If you’ve spent hours exploring Liyue’s mountain ranges or hunting for Crystal Cores alone in Mondstadt, you’ve probably asked, can I play with friends on Genshin Impact? The short answer is yes, but there are a few hoops to jump through before you can run around Teyvat with your squad. I’ve been playing Genshin since its first release, and I’ve spent countless hours running domains, hunting bosses, and even messing around in open world with friends across different platforms. This guide breaks down everything you need to know to start playing with your friends without the frustrating missteps I made when I first tried co-op.
What You Need to Unlock Co-Op to Play With Friends on Genshin Impact
The first and most important requirement to unlock co-op is hitting Adventure Rank 16. Adventure Rank 16 is non-negotiable – there’s no way to bypass this, even if you’re a paying player. MiHoYo set this bar to make sure new players get enough time to learn the core mechanics, controls, and character building basics before they join other players’ worlds, so you won’t accidentally mess up a friend’s domain run because you don’t know how to use your character’s elemental burst.
You’ll also need to complete the Prologue: Act III “Song of the Dragon and Freedom” Archon quest, which unlocks automatically as you level up your AR. Both you and the friend you want to play with have to meet these requirements, so if one of you is still below AR16, you’ll have to grind a bit first to catch up.
If you’re stuck below AR16, you can speed up the grind by focusing on daily commissions first, which give 250 AR exp each, plus bonus exp for completing all four each day. You can also do story quests, which give huge chunks of AR exp, and open common chests scattered across the map – even common chests give 10 AR exp each, which adds up fast if you’re exploring efficiently.
Crossplay Rules for Playing With Friends Across Different Devices
Genshin Impact has full crossplay support across all platforms, so you can play with friends no matter if they’re on PC, PS4/PS5, iOS, Android, or Nintendo Switch. That means you don’t have to worry about buying the same console as your friend group to play together, which is a huge plus for casual players.
There are a few small caveats to crossplay though. First, all players need to be on the same regional server (like America, Europe, Asia, or SAR) to join each other’s worlds. There’s no cross-server play as of now, so make sure you and your friends pick the same server when you first make your accounts. I made this mistake when I first started, I made an account on the Asia server while my best friend was on America, so I had to restart my entire progress to play with them. If you’re not sure what server you’re on, you can check it on the main login screen right before you enter the game.
PlayStation users need an active PlayStation Plus subscription to access co-op, while players on all other platforms don’t need any paid subscriptions to play with friends. You also don’t need to have the same version of the game, as long as both players have updated to the latest patch released by miHoYo, you’ll be able to connect.
Fun Activities You Can Do With Friends in Co-Op Mode
A lot of new players think co-op is only for farming domains and bosses, but there’s tons of fun stuff you can do together in Teyvat, even if you’re not focused on grinding materials. Here are some of my favorite co-op activities to do with my friend group:
- Run artifact, talent material, and weapon ascension domains to farm materials faster, with higher difficulty domains giving better rewards for full groups of 4 players
- Fight world bosses like the Stormterror, Childe, or Raiden Shogun to get character ascension materials without using extra resin if you’re just helping a friend and don’t claim the final reward
- Explore hidden areas, hunt for chests, and complete tricky puzzles that are hard to solve alone, like the electro puzzles in Inazuma or the complicated ancient mechanism puzzles in the Sumeru desert
- Host silly co-op events with your friends like hide and seek in the Chasm, racing across Liyue’s plains using only Anemo character abilities, or even building silly themed setups in your Serenitea Pot together
Only the world host gets permanent progression for world quests, chest openings, and quest unlocks, so if you’re joining a friend’s world, you won’t get credit for any quests you complete or chests you open there that you haven’t already unlocked in your own world. I usually take turns hosting with my friend group so everyone gets to make progress on their own world tasks whenever we play together. You can also help lower AR friends beat tough bosses they can’t handle alone, which is a great way to help out new players in your friend group without spending any of your own resources.
Common Co-Op Mistakes to Avoid When Playing With Friends
Even if you’re a high AR player, there are a few unwritten rules of co-op that will make the experience better for everyone, whether you’re playing with close friends or random players you match with. First, don’t join a low AR player’s world and steal their limited resources without asking. A lot of new players don’t have a lot of Violetgrass, Cecilia, or local specialties they need for character ascension, so taking their limited resources without permission is a quick way to get blocked.
Don’t use characters that mess with team play unless everyone agrees. For example, using Jean to kick enemies off cliffs when everyone is trying to farm boss drops is annoying, as is using Venti to suck up enemies that your friend is trying to hit with slow melee attacks like Diluc or Eula. Always ask the world host before you take any limited resources or change their world settings – it’s a small courtesy that makes a huge difference.
If you’re joining a domain run, make sure your characters are built to match the domain’s required level – joining a level 90 domain with a level 40 unbuilt character means your team has to carry you, and you’ll waste everyone’s resin if you die repeatedly. Another common mistake is forgetting to switch to the correct element for the domain or boss you’re fighting. For example, if you’re running a pyro hypostasis domain, bringing only pyro characters means you can’t break the boss’s shield, and you’ll waste everyone’s time. Take 10 seconds before you join a run to check what elements are recommended, and switch your team accordingly.
At the end of the day, asking can I play with friends on Genshin Impact opens up a whole new side of the game that makes even the most grindy tasks feel fun. Whether you’re farming artifacts for your new 5-star character, exploring new region updates, or just messing around with your squad, co-op adds a layer of fun you can’t get playing alone. Just follow the simple rules and tips we covered, and you’ll be running around Teyvat with your friends in no time.