If you’ve been grinding through Genshin Impact’s solo quests and exploring Mondstadt and Liyue on your own for weeks, you’ve probably wondered when you can team up with friends to take on bosses or clear domains together. One of the most common questions new players ask is what adventure rank for co op Genshin Impact requires to unlock, and it’s totally normal to want to skip the solo grind to play with pals. But there are a few hoops you have to jump through first, and understanding the unlock requirements and co op rules will save you a ton of frustration later on. I remember waiting impatiently to unlock co op when I first started playing, so I put together this guide to break down everything you need to know before you join your first multiplayer session.
What Adventure Rank Do You Need to Unlock Genshin Impact Co Op?
The short answer is you need to reach Adventure Rank 16 to unlock co op mode in Genshin Impact. Most new players can hit this rank after 8 to 12 hours of regular play, as long as you prioritize quests that give adventure EXP instead of just wandering around collecting herbs for fun. That said, reaching AR 16 doesn’t unlock every co op feature right away, and you’ll still be locked out of certain activities until you hit higher ranks, which we’ll cover later. You also have to complete the prologue quest “The Outlander Who Caught the Wind” before co op becomes available, even if you hit AR 16 early by farming chests and events. I made that mistake once on a rerun account, grinding chests to hit AR 16 in 6 hours only to realize I still had 2 hours of prologue quests left to finish before I could join my friend’s world. The prologue quest is short, but it walks you through all the basic mechanics of the game, from combat to cooking to using waypoints, so it’s actually a good thing you can’t skip it. Co op is way more fun when you know how to use your character’s abilities properly instead of running around confused and getting knocked out by slimes every 2 minutes.
Co Op Feature Restrictions by Adventure Rank
Once you hit AR 16, you’ll have basic co op access, but more features unlock as you level up your adventure rank further. These restrictions are in place to make sure you don’t join a high-level world and get one-shot by every enemy you encounter, or accidentally mess up a quest for the host of the world you’re visiting. The most common unlocks tied to adventure rank for co op play are:
- AR 16: Basic co op access, can join worlds of players up to AR 45, complete domains and weekly bosses with up to 3 other players, send friend requests to other players
- AR 22: Unlock co op for higher-difficulty domains that reward 4-star artifacts, can join worlds of any rank as long as the host adjusts their world level settings
- AR 50: Unlock co op access to the highest-difficulty Spiral Abyss floors and endgame boss fights, no remaining co op feature restrictions
If you’re a lower-rank player trying to join a friend’s higher-level world, keep in mind the host can lower their world level to let you in, but you still can’t join worlds that are more than one world level higher than yours even if they lower it. For example, if you’re AR 25 at World Level 1, you can only join worlds at World Level 1 or 2, even if the host is AR 50 and drops their level to 2. If you’re hosting a world, you also have full control over who can join, so you can set your world to “invite only” if you don’t want random players popping in unannounced. You can also kick any player from your world at any time if they’re being rude or stealing resources, so don’t be afraid to use that feature if you need to. A lot of new hosts don’t realize they have that power, and end up letting annoying players ruin their play session, so it’s a good thing to keep in mind.
Tips to Hit the Required Adventure Rank for Co Op Fast
If you’re itching to play with friends and want to hit AR 16 as fast as possible, there are a few simple tricks I use on new accounts to cut down the grind time by almost half. First, prioritize Archon Quests and Story Quests above all else, since they give the highest amount of adventure EXP per minute of play. You don’t have to complete every side quest you see, but doing the main story will get you most of the way to AR 16 without extra work. Next, open every common chest you pass while doing quests, even if they only give 10 adventure EXP each. Those small amounts add up fast, and you’ll hit your goal way faster than if you ignore them. You can also do daily commissions once you unlock them at AR 12, as each commission gives 100 adventure EXP, plus a bonus 300 EXP for turning all four in to Katheryne at the Adventurer’s Guild. If you start playing when there’s an active event, even better, since most events give tons of adventure EXP for completing simple tasks like lighting torches or solving small puzzles. I once hit AR 16 in 7 hours during the Lantern Rite event just by doing a few event quests alongside the main story, which cut my usual grind time almost in half. Just don’t waste time farming elite bosses or domains before you hit AR 16, since they give almost no adventure EXP compared to quests, and you can’t even use their rewards properly until you’re higher level anyway. I tried farming Cryo Regisvines for EXP on my first account and wasted 2 hours for less than 100 total adventure EXP, so trust me on that one.
Common Co Op Mistakes to Avoid Once You Unlock Access
Once you hit the required adventure rank for co op Genshin Impact uses, it’s easy to get overexcited and make annoying mistakes that will get you kicked from other people’s worlds before you even get to fight a boss. The first and most important rule is to always ask before you take resources from the host’s world. That includes local specialties, crystal chunks, and even fruit from trees, since many players grind those resources for character ascensions and don’t want random guests taking them. If you’re joining a world to farm materials, say so in the friend request or chat as soon as you join, and wait for the host to say it’s okay before you pick anything up. Another common mistake is bringing a low-level support character to a high-difficulty domain fight and not contributing any damage or healing. If you’re joining a fight, make sure at least one of your four party members is leveled high enough to hold their own, and don’t just afk while other players do all the work. You also shouldn’t start quests or activate waypoints without asking the host first, since some quests lock co op mode until they’re completed, and you could accidentally trap the host in a solo quest they weren’t ready to start. If you’re playing with close friends, these rules are a little more flexible, since you probably already know what resources they’re okay with you taking. But if you’re joining a random player’s world from the co op matching menu, it’s always better to be overly polite than to accidentally annoy someone and get kicked. I’ve had random players join my world and take all my Violetgrass before I could farm it for Qiqi’s ascension, and it’s one of the most frustrating things that can happen in co op, so I always make sure to ask first no matter who I’m playing with. It’s not hard to be a good co op teammate, and following these small rules will make you way more welcome in other players’ worlds.
At the end of the day, the wait to hit the required adventure rank for co op Genshin Impact sets is shorter than most new players think, and the small grind is well worth it to be able to take on tough bosses and explore Teyvat with your friends. Don’t rush through the main story so fast that you miss all the fun worldbuilding and side quests along the way, but if you really want to unlock co op fast, sticking to the main quests and opening every chest you see will get you there in no time. Once you do unlock co op, just remember to be respectful of other players’ worlds, and you’ll have a ton of fun playing with people from all over the world.