Much of the fun in Monster Hunter comes from taking on quests and slaying monsters together with a group of friends, and that holds true for Monster Hunter Rise. Fortunately, the game streamlines the multiplayer interface, making it easier than ever to join up with other players or host your own session. However, if you still need some help connecting with other hunters, here’s a rundown of how to set up a multiplayer session in Monster Hunter Rise.
Online Multiplayer
Before you can play Monster Hunter Rise online with other players, you’ll need to have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. Individual memberships cost $4 for one month, $8 for three months, and $20 for one year, while an annual family plan runs for $35 and covers up to eight Nintendo Account holders, even across multiple systems.
With that out of the way, the first step to setting up a multiplayer session is speaking to Senri, the Felyne courier who’s stationed near the center of Kamura Village. Senri is responsible for connecting you with other players, so you’ll need to talk to the mailcat each time you want to begin or leave a multiplayer session. (You’ll also need to speak to Senri to claim any DLC, such as the bonus item bundle that you’ll receive if you’ve played the Monster Hunter Rise demo.)
To play with other players over the internet, select Play Online. After that, you’ll be presented with several different options, each of which is fairly self-explanatory. Find A Lobby lets you search through all the multiplayer lobbies that are currently open. If you’re looking for a specific lobby, you can select Search By Lobby ID; this allows you to directly join a particular session by inputting its lobby ID number. You can also select Friend List from Senri’s list of options to quickly find and join one of your Switch friends.
If you’d prefer to host the session, you’ll need to select Create a Lobby. From there, you can adjust the lobby’s settings and set up a passcode if you want it to keep the session private. Once that’s done, you’ll be online and ready to take on multiplayer hunts.
Local Multiplayer
If you have a group of friends gathered together in-person, you can begin a local multiplayer session by selecting Play Locally from Senri’s list of options. Select Find a Lobby to join another player’s game, or Create a Lobby to host your own. There is also a separate option to create a lobby that requires a passcode if you want to keep the session private.
Taking On Quests Together
Once you’re connected with other players, you can embark on some quests together. The missions in Monster Hunter Rise are all categorized either as Village Quests or Hub Quests. The former are only available for solo players, so you’ll need to select from the latter when you want to embark on multiplayer hunts.
To begin a Hub Quest, one player must first accept a quest from Minoto in the Gathering Hub. After that, the other players in the lobby can join the mission by selecting it from the quest board next to Minoto’s reception desk.
Hub Quests support up to four players total, but you don’t need to have that many to embark on one; the quest’s difficulty will scale depending on how many players are in your party. Hub Quests can also be played solo if you prefer, but they will be more challenging than regular Village Quests if you attempt them alone.
There are also no restrictions to the quests you can accept. If another player chooses a quest that you haven’t unlocked in your own game yet, you will still be able to join them. However, these quests won’t be marked as complete for you (although you’ll keep any rewards and materials you’ve earned from them), so you’ll need to complete them again once you’ve unlocked them in your game.
After everyone has accepted the quest and finished any last-minute preparations like grabbing a meal from the canteen, every player will need to press the ZR button to ready up. Once the whole group is ready, the host player can begin the quest. If your squad is able to successfully complete the objective within the time limit (and without fainting three times), everyone will earn the quest’s rewards and be automatically transported back to the Gathering Hub afterward. If you’re ready to end a multiplayer session, simply speak to Senri again to leave the lobby.
Join Requests
If you’ve set off on an online quest with fewer than four people in your group and need a bit of assistance, the host player send a Join Request. This option is found under the Quests tab in the menu, and much like the flares in Monster Hunter World, it sends a signal that will allow other players to join your hunt mid-progress.
Monster Hunter Rise is out now on Nintendo Switch, with a PC version coming in 2022. We have a variety of other guides to help you become a better hunter, including beginner tips, a buddy explainer, and how to kill every monster.
GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.
