Diablo 4 is the newest entry in Blizzard's blockbuster Diablo franchise. The popularity of the Diablo franchise can be, at least in part, attributed to the inclusion and prioritization of multiplayer. Diablo 4 seeks to carry on the tradition by offering a few ways to play with friends.
Diablo 4 gives players a lot of options when it comes to multiplayer. This guide is here to help players wrap their heads around how to set up a multiplayer game in Diablo 4 and understand why they might want to.
How Multiplayer Works in Diablo 4
Diablo 4 has an interesting system of always-online multiplayer, which is why even those wnating to play single-player may have to deal with long queue times. The world is densely populated with other players, even outside towns. People are running around killing the same enemies and opening the same chests. Thankfully though, loot is dropped separately for everyone.
Diablo 4 gives players a bonus for playing together. Just being near another player activates a +5% XP buff that makes it worth the while to help people. Players get a 10% bonus to XP instead if they’re in a party, which makes grouping up a lucrative idea.
Cross-play is available for players that want to group up with others across platforms. There are settings in the Options Menu under “Social” that allow players to disable cross-play if they’d like. There’s another setting at the bottom of the list called “Quick Join” that allows friends to jump into the party without an invite too.
Here’s how to form a multiplayer party online in Diablo 4:
- Open the Game Menu and move to the “Social” tab.
- If they aren’t already there, select Add a Friend to add a friend’s BattleTag to the Friends List.
- Select a friend to add to the party, and then select Invite to Party.
Here’s how to play Diablo 4 in couch co-op (Console only):
- Create two Diablo 4 characters, one for each player.
- Connect a second controller to the console and press its Start button.
- Have both players pick their character.
- Select Start Game.
Troubleshooting
If Diablo 4 players are having difficulty connecting with other people, there are a few reasons it could be occurring. Here are a few possible solutions:
- If players can’t see someone that’s on their local network, go to the Options Menu and scroll to the bottom of the “Social” tab. Enable the setting there called “Enable Display of Local Network Players.”
- If friends aren’t showing as online in the Friends List, make sure they aren’t set to “Appear Offline.” If they are, the option to add them to the party won’t be available.
- If couch co-op is failing, finish the Prologue and then try again. Blizzard has confirmed that couch co-op is having issues in the Prologue.
Diablo 4 launches June 6 on PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, and PS5.