One of the big selling points for Genshin Impact and one that separates it from other games like Breath of the Wild is that you can share your adventure with a friend. Regardless of whether you’re playing on a PC, Android, or an iOS device you can link up with friends or strangers around the world and play Genshin Impact co-op together. The PlayStation network has its own multiplayer rules unfortunately so that’s no cross-platform yet. But PC and mobile gamers we can do this.

With so much happening in the game though, and the fact that it’s a single-player story. There are a few limitations attached to playing the game with friends. As well as some requirements you’ll need to get through to unlock co-op at all. Let’s get into it.

 

How To Unlock Co-Op

The first requirement to unlocking co-op is going to be the most time-consuming part of the process. It unlocks as a reward for getting to Adventure Rank 16.

Unlike your character levels, the Adventure Rank is kind of like your profile level. You earn experience for your Adventure Rank by, well, adventuring. Completing quests, open treasure chests, finish entries in your Adventurer’s Journal, and explore the world. All will earn you exp towards your Adventure Rank. By the time you reach Rank 16 to unlock co-op play, you should be partway through the second act of the prologue. Or roughly about 10 – 20 hours into the game.

Adventure Rank 16

Once you hit Rank 16, from the top of the screen, or the Paimon screen, you need to select the icon that looks like a Wi-Fi connection symbol over a small tower to launch the co-op game finder. This finder will show a list of players whose game sessions are open to join requests.

By clicking on “Request to Join,” they’ll be notified that you’d like to join their current game. Whether they allow you in or tell you to keep searching for a game is up to them at this point. At the bottom left of this screen, you can also set the preference for your own multiplayer session.

It’s interesting to note that the game defaults your Multiplayer settings to “Join After Approval.” This means that your name will appear if someone searches for your UID, or if their random grab bag of names includes you. The other options you can select is “Allow Direct Join” or “Reject Join Requests.” If you and your friends who want to play know each others’ UID, you can of course search for and find the game you want to join.

 

What Can We Do Together?

Up to three of your friends can join you on your adventure in Teyvat and unlike most online multiplayers Genshin Impact focuses more on the party aspect of the game. With most of the actions being locked or requiring the host to be there.

Things that you do share on a joint co-op mission is the host’s world, players will have access to everything including all unlocked warp points. You can replay dungeons and challenges when available and you can all complete the random daily quests.

Things to note are you cannot complete any main quests while playing co-op. When you join someone’s game, you cannot open chests, pick up certain items, or make offerings to Statues of the Seven. Keep these restrictions in mind when playing with friends. Not too bad a compromise for all the adventuring you’ll be doing.

 

Restrictions

A restriction to playing co-op is that not only does each player have to be at least Adventure Rank 16 to be able to unlock the co-op feature, but you can only play on the lowest World Rank you have in common. If I’m only at World Rank 0 and haven’t Ascended my World Rank, then I can’t join a player that’s at World Rank 1. But if I were World Rank 2, then I could join a player on World Rank 0, 1, or 2.

It’s also worth stating that Genshin Impact co-op doesn’t have any element of PvP, so if you’re looking for a way to grief your friends, unfortunately, this will not be your game.

 

Leave Game A Co-Op Game

It might be obvious but I’ll just put this here anyway. If you want to leave someone else’s game, you can click the Co-Op icon (the shining beacon) and select “Leave Game.”

So there we have our co-op guide! If you’re enjoying Genshin Impact do check out our best team build article here. As well as all our other Genshin Impact guides here as well.