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pokemon sword & Shield, battle, friends

Pokemon Sword & Shield: How to Battle Against Friends (Multiplayer)

This article is over 4 years old and may contain outdated information

Pokemon Sword & Shield are the two latest entries in Game Freak’s massively popular monster-catching series, and it’s set in the British-inspired Galar Region. Along the way, as you raise more and more powerful Pokemon, you’ll probably want to start showing them off to your friends. Here’s how to battle against friends in online multiplayer in Pokemon Sword & Shield.

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How to Battle Against Friends in Pokemon Sword & Shield

First off, you’ll need to complete the tutorial section of the game and find the Professor in Route 2. After another battle with your rival Hop on Route 2, you’ll be able to access the Y-Comm menu by pressing Y.

From here, you can press the + button to connect to the internet if your friend isn’t in your vicinity, or just leave it if you’re playing locally.

From the Y-Comm menu, choose the Link Battle option, then press the + button to set a Link Code and share that with your friend so that you’ll get matched up with each other.

You can choose to engage in a Single Battle, Double Battle, or a Multi Battle. The first two options are limited to just two players, while the third one supports four players, with two trainers to each side. Once you’ve made your selection, you can pick your Pokemon and start battling each other online.

To recap, here’s how to battle against friends in Pokemon Sword & Shield:

  1. Reach Route 2 and complete the battle with Hop.

  2. Press Y to open the Y-Comm menu and choose the Link Battle option.

  3. Press the + button to set a Link Code and share it with your friend.

That’s all you need to know about how to battle against friends in online multiplayer in Pokemon Sword & Shield. Be sure to search for Twinfinite for more tips and information on the game.

Here are a few other guides to help get you started:


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Author
Image of Zhiqing Wan
Zhiqing Wan
Zhiqing is the Reviews Editor for Twinfinite, and a History graduate from Singapore. She's been in the games media industry for nine years, trawling through showfloors, conferences, and spending a ridiculous amount of time making in-depth spreadsheets for min-max-y RPGs. When she's not singing the praises of Amazon's Kindle as the greatest technological invention of the past two decades, you can probably find her in a FromSoft rabbit hole.