Genshin Impact: How multiplayer works

Genshin Impact has resonated with many players for a number of reasons, one of which is that while its visual style and exploration mechanics are familiar to Breath of the Wild players, you can also experience them alongside others. Genshin Impact includes a multiplayer mode where you can play co-op with up to three of your friends and explore the world of Teyvat together.

Though Genshin Impact's multiplayer mode is extremely easy to gain access to and use, it does have some limitations you may want to be aware of. With that in mind, here's all the info you need about playing Genshin Impact with other people in the game's multiplayer mode:

How do I unlock multiplayer in Genshin Impact?

Co-op mode in Genshin Impact is very straightforward to unlock. You simply have to reach Adventure Rank 16, and the mode will automatically and immediately become available for you.

How do I play with others in Genshin Impact?

Once you've unlocked Co-Op, simply open the Paimon menu and select "Co-Op." From here, you can find others to play with, either by selecting one of the individuals listed in the menu and requesting to join their game or by typing in the specific User ID of a friend you want to play with and requesting to enter their game. User IDs can be found in the Paimon menu underneath your icon.

You can also use User IDs to add people as friends (via the Friends option in the Paimon menu), which will allow you to see when they are online and hop into their games or have them hop into yours without having to type out the string of numbers every time.

Additionally, there is an option to search for a co-op party to do specific Domains from the Domain menu. Simply interact with the door of a Domain, and then choose to search for a co-op group. Player 1 will need to activate the Domain once you're all ready.

How does multiplayer work in Genshin Impact?

When you enter co-op, the person whose world is being joined will be the world you both exist in. So if you choose to jump into your friend's world, you will see the waypoints they've unlocked, the chests and monsters they have visible will be visible for you, and so forth. Progress made in their world will not be reflected in yours.

Normally, in Genshin Impact, you can freely swap between four characters for a full party of four. In multiplayer, this is a bit more limited. With two players, each player gets two characters to swap between quickly. With three, the person designated as Player 1 (the person whose world you are currently in) will swap between two while Players 2 and 3 only have access to one. With four players, everyone gets one character.

However, anyone can always swap characters by opening the Party Setup menu from the Paimon menu.

What activities can I do with my friends?

Unfortunately, you are limited as to what activities you can do with friends in Genshin Impact.

For one, while you can explore the world, you cannot reveal new map areas via Shrines, and only the host can open chests and receive rewards from them. You also cannot complete any main (Archon) or side quests together -- basically, you can't do anything in co-op mode that would count as "progression" for someone.

However, you still will both receive rewards from killing monsters, which is good because you can fight bosses you find out in the world together, enabling you to tackle more difficult creatures you may not be able to fell on your own yet. You can also work together on Daily Commissions (assuming you have the same ones) though you can't turn them in to the Adventurer's Guild until you exit co-op mode.

You can also do Domains together, provided all members are at the correct Adventure Rank to enter. However, you cannot do the Spiral Abyss as a group.

Can I play Genshin Impact with my friends on other game platforms?

Yes! Genshin Impact multiplayer is fully cross-platform, so whether you or your friends are on iOS, Android, PC, or PS4, everyone can play together.

Help! Why isn't multiplayer working?

If you and your friend are both at the correct Adventure Rank, co-op should work correctly using the steps above. However, there is one situation in which it simply won't work -- and that's if you're currently doing one of the "Archon" quests.

The Archon quests are essentially the main storyline of Genshin Impact -- it's the one you follow in Monstadt that brings you into contact with Venti, the dragon Dvalin, and the Favonius Knights. These questline takes place in stages -- you'll do one series of quests, then you'll need to raise your Adventure Rank again to participate in the next set of Archon quests.

If you are currently "on" an Archon quest -- as in, you've spoken to one of the key NPCs while at the correct Adventure Rank and received a task to do -- then you won't be able to participate in co-op. You'll have to finish that stage of the Archon quest before you can do co-op again. The same goes for friends -- if you're done with your Archon quests for now, but they aren't, then they won't be able to play with you.

Have more questions about Genshin Impact multiplayer?

If you still have a question about multiplayer in Genshin Impact, let us know in the comments below so we can help you out.

And If you're still far off from Adventure Rank 16 and just want to get your feet under you, check out our guide to everything you need to know about playing Genshin Impact. But if co-op adventures in an open-world aren't your style and you want something else to play on Android, here's a guide to other great gaming options available.