How to play Monster Hunter: World offline

Monster Hunter: World is a game that’s best played with a few friends. Teaming up to take down a behemoth is an experience unlike anything else, and it’s the reason why Monster Hunter is one of the most popular series of all time.

However, plenty of people enjoying running through the game solo — discovering its secrets and dispatching its foes at their own pace. There’s also the possibility that you just want to play offline, avoiding all the headaches that often accompany online gaming. If you fall into either of those categories, you’ll be glad to know Monster Hunter: World can be fully enjoyed offline.

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How to play Monster Hunter: World offline

Monster Hunter World hunt gameplay. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

While Monster Hunter: World doesn’t give any indication of it, you can experience all the monster-hunting fun without connecting to the internet. The game clearly wants you to take the action online — just a quick glance at its menu system reveals dozens of multiplayer options — but it’s not a requirement to join in on the fun.

Here are two ways to enjoy the action solo:

Disconnect from the internet

Whether it means pulling out your Ethernet cable or disconnecting from Wi-Fi, you can go offline simply by disabling your internet connection. As you run through the usual steps to find an online match, the game will realize you don’t have a connection and create an offline lobby for you. A few features might be missing, but this is the easiest way — and the only way — to have a truly offline experience.

Create a private session

This method isn’t quite limited to offline play, but it has the same effect — no one else will be able to join your game. To create a private session, go through the normal motions of starting an online session until you encounter a menu that asks if you’d like to make a Private Session. Select Yes, and no one else will be able to join your game.

To switch it back, head over to a Quest Board and change the Private Session answer to No. This isn’t technically an offline lobby, but it’s an easy way to play solo without having to disconnect from your internet.

Monster Hunter: World scales difficulty for offline games

If you’re worried about Monster Hunter: World becoming more difficult as a solo player, don’t be — Capcom made sure to include a nifty scaling feature that reduces enemy health bars to accommodate party size. That means a solo player has a similar chance to take down Zorah Magdaros as everyone else.

Playing as a party does have its perks — extra damage, ability to lure monsters away from you, healing, etc. — but playing the game offline is still a viable alternative to the usual party-based mayhem.