Pokémon BDSP players are holding random online battles through unified password

Written by. Nick Mosier based on the original Japanese article (publication date: 2021-12-06 12:42 JST)

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (Pokémon BDSP) players in Japan have come up with a makeshift system to hold random online battles that’s spreading through the game’s community. We spoke with Ashiki, the player behind this initiative, to find out more.

Pokémon BDSP doesn’t have random online matchmaking

In Pokémon BDSP, it’s possible for players to battle through what is called the Union Room. But this can only be used to battle with players you know, and no online matchmaking exists within the game.

During the Pokémon Presents 2021.8.18 broadcast, The Pokémon Company’s Takato Utsunomiya explained that as far as random matches are concerned, they wanted players to continue enjoying them in Pokémon Sword and Shield.

But some players want to have random battles in Pokémon BDSP, and they’ve come up with a makeshift solution of sorts that’s spreading through the game’s community in Japan. As for their method, they are using the same password when entering the Union Room. By entering 6350 4649 in the Global Room, you will get matched with other players who are looking to battle.

Room 6350 4649 spreads

This call to action was tweeted by a YouTuber name Ashiki and as of this writing has 16,000 retweets. Accessing the room over the weekend led to instant matches. Even some influencers were using the room to enjoy battles, so as of now, the 6350 4649 room is popping and very active.

This isn’t actually the first time the Pokémon community has experimented with holding random battles through unifying passwords, though. A similar movement occurred with Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! which also didn’t include random matchmaking. But Pokémon BDSP’s 6350 4649 room appears to be a more thoughtful effort with specific rules in place for participants.

The rules are clearly stated

Ashiki’s call to action isn’t just to simply spread around 6350 4649. The tweet also clearly states all the information participants need to know when jumping into battle. Images attached to the tweet first clearly explain how to participate. These are followed by an explanation of the below rules.

– From your 6 Pokémon, select 3 that are level 50 or below (This is where the password’s 6350 comes from).
– Using legendary Pokémon, or multiple of the same hold item or Pokémon is frowned upon.
– Using Pokémon with illegitimate moves isn’t possible in online matches
– Feel free to stream or make videos of matches played in the room

These rules are probably familiar to anyone that has experience with matchmaking in Pokémon games. But when playing in an environment where anything goes, not having these regulations would likely lead to a lack of conformity that would ultimately kill interest from players.  Because Ashiki included these important details, 6350 4649 is currently being used appropriately by players. Just a simple call for people to play likely wouldn’t have had such an impact on the community.

We went ahead and asked Ashiki why they sent out this call to action in the first place.

Ashiki says what made them want to send out the message was that the news around the game has mostly been about the bugs. If the conversation around the game was just about bugs, they worried a lively scene wouldn’t build around battling. Ashiki is also a YouTuber that posts Pokémon battles, so if a vibrant scene doesn’t build around the game, they might be in a tough spot.

Ashiki also worried about getting laughed at by other players if the password didn’t catch on. Their desire to liven up the community was at odds with the risk of failure. Ultimately, Ashiki’s desire to battle and share the joy of PvP matches won out, and they set out to spread the 6350 4649 room through the community.

A meta is born

One interesting point is that even though Pokémon BDSP doesn’t have official random matchmaking, a meta is already forming around the game. Pokémon like Breloom with Poison heal and Gliscor are seeing a lot of use. Breloom being able to use Spore and Gliscor having Guillotine make them especially dastardly. And to counter them, players are also carrying Mamoswine and Cloyster.

Ashiki says a lot of players are also using the combination of Latios and Scizor to counter the previous 4 Pokémon. Their types also complement each other well making them easy to use. And then there are players using steel types like Heatran and Magnezone to counter Latios and Scizor. But using them may leave you exposed to Mamoswine who is already a common sight as a Breloom counter. As you can see, like other games in the series, meta is starting to play out in Pokémon BDSP.

But 6350 4649 isn’t just for highly competitive players. There are also plenty of casual players just using the Pokémon that they like. Recent entries in the series have divided matches between ranked and casual, so not having that divide lets them battle with a fresh mindset, says Ashiki. For the time being, it seems like an environment accepting of players that want to try battling.

Pokémon BDSP has mostly been talked about for its bugs, which has overshadowed one of the series’ strong points—the battles. Hopefully through the community’s efforts in spreading room 6350 4649, we’ll see the appeal of Pokémon battles spread as well. Room 6350 4649 is already bustling. How long it continues to do so will depend on the players.