There are two main ways to connect with other players in Monster Hunter Rise. We have Online Multiplayer and Local Multiplayer. You can play the entirety of the game solo. So what reason could there be to play multiplayer? And how? In this article, we’re going to answer all the questions about the multiplayer in Monster Hunter Rise.
You can play multiplayer in Monster Hunter Rise through the Gathering Hub by talking to Minoto the Hub Maiden. All Hub Quests are more difficult than the Village Quests. When you take on the multiplayer hunts with more players, the difficulty scales in proportion to the number of players. Moreover, taking on Hub Quests solo is still more difficult than Village Quest. So remember this before you jump into your first Hub Quest.
If you’re new to the game, it is recommended you start playing in the Village Quests. Although the Hub Quests are already accessible on the getgo, there are no tutorials. There are also other benefits and advantages in taking on the Village Quests first. There are key quests in the Village that unlock some game mechanics and info. The Village Quests are single-player exclusive, so you will need to complete this on your own. Completing and mastering the Village Quests will prepare you for the chaos that is Hub Quests. If you’re a long-time Monster Hunter franchise player, you will feel more at home in the Hub Quests.
Multiplayer Lobby
Monster Hunter Rise lets players play together online or locally through a Lobby. Lobbies can only consist of a maximum of four (4) people. When a person creates a lobby, the three other players that will join that lobby are free to go around the Village. When players come inside their rooms in a multiplayer Lobby, it will be the lobby creator’s room. Here you can see their trophies and room customization. As usual, you can still access all your menus through the room. You can even join a lobby and still go on Village Quests.
In the previous installment, Monster Hunter World, players can play together but can only see each other in the Hub. For the first time in the franchise, Monster Hunter Rise lets players see each other in the Village. Which means you can interact and see other players in the lobby in real-time. This opens the game to new social interactions and activities.
Joining a Friend’s Lobby
Playing Monster Hunter Rise with friends is a blast. COVID-19 made sure everyone stayed indoors. But no need to fear because you can still hop on a quest anytime with your friends. Before we explain how to connect with your distant friends, it must be noted that playing Online Multiplayer requires a Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) subscription. If you don’t have one yet, we suggest you get one. It’s either that or face the horde in multiplayer by yourself. Connecting and playing with friends is the same whether you play online or locally. Do the following steps to create a lobby.
- Talk to Senri the Mailman — This is a Palico in the center of the Village. It’s located in front of Hinoa the Village Maiden.
- Select Play Locally or Play Online.
- Select Create Lobby. If you want to play strictly with your friends, then put a passcode for your lobby. Otherwise, anybody can just join your lobby, especially when playing online.
- Your friends will need to find you on their Friend List and select View Lobby Info to join your lobby.
Playing with Random Players online
If your friends are unavailable, you can play with random players online. Remember to check your Nintendo Switch Online subscription before doing this to make sure you can play online.
- Talk to Senri the Mailman — This is a Palico in the center of the Village. It’s located in front of Hinoa the Village Maiden.
- Select Play Online
- Select Create Lobby — Leave your lobby open and don’t input any passcode. This way, anyone can join your lobby. You can also select Find Lobby to join a random player’s lobby.
Sending Friend Request
You can add players you like from inside Monster Hunter Rise. If you’re playing solo in an online lobby and end up with a player that’s in sync with you, add them to your friend list for your future hunts! To do this, open the Multiplayer tab in your menu while in the lobby. Check the Player List. Look for the Nintendo Switch Profile of the person you like and send a friend request.
Respond to a Join Request
Anyone can post a quest in a lobby. Players take on quests and make it available for others to join if they need help hunting or want to play with other people. If someone has posted a quest in the lobby, and you want to join, come towards the Quest Board. This is located right beside Minoto the Hub Maiden. Choose Respond to Join Request and pick which quest you want to join. If the hunt has not yet commenced, you can press the Zr button to indicate you’re ready. If the quest is already underway, you’ll be sent into an in-progress quest once you join the hunt.
Likewise, you can post your own quest and leave it open for others to join you on the hunt. When you choose which quest you want to post for the Quest Board, select Accept via Join Request. This way, other players can join you on your hunt. Even if you’re halfway through the game, once new players arrive, they will start at the main camp.
Hunter Connect
A Hunter Connect is like the party or squad in Monster Hunter Rise. Here, you can put what your usual playtimes are and what kind of hunters with whom you’re looking to play. Additionally, players can choose to automatically connect to your lobby the next time they go online. To join a Hunter Connect, check the Multiplayer tab in the menu and choose Hunter Connect. Once there, select Join Invited Connect to join another player’s group. You can also choose to create your own by selecting Create New Connect.
Automatically invite anyone in your lobby to join your Hunter Connect. The Auto Invite can be turned on in the menu. Turn this off to only invite specific people. Players in your lobby can be invited by opening the Hunter Connect Menu. Select Hunter Connect and Invite to Connect.
Once you’ve created or joined a Hunter Connect, talk to Senri the Mailman. Select Play Online then Hunter Connect. You can now create an Online Lobby with your desired Hunter Connect. A player that has made a lobby with your Hunter Connect can join from there.
Using Hunter Connect organizes your groups of friends or squads. If your friends frequently play together, this system can help all of you quickly join the lobby of one another every time you play online. Make this a habit to get into online lobbies smoothly.
Like System
When you and your friends complete a hunt together, you can send them a Like. The Like system is a new mechanic introduced by Monster Hunter Rise. Press the corresponding D-pad button of the person you want to give a Like. If the other players Like you, you will see this player in the Mutual Likes tab through Senri the Mailman. You will be able to join the Online Lobby of this Mutual Likes player if they leave it open for anyone to join. Likewise, they can join your open lobby.
Difficulty Scaling
The more players are in on a hunt, the more difficult it will be. The higher the HP of the monsters will be. This difficulty scaling is very fluid wherein if someone joins in your hunt midway, the difficulty will automatically scale appropriately. This goes the same when a player leaves the hunt, the difficulty dips. This is so that the monster won’t die too fast when being attacked by multiple hunters. At face value, you may wonder why you would ever want to play multiplayer if it gets more difficult?
Why Play Multiplayer?
Although the monsters will be harder to take down, playing as a group has a lot of perks. Newbie players who always fail hunting a Teostra can succeed when they are playing together in a group. Multiplayer also opens more avenues for tactical gameplay, such as traps and baiting. Then there’s the synergy between melee weapons hacking away at monsters while bowguns keep a safe distance and incur massive damage. At the end of the quest, all hunters get their corresponding share of the rewards, regardless of their contribution to the hunt. In playing and winning hunts, everyone wins.
Hunting solo is good. It tests your skills and experience. But playing with other players makes hunting in Monster Hunter Rise incredibly satisfying. Kamura Village is best protected when defended by friends together!
