Pokémon Legends: Arceus is taking a new approach with its gameplay style, but does that mean it has abandoned the link battles and multiplayer from earlier Pokémon games? The idea of trading Pokémon and battling friends' teams is what helped make the Pokémon franchise such a huge hit, as it inspired a level of competition and cooperation not often seen in video games at the time.
The reason why the mainline Pokémon games were split across two entries was to encourage player interaction, as the player couldn't complete the Pokédex without the ability to trade. The ability to battle an enemy player's team also inspired players to work out the best strategies for the competitive Pokémon scene, as another player can easily produce a team that is far stronger than anything that can be faced in the game.
The online multiplayer modes in the Pokémon series are now locked behind a paywall, as the player needs a Nintendo Switch Online membership to access these modes. The official Pokémon Legends: Arceus page on Nintendo's website confirms that a Nintendo Switch Online subscription is required for the online functionality in the game, but what does that actually mean in more concrete terms?
Pokémon Legends: Arceus Multiplayer Features Trading, But Not Battling
Pokémon Legends: Arceus has some of the online multiplayer features of the older Pokémon games, but it's missing a key feature. Pokémon Legends: Arceus has trading, with players able to trade Pokémon locally, or online with strangers. Pokémon Legends: Arceus players can access the Mystery Gift feature, which allows them to download limited-time items and Pokémon, such as the Baneful Fox Mask. Legends: Arceus lacks the co-op gameplay of the Let's Go games, nor does it have a Wild Area with other trainers, like Pokémon Sword and Shield.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus doesn't have local or online battles, which means that players cannot pit their teams against each other. It's possible that this is a result of the new battle system, which allows the player character to move around the battlefield and be injured by enemy Pokémon, as well as the fluid action economy created by Agile and Strong style moves. There's a chance that Game Freak plans to add online battling in a future update, as it's such a major part of the series that it's hard to imagine it being cut entirely. It's possible that a colosseum-style mode could be implemented, where the player character cannot interact with the battle arena, and the Pokémon Legends: Arceus Agile and Strong combat styles become optional, in order to bring the battles closer to that of the older Pokémon games.