If you’ve logged into Honkai Star Rail anytime in 2026, you’ve probably stacked up tons of uncompleted Forgotten Hall stages, new Simulated Universe roguelite runs, and event challenges that feel way too tough to beat solo. The first question that pops up for most new and returning players is, can you play with friends on honkai star rail? The short answer is yes, but HoYoverse has pretty specific rules for what content you can team up for, and how the co-op system works if you’re used to more open multiplayer games like Genshin Impact. I’ve been running co-op runs with my cross-platform friend group for 8 months now, so I’ve broken down every part of the system you need to know before you send your first friend request.
Can You Play With Friends on Honkai Star Rail: All Eligible Co-op Modes in 2026
HoYoverse has expanded co-op options drastically with 2026 updates, but you still can’t team up for every part of the game. All co-op content is instanced, meaning you won’t be able to wander open world maps like Jarilo-VI or Penacony with your friends, but you can join forces for almost all endgame and event content that players usually struggle with solo. I’ve tested every available co-op mode this year, and these are the only ones you can access with friends as of mid-2026:
It’s worth noting that you can’t team up for main story quests, daily training missions, or open world chest hunts right now. HoYoverse has stated they want to keep the main story experience a personal one, so we likely won’t see co-op for those modes any time soon. That’s a letdown for players who want to experience the story with friends, but the available co-op modes are still more than enough to make the game feel social for endgame players.
How to Set Up a Co-op Game With Your Friends in 2026
Getting a co-op lobby up and running is far simpler than it was when the game first launched, and you don’t need to jump through a ton of hoops to play with people on other platforms. First, you need to reach Trailblaze Level 20 to unlock the co-op menu, which is the same level requirement for unlocking Forgotten Hall. Once you hit that level, you’ll see the co-op icon in the top right corner of your screen next to the event menu.
Crossplay support is fully enabled for all 2026 co-op modes, so you can team up with friends on PC, PS5, iOS, Android, and the official HSR cloud gaming service no matter what platform you’re playing on. You just need to add each other using your unique HoYoverse ID, which you can find on your profile page. For a full breakdown of which event stages have co-op support each month, you can check the official 2026 Honkai Star Rail co-op update notes for the latest announcements.
To start a lobby, just select the mode you want to run from the co-op menu, choose whether you want the lobby to be private for friends only or public for random players to join, and send invites to anyone on your friend list. The lobby leader is the only one who needs to have unlocked the specific stage you want to run, so if your friend is a higher level and has unlocked a Forgotten Hall floor you haven’t reached yet, you can join their run and still get all the rewards for clearing it. You’ll also earn 10 friend points per co-op run, which you can exchange for stamina refills, character ascension materials, and limited edition profile pictures in the in-game shop.
Pros and Cons of Playing Honkai Star Rail With Friends in 2026
Co-op isn’t always the best option for every run, and there are some downsides you should know before you invite your friends to join your next Simulated Universe run. Let’s start with the good parts first. The biggest pro is that you can clear content you’d never be able to beat solo, especially if you’re missing built characters of specific elements. I was stuck on Floor 12 of Forgotten Hall for 3 weeks before I teamed up with a friend who had a fully built Kafka, and we cleared it on our first try. You also get access to exclusive event rewards that you can’t earn from solo runs, which is a huge perk if you want to collect all limited-time cosmetics.
Of course, there are some downsides too. You can’t pause a co-op run, so if you have to step away mid-run for an emergency, you’ll leave your team hanging and they’ll have to restart the whole stage without you. Reward drops are also the same per player as they are for solo runs, so you don’t get extra loot for running with friends, only the extra friend points. The biggest frustration for most players is the level scaling system for co-op: enemies scale to the highest level player in the lobby, so if a level 70 player joins a level 20 player’s run, the enemies will be level 70, and the low level player will get one-shot by every attack.
So is it worth playing with friends? For most endgame content, yes, especially if you’re stuck on a stage or want to farm event currency faster. But if you’re just trying to run a quick low-level Simulated Universe run for materials, it’s usually faster to run it solo instead of waiting for friends to join.
Top Tips for Smooth Co-op Runs With Friends in 2026
I’ve had my fair share of disastrous co-op runs over the past year, from players bringing all support characters to a DPS-focused stage to someone disconnecting right before the final boss. These tips will help you avoid most of the common mistakes people make when playing with friends.
First, communicate your team composition before you start the run so you don’t all bring the same element type. For example, if you’re running a Forgotten Hall floor that’s weak to fire and ice, make sure one player brings fire DPS and the other brings ice, instead of both bringing lightning characters. I once joined a run where all three of us brought imaginary characters, and we spent 20 minutes chipping away at a boss that was immune to imaginary damage, it was not fun.
Second, make sure you have a stable internet connection before you join a run. If you drop out mid-run, you’ll lose all progress on that stage, and your team will have to restart without you. If you’re playing on mobile, it’s best to avoid co-op runs when you’re on a spotty cellular connection, even if you think you can finish the run fast.
Third, don’t hoard your ultimate abilities. If you see a group of enemies about to launch a big AOE attack, use your support ultimate to shield the team instead of saving it for the final boss. Most co-op runs fail because players save their ultimates for the last fight and let the team die to trash mobs halfway through the stage. Also, if you’re borrowing a friend’s character for solo content, leave a thank you note on their profile, it’s a small gesture that makes people more likely to list their best built characters for other people to use.
At the end of the day, if you’re still asking can you play with friends on honkai star rail, the answer is a definite yes, as long as you stick to the eligible co-op modes HoYoverse has added as of 2026. The co-op system isn’t as open as some other gacha games, but it’s perfectly designed to help players get through tough endgame content they can’t beat alone, and it adds a fun social layer to a game that’s mostly solo otherwise. I’ve met some of my closest gaming friends through random co-op runs over the past year, so if you haven’t tried it yet, send a friend request to that player you matched with last week who had a fully built Jing Yuan – you won’t regret it.
