Party Play guide for Pokemon GO

Full local co-op is finally coming to Pokemon GO through the game's brand-new Party Play feature. The closest Trainers could get to cooperative multiplayer has been in its main Raids, but there had been no such feature for other aspects of Niantic's flagship title until now. 

Letting you form a party with up to three other players, Pokemon GO Party Play brings quite a range of benefits for playing in an even more connected way with your fellow trainers. 

So, let's get into everything we know about Pokemon GO Party Play we know so far. 

What is Pokemon GO Party Play?

Pokemon GO Party Play is a local co-op multiplayer mode where players can join a party and appear on each other's maps for a fully shared experience, allowing you to complete challenges and earn various rewards. 

As you party up, you'll be able to select and complete Party Challenges such as winning raids or catching a certain number of Pokemon to earn a reward for each player upon completion. Whilst you play, you'll even have access to player breakdowns of the particular feats of party members, such as how many Pokemon of a certain type's been caught, or how many have been caught with a weather boost. 

As you even end the party, you'll get taken to a visual party recap of stats for both the whole party and individual members based on their contribution - like the number of KM explored or the best number of Pokeball throws. 

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When does Pokemon GO Party Play release?

Pokemon GO Party Play will be available to use as of Tuesday, October 17, 2023, at 9 AM local time. If you go into the game to find the feature isn't yet available, be sure that your version of the app is the one installed with the latest update. 

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Party Power adding a boost to Pokemon GO Raids

The best addition to the Pokemon GO Party Play feature, in my opinion, is Party Power: A power booster built up in a meter during Raids which you can activate to increase your damage. If you're entering a Raid whilst you're in a Party Play party of two trainers, for example, activating Party Power will double the power when using Charged moves. 

For the various Raid bosses in Pokemon GO of certain levels, including ones where you might need five players for a chance at victory, Party Power will be a fantastic extra tool for making your odds of success all the more likely. 

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How many players can be in a party with Party Play?

Pokemon GO Party Play allows parties up to four players at a time, although you'll also be able to add other players after a party's creation as well.

So, if you're in a situation such as one party member leaving and you want to add an alternate, or you want to add a fourth member because they were late to your gathering, you'll be covered. 

It should also be kept in mind though, that Party Play does currently have a time limit of one hour, according to Niantic. This was accordingly based on the data showing how much time players spend in the game regularly, but you can still simply reform a party after the initial time limit is met. 

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How to set up & join Party Play in Pokemon GO

Creating a party

To create a party in Pokemon GO Party Play, you just need to follow these easy steps whilst you're in the game: 

• Press your trainer icon on the bottom-left of the screen
• Select the "Party" tab, which is now text to "Me" and "Friends"
• In the Party Play menu, select "Create"
• Get your nearby friends to enter the party code or scan the QR code on your screen
• Select the "Start" button
• If successful, all other party members should appear on your map

Joining a Party

If you want to join another Trainer's party in Pokemon GO Party Play, you'll simply need to follow these steps:

• As when setting up a party, first press your Trainer icon on the bottom-left of the screen
• Select the "Party" tab
• In the Party Play menu, select "Join Party"
• Either scan the party's QR code from the host or enter the party code
• If successful, your host should start the party and all other members should appear on your map

Pokemon GO Party Play rewards

As well as rewards you'll get for completing Party Challenges using Pokemon GO Party Play, you'll also get various bonuses depending on how well your party has performed overall - from all manner of items including PokeBalls and Mega Energy.

However, initial rewards you can get using Party Play are Eevee-themed t-shirts you and your friends' avatars can wear. Pokemon GO Senior Producer, Tim Nguyen, also confirmed there'll be implementation with other in-game events like Community Days, so we'll hopefully be seeing extra rewards there too.

We did wonder if rewards to each player would scale depending on their contribution, but Niantic mentioned that distribution would be quite casual for now - implying all players may get the same amount - but they may adjust this depending on player feedback. 

Party Play rewards sound like they will either vary depending on the feats achieved or will be simply random. However, we'll update this guide with more specific details as we test Party Play in Pokemon GO and find out about the rewards first-hand. 

That's everything you need to know about the new Pokemon GO Party Play feature. 

For more to play, check out the best games like Pokemon GO. Alternatively, take a look at our Pokemon GO guides and news homepage for even more essentials.