Dungeons II Can't Join Friends: Co-op Fix

If you can’t join friends or crossplay isn’t working in Minecraft Dungeons II (Minecraft Dungeons 2), the step that fixes it most often is to create a new online hero from the main menu; an offline hero can’t join online sessions. Launch-day Steam players report the game keeps online and offline heroes separate, and you need to make a new hero from the main menu that is specifically online. Then check that everyone is signed in with a Microsoft account, is on the same game version and has a working connection.

What the game supports

According to the Steam store page and Xbox Wire, the game supports a party of up to four, with couch co-op, online co-op and mixed co-op, plus matchmaking. Mojang confirms crossplay: a party code, eight letters and numbers, lets friends join you through the lobby or an ongoing game regardless of platform (details). Steam lists Cross-Platform Multiplayer. It launched on PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Switch and Switch 2; see platforms, crossplay and Game Pass.

Common problems

• The invite or join option is missing, greyed out, or says you’re offline.
• Friends can’t see your session.
• Random matchmaking fails or is slow.
• Lag during four-player play (reported as “a little laggy sometimes” by one reviewer).
• Couch co-op and controllers behave oddly. One reviewer described needing every controller in the party when using Steam Input, DSX or HidHide.

Causes: known and suspected

Known (player reports): offline heroes cannot be used for online sessions. One reviewer says there is no peer-to-peer option like in the first game, so launch-day server load may matter. That is a single opinion, not a confirmed design detail.

Suspected: a Microsoft sign-in or Gaming Services problem on one player’s machine can block the whole party. See Microsoft account link failed.

Steam Remote Play Together

Two players on launch day asked how to play with a friend over Steam Remote Play Together, because the game only lets them use one controller or one mouse and keyboard, not two inputs at once. There is no answer yet. Steam lists Remote Play Together for the game, but we have not verified how many inputs it allows. Use online co-op or couch co-op instead if you can.

Quest rewards missing for guests

Three sources point at the same issue: players who are not the host do not get unique quest rewards. A couch co-op guest (player 2 on one Steam PC) said only the host got the Twisted Warden’s unique reward even though the guest hero keeps its level and gear; another thread’s poster said they were the only one receiving a unique helmet reward while their friends did not (with one reply saying their whole party gets rewards for them, so it may be one-sided); and a review mentioned multiplayer players sometimes not receiving quest rewards. It is not clear whether this is by design or a bug, and Mojang has not commented. A new Reddit post (Oct 2) adds a case: a host who played one level alone before co-op says their two friends have not received unique quest rewards such as the Beekeeper one. Until it is clarified, have the player who most needs a unique reward host, and check each hero’s inventory.

Progress locked when you play solo after co-op

A Steam poster who played with a friend and then tried to level alone says every gate, key and minecart fast travel unlocked together was locked again in solo, leaving them stuck outside Brave Haven. A reply says the same happened to them and that progression, and maybe unique rewards, seem to belong to the host only. Another reply says the pause menu has a system option to reset the current quest. Two players; Mojang has not commented and it is not known whether this is by design. No fix is posted.

Random disconnects and 0074

On Switch 2 and PS5, sign-in loops and “can’t connect to Mojang servers” reports are collected on console sign-in stuck.

Players also report being dropped to the main menu with a lost connection message (one thread) and a “0074 unable to join server” error (two threads); see error codes. A newer Steam thread (Oct 4) says they get disconnected whenever their connection fluctuates even slightly, and a Reddit player says the game disconnected right before collecting the final boss rewards, which were then lost; a reply there says re-killing the boss gives only a chance at the drops. No fix posted.

“Offline” heroes still need an internet connection to start

Two Steam threads (including Error 0020 earlier) complain that the game must be online to start even for an offline hero, which defeats playing on the go. A poster in the earlier thread said you need to be online when you start; a reply in the new one asks whether turning off cloud saves for offline characters helps. Unverified; there is no official statement.

Fixes, in order

1. Create an online hero

From the main menu, start a new hero and pick the online option. Players said offline and online heroes are separate, so a hero made offline will not appear in online play. See offline vs online hero for what players say about switching. Mojang has not said that an offline hero can be converted to an online one, so try with a fresh hero first. Across platforms, Mojang says online heroes follow your Microsoft account; see cross platform and cross-progression.

Note: how to choose online or offline

One Steam player said the mode is tied to the hero: create a new hero and the game asks online or offline again, so you can switch modes by picking the hero you want. Another asked what to do with an existing good save and got no answer. This is a player report.

2. Confirm everyone is signed in

Every player should be signed in to their Microsoft account and platform account. Sign out and back in on the affected machine, then relaunch.

3. Check platform online requirements

On console, each player typically needs their platform’s online service. If one person lacks it, the group may fail to connect. Xbox players can also ask a friend to try a party or invite from the Xbox app.

4. Fully restart the game and consoles

Quit the game completely, not just to the menu, then restart. On Xbox, avoid resuming the game from Quick Resume, which can keep an old session alive.

5. Restart your network

Restart your router and PC or console. Use a wired connection if possible, and turn off VPNs.

6. Check your NAT and firewall

If you’re on PC, make sure Windows Firewall allows the game and your Xbox app, and that your router isn’t blocking traffic. Console players can check NAT type in their network settings. Strict NAT can block joining friends in many games; we haven’t confirmed how strict this game is.

7. Try a different join method

If matchmaking fails, try a direct invite from a friend. If an invite fails, try matchmaking. One reviewer said random multiplayer worked well for them.

8. Wait for servers

If many people report the same error at once, it’s likely a service issue. Try again later.

Couch co-op notes

Minecraft’s official gameplay-systems article confirms couch co-op, online co-op through cross-play and mixed co-op, where two or more players on the same console or PC team up with others online, for up to four players. The problems below are launch-week player reports, not confirmed bugs or official rules.

• Menu disappears, can’t start. One Steam PC player with two controllers picked a hero for each player, then the menu to start the game vanished. A reply said the same happened to them. Replies suggest two workarounds that worked for them: relaunch, make an offline hero, have the guest make an offline hero too, then switch to an online hero and rejoin; or have player one use keyboard and mouse while the guest joins on a controller, then switch back once in the world. Unverified.
• One keyboard plus one controller. A Steam player asked how to play couch co-op with one person on mouse and keyboard and one on a controller, as in the first game. One reply tried a third-party keyboard-as-controller trick and said the game paused and demanded the controller be plugged back in. We could not find a confirmed way.
• Guest hero is separate and hard to reuse. A Reddit player on PS5 who played as P2 with Quick Play says they could not then use that hero as P1 on a later solo session. A Steam PC player asked whether a second account can be used and said the game went straight to creating a guest hero. A reviewer also says the second couch hero feels hidden behind the main hero and that Player 1 has to be the main character. Whether this is intended is unconfirmed.
• Can’t rename offline couch players. One Steam reply to a thread where couch co-op worked fine says offline couch players cannot be renamed.
• Guest quest rewards. See the quest rewards section above.

Another reviewer reported problems with extra player entries when using more than one controller; we could not tell what caused it.

If it still fails

• Use the Steam discussion for the game or the Minecraft help center with a description of platforms involved.
• Ask each player for their game version and platform, and compare.
• Wait for a patch; none has been announced as of Sep 29, 2026.

These are the fixes players reported, and none is guaranteed.