History Main / MultiplayerOnlyItem

[[caption-width-right:185:Can't be used to save the galaxy, but totally okay to blow up your friends with.]]

[[caption-width-right:185:Can't use it to save the galaxy, but totally okay to blow up your friends with.]]

[[caption-width-right:185:Can't use it to save the galaxy, but totally ok to blow up your friends with.]]

[[caption-width-right:185:Can't use it to save the galaxy, but it's totally ok to blow up your friends with.]]

[[caption-width-right:256:Can't use it to save the galaxy, but it's totally ok to blow up your friends with.]]

[[caption-width-right:185:Gee, that sure would've been useful against the [[HordeOfAlienLocusts evil space bugs]] from the singleplayer...]]

[[quoteright:185:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/star_fox_assault_devil_launcher_2_9.png]]

* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' has been doing this since the second game, with each game typically having at least a small handful of guns that can only be used in multiplayer. The ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps'' games expand this to VideoGame/NaziZombies-only weapons, though alongside inversions with weapons only available in singleplayer, such as various UsefulNotes/WorldWarII-era weapons taken from ''World at War'' showing up in the game, some only available in Zombies mode and others only usable in the singleplayer flashback mission "Project Nova". ''[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOpsII Black Ops II]]'' goes even further with the inversion, including an entire set of 60s-era weapons from the first ''Black Ops'' that can only be used in singleplayer.
* ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield}}'' games ever since they've started having full singleplayer campaigns as of ''VideoGame/BattlefieldBadCompany'' tend toward this as well. ''Bad Company 2'' in particular has a metric ton of modern Russian weapons that you ''never'' see outside of maybe one level, settling for arming 95% of the endless Russian hordes with just two guns. ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield 3}}'' makes it less apparent, but still has some notable omissions from its campaign, like the fact that you only get to use a pistol one time (an M9 at the start of the first [[InMediasRes and last]] mission), and [=NPCs=] only use them twice (Solomon's .44 Magnum in the same missions as above, and Dima's MP-443 in a cutscene). ''3'' also has an inversion with the Barrett M107 - the devs felt there was no way to keep a proper depiction of the weapon balanced, so they opted to just not include it in multiplayer.
* ''VideoGame/Doom2016'' features a large number of weapons that are exclusive to multiplayer, such as the Burst Rifle, and features grenades and abilities designed to disorient players that are absent in the singleplayer modes.
* ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonorVanguard'' has the M1911 and Gewehr 43, which are only available in multiplayer, as they are absent from singleplayer.

* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' has been doing this since the second game, with each game typically having at least a small handful of guns that can only be used in multiplayer. The ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps'' games expand this to VideoGame/NaziZombies-only weapons, though alongside inversions with weapons only available in singleplayer, such as various UsefulNotes/WorldWarII-era weapons taken from ''World at War'' showing up in the game, some only available in Zombies mode and others only usable in the singleplayer flashback mission "Project Nova". ''[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps2 Black Ops II]]'' goes even further with the inversion, including an entire set of 60s-era weapons from the first ''Black Ops'' that can only be used in singleplayer.

* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' has been doing this since the second game, with each game typically having at least a small handful of guns that can only be used in multiplayer. The ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps'' games expand this to VideoGame/NaziZombies-only weapons, though alongside inversions with weapons only available in singleplayer, such as various WorldWarII-era weapons taken from ''World at War'' showing up in the game, some only available in Zombies mode and others only usable in the singleplayer flashback mission "Project Nova". ''[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps2 Black Ops II]]'' goes even further with the inversion, including an entire set of 60s-era weapons from the first ''Black Ops'' that can only be used in singleplayer.

* ''Videogame/Doom2016'' features a large number of weapons that are exclusive to multiplayer, such as the Burst Rifle, and features grenades and abilities designed to disorient players that are absent in the singleplayer modes.

* ''Videogame/KingdomOfLoathing'' has items that grant players extra PvP fights per day, as well as items that you use to defend your campground when other players attack you. Both are useless if you don't opt into PvP.

* ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield}}'' games ever since they've started having full singleplayer campaigns as of ''VideoGame/BattlefieldBadCompany'' tend toward this as well. ''Bad Company 2'' in particular has a metric ton of modern Russian weapons that you ''never'' see outside of maybe one level, settling for arming 95% of the endless Russian hordes with just two guns. ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield 3}}'' makes it less apparent, but still has some notable omissions from its campaign, like the fact that you only get to use a pistol one time (an M9 at the start of the first [[InMediaRes and last]] mission), and [=NPCs=] only use them twice (Solomon's .44 Magnum in the same missions as above, and Dima's MP-443 in a cutscene). ''3'' also has an inversion with the Barrett M107 - the devs felt there was no way to keep a proper depiction of the weapon balanced, so they opted to just not include it in multiplayer.

* The Crystal Ball from ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}'' allows you to spy on other human players. Since there are none in singleplayer, the Crystal Ball is not present.

* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' has been doing this since the second game, with each game typically having at least a small handful of guns that can only be used in multiplayer. The ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps'' games expand this to VideoGame/NaziZombies-only weapons, though alongside inversions with weapons only available in singleplayer, such as various WorldWarII-era weapons taken from ''World at War'' showing up in the game, some only available in Zombies mode and others only usable in the singleplayer flashback mission "Project Nova".

* In [[VideoGame/GoldenEye1997 GoldenEye 007]] for the N64, some characters only appear in Multiplayer, and many others only become playable in Multiplayer. The most notable example is Oddjob, whose low height is [[Main/GameBreaker such a useful "ability"]] that a common [[HouseRules house rule]] is "No Oddjob!".

* The Crystal Ball from ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}'' allows you to spy on other human players. Since there are none in Singleplayer, the Crystal Ball is not present.

* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'':

* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', the characters you can play as in the Multiplayer co-op mode have exclusive powers pertaining to their own race that don't appear in the Singleplayer mode. There are [=DLCs=] that allow Shepard to use those powers, but only two powers (Dark Channel and Lash) are brought from the Multiplayer to the Singleplayer mode.

* Bazookas in ''Videogame/StarFox64'', if you do well enough in Singleplayer to earn them for Multiplayer. ''VideoGame/StarFoxAssault'' has demon launchers (more powerful homing launcher), stealth suits, fire burst pods, booster packs, predator rockets, demon snipers and cluster bombs.

* In [[VideoGame/GoldenEye1997 GoldenEye 007]] for the N64, some characters only appear in multiplayer, and many others only become playable in multiplayer. The most notable example is Oddjob, whose low height is [[Main/GameBreaker such a useful "ability"]] that a common [[HouseRules house rule]] is "No Oddjob!".
* Death ball in ''Videogame/MetroidPrime 2 Echoes'' and death alt in ''Metroid Prime Hunters'' are temporary powerups that give the morph ball an {{instant death radius}} similar to the hyper ball from ''Videogame/MetroidPrimePinball''. The classic Super Missiles are also available in Echoes Multiplayer, allowing super missiles to be rapidly fired.

* ''[[VideoGame/BanjoKazooie Banjo-Tooie]]'' has a multiplayer FirstPersonShooter mode whose selectable characters are mostly [=NPCs=] in the single-player game. It also has two exclusive items: Proximity Eggs, and Honey Jars (which grant temporary invisibility).
* Several weapons and items in ''VideoGame/ConkersBadFurDay'' are exclusive to the Multiplayer mode, and those that appear in story mode may only be used at specific points rather than full time. Examples include the katana, the silver magnum and the bat.

* In ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert'', several units, buildings, and special abilities (Tanya, Soviet rocket soldiers and allied nuclear missiles, among others) are normally not available in the single player campaign, although they sometimes appear as unique units (sometimes even required to survive) in a couple of missions.
* ''VideoGame/StarCraftII'': Several Singleplayer upgrades are not available in Multiplayer (for obvious reasons), but there are some Multiplayer upgrades unavailable in Singleplayer. For example, both Marines and Marauders can use stimpacks in Multiplayer, but only Marines have it in StarcraftIIWingsOfLiberty Singleplayer. Similarly, you can give Zerg units one of three upgrades at a time in HeartOfTheSwarm's campaign, but in Multiplayer, Zergling can have both attack and movespeed increased (instead of one or the other or increased life).

* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' has summon orbs: they allow you to "invade another player", which means entering another player's game to do [[PlayerVersusPlayer PvP]]. Of course, they are absolutely useless in solo mode--the few times you can invade [=NPCs=] ([[spoiler:Lautrec]] in the first game, [[spoiler:Licia]] in the second) requires using unique orbs used only for that purpose.

* In ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV''', some cars available in Online do not show up in single-player: specifically the Hijak Khameleon and Grotti Stinger GT from the core game.

* The first ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' video game (for UsefulNotes/{{Nintendo 64}}, UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer, and UsefulNotes/PlayStation) had the Alien Dancing Gizmo, which causes players to sing and dance uncontrollably when hit by its beam (just like Cartman in the episode "[[Recap/SouthParkS1E1CartmanGetsAnAnalProbe Cartman Gets an Anal Probe]]") -- if you hit Cartman with it, he'll make one of two comments after it wears off. Obviously, it is completely useless in the single player mode if you use cheats to have a full arsenal. To a lesser extent, there's the Warpo Ray. In addition to the [[AbnormalAmmo piranhas]], you can fire a yellow laser that shrinks other players, and a purple beam that transforms other players into [[BalefulPolymorph helpless animals]]. When used against single player enemies, however, they merely damage them.

* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' has summon orbs: they allow you to "invade another player", which means entering another player's game to do [[PlayerVersusPlayer PvP]]. Of course, they are absolutely useless in solo mode.