Monster Hunter Wilds: All you need to know about cross-play and multiplayer

Table of contents

• How does cross-platform play work?
• What about cross-save, cross-buy, and cross-progression?
• How do I connect with friends on another platform?
• Can I disable cross-platform play?
• How does multiplayer work in general?

How does cross-progression work in Monster Hunter Wilds?

The developers have already confirmed that you can play together on all platforms at release– whether PC, Xbox Series or PS5, the hunt knows no bounds. So, whether you’re looking for random players or inviting your friends directly, you can link up across platforms.

If you play on the console, you need access to PS Plus or Game Pass to use the game’s online features.

What about cross-save, cross-buy, and cross-progression?

If you want to change platforms or play on PC and console, unfortunately it doesn’t work. Savegames and progress are limited to one platform So even if you buy Monster Hunter Wilds multiple times, you have to create a new character each time. That’s why there’s no way to purchase the game at a discounted price for multiple platforms at the same time.

How do I connect with friends on another platform?

To play with your friends via cross-progression, you need their Hunter ID and your own. You can find out yours as follows:

• Navigate in-game to Menu ☻ Info ☻ Hunter Profile ☻ Hunter-IDand share it with your friend (or vice versa)
• The person inviting then enters the number in Menu ☻ Communication ☻ Player List ☻ Hunter ID Search
• If the player appears there, simply click on the profile and select Send Friend Request
• Once the request has been accepted, you will find your new ally in the list of friends in the player list
• Here you simply select him or her and send a Link Party Invite (or a party group invite, well, German is great). Afterwards, you can set out on quests together as a group.

This also works if you want to invite someone on your own platform without adding them directly via Steam, for example.

Can I disable cross-play?

If you don’t want to use the feature for any reason, you can turn it off in the main menu (under Options ☻ Game Settings ☻ Cross-Platform Play). You will then only play with hunters on your own platform who have also turned off cross-play.

If you want to play with others in general, you should join a multiplayer lobby.To do this, you either choose a random one or one with certain conditions – for example, your friends’ lobby – in the start menu.

There you will see other players and can also access their quests to go hunting together. These are already familiar from Monster Hunter World and include 100 players per lobby.

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Start quests

Missions work the same way in multiplayer lobbies as they do in single player You talk to quest-giver Alma or go to your tent for the same menu. There you can choose a job yourself or join an open mission in the lobby.

In World, the co-op often could only be started after certain story cutscenes, which caused frustration for players. In Wilds, this should only rarely be the case. You can usually watch or skip a cutscene together and then get started immediately.

Link Parties

The above-mentioned link parties or link groups , which consist of up to four hunters, are new. If you join the same lobby as a friend, you can already play together in co-op. However, the link function automatically invites them to your quests and vice versa.

It also works independently of the lobby you are in and is generally best used for completing several missions or even the story together

• Link Parties stay together even after a quest has been completed. If you decide to drop out for a short time or play with someone outside the party, you can easily reconnect.
• You have access to a text and voice chat that only link party members can use.

Link Parties are limited to quests If you really want to explore the open areas together, you have to activate another feature.

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Environment Link (Environment Link)

If you are part of a connection group, you can invite them directly to your world via Environment Link to explore together. Simply select Communication ☻ Connection Group ☻ Invite Everyone to Environment Link Now you can play tour guide for your friends. It sounds delightfully simple, but there are a few things to bear in mind:

• At certain points in the story, the feature will be temporarily disabled. Just keep playing until you can use it again.
• Only members of a party can join together via the environment connection.
• You cannot activate the feature while on a quest. You also cannot start new quests – you can only hunt monsters that you actively discover in the world.
• If you start a field investigation, the group will participate together.

Über Kommunikation ☻ Verbindungsgruppe ☻ Umgebungsverbindung auflösen/verlassen, beendet ihr die freie Erkundung für euch oder die gesamte Gruppe (als Host).

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SOS-Signale

Also, spontaneous play via emergency glow signals directly from a running mission is possible again. Access it via the pie menu or navigate to Missions & Quests ☻ Emergency Glow Signal

Everyone can join this one, regardless of connection groups or lobbies. If no real players join, AI-controlled auxiliary hunterstake over this role after a short waiting period. However, this only happens if you have selected Quest Switch ☻ Settings ☻ Multiplayer Options Other Players & Auxiliary Hunters or Auxiliary Hunters Only under If you want, you can also limit the emergency co-op to real people.

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But don’t worry: If a real person wants to join, the hunter will leave immediately. If they faint, the quest cannot fail and the reward is not reduced.

This information comes from Capcom itself, as well as from our own beta experiences. It remains to be seen whether the multiplayer features will change during the second beta in February or at release on February 28, 2025.