Does Pikmin 4 Have Multiplayer Support?
Nintendo confirmed "Pikmin 4 is still coming out during its February 2023 Direct. The trailer treated fans to their first look at the new Ice Pikmin capable of freezing surfaces and enemies, characters like a canine companion, Oatchi, and the fresh team of astronauts that includes the protagonist. Despite all the information that the company dropped, fans still had questions. One of these questions concerned multiplayer, which the publisher has yet to explain in a trailer, blog, or other promotional materials.
The official Nintendo Switch eShop description lists "Pikmin 4" as a game for 1 to 2 players. It doesn't explain how, but it implies a multiplayer component of some sort. It could be for a co-op mode, considering the multiple characters involved with the title. It could also be for some kind of mini-game that hasn't been revealed yet. Here's what we know so far about the possible multiplayer modes of "Pikmin 4."
Multiplayer options in past Pikmin titles
Nintendo will likely draw inspiration from or build on the multiplayer components that it developed for past "Pikmin" games.
"Pikmin" started incorporating 2-player modes as far back as "Pikmin 2," which has a Challenge Mode that allows a second person to play as Olimar's co-pilot, Louie. These features eventually evolved into a full-blown co-op mode in "Pikmin 3 Deluxe," which allows two people to play the full game together on a local system. There isn't any online multiplayer yet, but this was still a step toward allowing players to enjoy "Pikmin" entries together.
"Pikmin 2" has a competitive mode that tasks players with completing mini-game challenges as Olimar and Louie. "Pikmin 3" also has its own PvP modes, so it's possible that "Pikmin 4" will have both co-op and PvP multiplayer. We'll have to wait and see which of these routes Nintendo takes.