Monster Hunter Wilds Multiplayer guide : How to join friends online in Monster Hunter Wilds

Monster Hunter Wilds is here, and groups of hunters are once again heading out into the field to take down the behemoth that Capcom has in store. While Monster Hunter Wilds can be enjoyed as a single-player experience, the joy of Monster Hunter has always come from battering monsters with friends in multi-player.

You’d think that with 20 years of experience under its belt, the multiplayer aspect of Monster Hunter would be a simple one to understand, but that’s not the case. With options like Link Parties, SOS flares and Environment Links, there’s a lot to get your head around, so in this guide I’ve broken down everything you need to know about Monster Hunter Wilds’ multiplayer offering, and how you can get online as quickly as possible.

Monster Hunter Wilds Mulitplayer: Get Online

When you start up the game, make sure you’re in an online session of Monster Hunter Wilds. This can be done by either creating your own, or joining a recommended lobby that the game will automatically add you to. Obviously, for both of these options you’ll need to be connected to your platform’s respective networking service, and in the case of PlayStation Network and Xbox Live, you’ll have to have an active subscription.

If you want to guarantee that you’ll only play with your friends and players that you’ve approved, we recommend creating a private session. This is your lobby. This is different from your party, which refers to the group of people you’ll be playing with.

Monster Hunter Wilds Multiplayer: Complete the tutorial hunt against the Chatacabra

While Monster Hunter Wilds doesn’t make you wait too long to get into the action with your friends, there is one hunt that you have to complete before you have access to the multiplayer suite. Thankfully, this hunt is very easy, and happens quickly. When you begin the game, once you’ve gotten through character creation and the initial few cutscenes, you’ll be given a mission to hunt down the Chatacabra.

Once you’ve completed this fight, which also serves as a tutorial to teach you the basics of the game’s combat, you’ll be able to proceed with inviting friends to your game, and getting on with bigger fights.

Monster Hunter Wilds Multiplayer: Invite your friends

Open your menu, head to communication and select invite a friend. You must make sure that your friend is not in the middle of a quest, or has a quest posted, or this won’t work. Once they accept the invite, you’ll be in a party together. You will not see you friend until you got to Alma and initiate a quest.

Once you’ve done this, your friend will see an option to join Link Member Quests when talking to Alma. Select that.

Once that is done, prepare at the camp, then depart on your quest.

Once your quest is completed, your group will disband.

Monster Hunter Wilds Multiplayer: SOS flares

SOS flares are another multiplayer mechanic in Monster Hunter Wilds that isn’t fully explained. The SOS flare essentially highlights to other players, whether they are you friends or not, that you need help in a hunt, and you’d like them to join you.

You can launch a flare by going to the pause menu, going over to the missions & quests tab, and selecting SOS flare. Doing this will highlight to other hunters, which can be in any other lobby, that you’re looking for some multiplayer assistance for the fight ahead.In fact, if you’ve been playing online, you’ve probably seen them already as you’ve been running around in the world.

After shooting off a flare, a timer will begin which will give other hunters a short amount of time to respond and join your game. AI will fill the other slots if there aren’t enough real players willing to join you on the journey.

Monster Hunter Wilds Multiplayer: Environment Links

Environment Links are another aspect of Monster Hunter Wilds’ multiplayer offering that is somewhat complicated, and doesn’t offer the expansive multiplayer options that you may be looking for. You will have noticed that Monster Hunter Wilds now has huge open areas to explore, and thankfully Capcom allows you to explore these zones with friends via Environment Links.

Doing this will essentially let you and your friends explore the open zones, however there are some limits to this feature that differentiate it from the traditional multiplayer Monster Hunter experience.

Once in a party, go to the menu and tab over to the communication section. Once there, go to link party, and then invite party to the environment link. Once everyone has joined you can to expedition quests together, hunt endemic life, or just explore.

Annoyingly, this method of multiplayer does not allow you to seamlessly transition into the traditional group multiplayer offering on Monster Hunter Wilds. If you want to go back to normal quests, as detailed above, you have to return to the communication menu and disband the environment link

Read our Monster Hunter Wilds guides:

• How to craft and upgrade Armor in Monster Hunter Wilds
• How to customize your Seikret in Monster Hunter Wilds
• How to play online with friends in Monster Hunter Wilds multi-player
• Monster Hunter Wilds Cooking Guide