PokéBonk co-op is Classic mode for two to four trainers in one room. Open Co-op in the original game, create a room or join with the host's code, choose your Pokémon, and use a map and difficulty unlocked by everyone. It has separate team leaderboards; joining a clan is not the same as joining a co-op run.
These instructions were checked against v0.8.46 on October 25, 2026. Co-op is labeled beta, and the developer announced an invitation-based rollout. A maintenance or closed-beta message in your own game takes precedence over an otherwise correct room-creation guide.
How to create or join a room
- Open the original game and choose Co-op when access is available to your account.
- The host selects Create room. Other players use Join with a code, an invitation or the room's shared link.
- Select your own player card to choose a League Pokémon and its look.
- The host chooses the destination map and difficulty. Check any padlock or missing-unlock explanation for the whole group.
- Finish choosing, confirm readiness and wait for all players' connections. The host starts the run when the room is ready.
The room is for two, three or four players. Its destination and difficulty determine the relevant team leaderboard. The checked room UI warns that a team with a guest does not score; use that visible status before treating a run as a ranked attempt.
How co-op changes a Classic run
| Rule | What to do |
|---|---|
| Each trainer has a pursuing horde | Manage space; gathering together combines pressure from those hordes. |
| Guardians and legendaries belong to the team and withstand more | Fight the same encounter together instead of expecting solo health or timing. |
| A downed teammate has a 60-second revive window | Move beside them and hold the interaction control; desktop default is E. |
| The portal waits for the standing players | Gather at the portal before expecting the next zone to start. |
Keep enough space to avoid stacking incoming pressure, but remain close enough to help a downed teammate. That is a practical starting plan, not a measured optimal formation. A balanced partner choice can be more useful to a new group than four players independently following a solo damage ranking.
Our 79-partner tier list evaluates general single-player League progression. Use it to read kits and trade-offs, not as an already-tested co-op ranking.
What changed in v0.8.46?
The preceding v0.8.45 patch introduced coordinated seal barriers, a team Rage attack, changing weaknesses and linked elite pairs. The v0.8.46 notes remove those mechanics and return bosses and elites to classic behavior. Do not plan the current fight around the preceding patch's seal puzzle.
The same v0.8.46 notes say:
- Guardians attack the whole team, wherever players are; tackle them together.
- Gengar, cursed and Rhydon altars can be used individually again, without gathering everyone.
- A player choosing in a menu remains protected but does not deal damage, and the guardian targets teammates.
- Enemies switch targets less readily, and opening a menu or leveling up inside an Unown circle no longer loses its charge.
These are developer-reported changes. They do not mean the online world freezes for everybody when one player opens a menu.
Why can't my friends join or start?
| What the room shows | Check next |
|---|---|
| Closed beta, paused or maintenance | Follow the game's access message or mailbox invitation; recreating rooms will not grant access. |
| A map or difficulty is unavailable | Choose one unlocked by every player, or complete the missing solo progression first. |
| A teammate has an old version | Reload the original game so everyone is on the current build. |
| Connections are still pending or blocked | Read the room's connection explanation and resolve it before the host starts. |
| Code or invitation no longer works | Ask the host for the code or link of the room that is currently open. |
A room visible to you is not proof that all peer connections are ready. The v0.8.33–34 notes add explanations for mismatched versions, team unlocks and blocked player-to-player browser connections. Use those messages rather than entering your account details on another site offering to “unlock” co-op.
Co-op, clans and friends are different
Friends help you invite other trainers. Clans have their own board, weekly missions, rivalry and season progression. Co-op rooms put a small team in the same Classic run. You do not create a four-player session just by putting four people in a clan.
For first-run controls and solo progression, use the beginner guide and game-mode comparison. For timed season features, see the Season 2 guide.
Sources and checks
Checked October 25, 2026 using the original game's official English news, v0.8.46 patch notes, and the room, destination and revive paths in the current client. English labels come from the UI dictionary. We read these sources without running downloaded code; we did not join a room, complete a co-op run or verify access for any account. Source methodology.