Multiplayer and Online Features: Is Nintendo Online Required?

Access online and multiplayer features through the Union Room and Grand Underground in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (BDSP). Read on to learn about all multiplayer features in the Diamond and Pearl Remakes, such as trades and online battles!

Online Multiplayer Features

Union Rooms

The Union Room serves as the online hub in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, replacing the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and Global Trade Station of the original games. This new feature allows players to battle and trade with other players through local and online communication.

Access the Union Room from anywhere in Sinnoh!

You can first access the Union Room by going upstairs in a Pokemon Center and interacting with the nurse in the middle. After getting the 1st badge in Oreburgh City, you can start visiting the basement of the Pokemon Center. After first visiting the basement, you unlock the ability to access the Union Room from anywhere in the Sinnoh region (except inside buildings and caves) by pressing Y.

You then have the option to access the Local Room, where you connect with players over a local network, or the Global Room, where you can connect with players around the world using an online connection.

Colosseum

The Colosseum was added in Ver 1.20 Patch and alllows trainers to engage in Singles, Doubles, and Multi-Battles with other players. This feature is available on the top floor of every Pokemon Center in the game.

Battle with Custom Rules

Unlike Union Rooms, the Colosseum allows players to customize battle rules for all three battle formats. This gives players more freedom to tweak battles with other trainers, such as removing level restructions and allowing Restricted and Mythical Pokemon!

Colosseum Custom Rulesets

Change your Trainer's Appearance

You can change your character's look when you enter the Union Room! Simply talk to the first Nurse on the second floor of the Pokemon Center. She will provide you a list of trainer appearances you can choose from!

Grand Underground

Players who are connected over a local network or those with a Nintendo Switch Online Subscription can interact with other players who are in the Grand Underground as well. In the original games, the online connection is automatically activated once you enter the Underground.

Together, players can collaborate on digging through walls together, interact with each other's Secret Bases, and also trade treasures with one another.

Grand Underground Features

Pokemon HOME Compatibility

Players will be able to trade and move Pokemon between Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl and Pokemon Legends: Arceus via Pokemon HOME. Pokemon HOME is a subscription-based cloud service for Pokemon games on mobile devices and the Nintendo Switch.

Pokemon HOME Compatibility

Is Pokemon BDSP Co-Op?

According to the official Nintendo site, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl only offers a single player experience.

However, players are free to interact with other players locally and online to help each other fill their Pokedex, win Super Contest Shows together, or even just to have a friendly battle with each other.

Is Nintendo Online Required?

Nintendo Switch Online Subscription is required to access the game's online features through the Global Union Room.

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