Monster Hunter Rise has finally launched on Nintendo Switch, and hunters eager to clear through their Gathering Hub quests are already jumping online and sharing the fun with online teams of four hunters beating down one angry dinosaur. If you log into MH Rise right now, finding a lobby of hunters will be easy.

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That is, if you know how to do it. If you want to play with fellow hunters online, whether they’re strangers or your close Discord group, then we’ve got the information you need. We’re going to walk you through how to either join or set up a lobby, and play with who you choose. Just read below for everything you need to know to get started with multiplayer in MHR.

Talk To The Courier To Set Up Or Join A Lobby

Near the main quest giver in Kamura Village you will find a small Palico called The Courier. This felyne will allow you to set up or join a lobby. If you want to join a random lobby you can just leave your matchmaking settings as open as possible, and you’ll be greeted with dozens of options.

You can also search for specific lobbies with passwords provided by your friends. Likewise, you can either set up your own open lobby, or you can set up a private lobby and provide access only to your pals.

Go To The Gathering Hub

The Gathering Hub is the epicentre of all multiplayer activities. All of the unique quests you find in the Gathering Hub has its own progression, separate from the Village story quests. The Gathering Hub will be your main home when you get to the end game, so get used to it early.

The Gathering Hub contains everything you will need. A blacksmith, item box, buddy board, and much more. You can set up all of your gear ready for any high-level fight you might come up against, without ever leaving your friends.

Post Or Join A Quest

In the Gathering Hub you’ll find the Hub Quest giver. She’ll be offering quests available for your current Hub rank. You can prepare and then once your friends have accepted, they can join you when you depart.

If you’re allowing someone else to pick the quest, you can just head over to the Quest Board, which is to the right of the quest giver. If one of the lobby members is already in a hunt, you can use the lobby board to join them mid-fight and lend a hand.

Coordinate With People

When in battle you should always coordinate with your comrades. You can press the Minus button Switch to open up chat options, including pre-written messages and the ability to type your own messages.

If you’re able to use Discord or another voice chat service with your group that’s definitely much easier, but you can still join in and talk with other hunters online, even if you don’t have a headset.

Next: Monster Hunter Rise Complete Guide And Walkthrough