperative play with features like trades. With Violet and Scarlet, these will be the first that will include online multiplayer in series history. This means players can interact with up to four others to collect Pokemon, explore the open world, and battle together.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have been announced for a November 18, 2022 release date.