Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. Guides

How to play Monster Hunter: World offline

Jon Bitner
By

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.

Recommended Videos

Further reading

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.

Editors' Recommendations

Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites…
How to solve the Jonsau Shrine in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
zelda tears of the kingdom jonsau shrine

First introduced as smaller challenges in Breath of the Wild, Shrines not only return for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but now there are 152 of them to find and solve. Each shrine presents players with some sort of challenge, either combat-, puzzle-, or skill-based, that lets them claim a sweet Light of Blessing. Puzzle shrines, in particular, can be quite tricky, but there are also multiple ways to solve them if you're creative enough. The Jonsau Shrine will require brains and brawn to overcome, so let's explore how to conquer it in Tears of the Kingdom.
How to find the Jonsau Shrine

The Jonsau Shrine is hidden in the Lanaryu Wetlands region to the east of Lookout Landing. The exact coordinates are 1743, 0018, 0025.
How to complete the Jonsau Shrine

Read more
Every spell in Hogwarts Legacy, what they do, and how to unlock them
A wizard zaps someone off camera with red magic in Hogwarts Legacy,

The entire appeal of creating your own student in Hogwarts Legacy is getting to live the life of a young witch or wizard in the titular academy. Just like the source material, the game doesn't dwell too much on the more boring aspects of student life, but becoming a powerful spellcaster will require you to learn from those wiser than yourself.

The more spells you learn, the more you can do in and out of combat. Of course, there are only so many spells that can be included in a game, but if you want to know if you can cast your favorite, and how to learn it, pay attention to our lesson on every spell in Hogwarts Legacy. And of course, we have a standalone guide on how to learn Avada Kedavra.
How spells are unlocked

Read more
How to find Rococo the Niffler in Hogwarts Legacy
A Niffler standing in some grass.

The wizarding world extends far beyond the walls of Hogwarts in Hogwarts Legacy. Both inside and outside of the titular school, your custom witch or wizard will meet dozens of characters, many of which have optional sidequests that you can help them out with. One such quest, titled "Rescuing Rococo," is especially difficult. While the goal of finding the lost Niffler Rococo may seem straightforward, this quest features many tricky puzzles to trip you up. To make sure this little Niffler makes it back home safe, here's how to find Rococo in Hogwarts Legacy.

And if you're on the hunt for anything else in Hogwarts Legacy, here are guides on all Demiguise Statue locations, all Daedalian Key locations, and where to find mandrakes.
How to complete the Rescuing Rococo quest

Read more