How to play co-op multiplayer in Rise of the Ronin

Multiplayer in Rise of the Ronin allows you to replay and complete certain parts of the game, in addition to playing through several co-op-only missions. Progressing through these missions with your friends can be a fun and rewarding experience while simultaneously allowing you to clear the more difficult sections with relative ease. The game also allows for using multiple AI-controlled party members instead, who are quite proficient.

A breakdown of the steps required to play multiplayer in Rise of the Ronin can be found below, along with its potential benefits.

---

How to play co-op multiplayer with friends in Rise of the Ronin?

Accessing the Cooperate menu (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Multiplayer in Rise of the Ronin is unlocked a few hours into the campaign once you meet Sakamoto Ryoma. Ryoma will shortly introduce you to the Longhouse, a small place to call home. Within the Longhouse, you can access the “Cooperate” menu that allows for multiplayer missions:

• Select Cooperate under the Longhouse menu.
• Under Cooperate, you can choose to either Join (participate in a preexisting lobby), Recruit (find other players to join you), or Match (create a custom session).
• Choosing the Recruit option will bring up a menu with various options ranging in difficulty, among other parameters.
• Proceed as usual and select your allies.
• You can choose between AI-controlled party members or actual human members.
• While human-controlled characters are preferred, the AI members do a decent enough job by themselves and rarely hinder the overall experience.
• Begin the multiplayer session as soon as you are ready.

---

Limitations of multiplayer in Rise of the Ronin

Multiplayer can be fairly limiting in Rise of the Ronin (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Unfortunately, multiplayer is only accessible in select game missions and not in the open world at the time of writing this article. Furthermore, you can only form a party of up to three members (including yourself) for these missions.

The missions refer to both multiplayer-specific quests and certain campaigns.

---

Why you should play multiplayer in Rise of the Ronin

Taking part in a multiplayer-specific mission (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

For the most part, Rise of the Ronin’s multiplayer mode is worth a try. In addition to being able to play with friends or random teammates, it also makes certain campaign missions a lot easier to deal with.

Trying these missions solo is not recommended, but players can choose to use AI-controlled companions instead.

---

Rise of the Ronin is an action-adventure game by developer Team Ninja, published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, being released exclusively for the PlayStation 5 on March 22, 2024. The game takes place in the Bakumatsu era of Japan, with a heavy emphasis on storytelling and combat.

---

Check out our other Rise of the Ronin guides:

Combat tips || Beginner tips || How to get the Glider || How to get a horse