It feels a bit crazy that in 2025 we need an article explaining how multiplayer works in a video game. But here we are with Monster Hunter Wilds and its convoluted multiplayer system.
Despite the multiplayer nature of the Monster Hunter franchise, teaming up with others has never truly been a simple and seamless experience. The same is true with Monster Hunter Wilds. Don't get me wrong, it's certainly a robust multiplayer system, but there are a lot of options and things you've got to know.
Lobbies, Squads, and SOS Flares all return in Monster Hunter Wilds, but new to the game are the "Link Party" and "Environment Link" options as well as Online Single Player. IGN actually put together an incredibly helpful breakdown of each option and a relatively easy to understand video.
Although Monster Hunter Wilds can be enjoyed solo, the game really shines when you embark on a hunt with others. To unlock multiplayer, you must complete the first two missions -- a hunt for a Chatacabra and then brief camp mission. In total, this will take about 15 minutes. Once multiplayer is unlocked Crossplay, a feature that allows you to play with other players on different platforms than you, is enabled by default.
Lobbies are the classic Monster Hunter gathering hubs. This is where you can socialize and interact with other players at the base camp. Recommended lobbies put you in a lobby with random players, but there's also the option to input your own search conditions under "Conditional Search." Each lobby can hold up to 100 people and allows you to see other players' quests at the Quest Counter. You will only see other players in your Lobby at the base camp; however, they can occasionally join your quest and vice versa. There are also private lobbies, which operate the same way, the only difference being people will need your lobby ID to join.
If there are select group of people/friends you want to play with regularly, you probably want to create a Squad Lobby. Talk with Felicita and you can create a dedicated lobby for your squad. The maximum number of participants is determined by the current squad size, but the lobby capacity will automatically expand up to a maximum of 50 participants if the squad exceeds a certain threshold. Anyone with the Squad ID can request to join and once accepted will have the option to log into the Squad Lobby.
There are also Private Lobbies that can be joined using the Lobby ID Search. As the host, you can remove specific members, designate privileges, and disband the lobby if needed. A private lobby can only accommodate up to 16 players.
If you aren't a fan of multiplayer, you can choose Online Single Player. This gives you the option to play solo and even pause the game in this mode. However, you can still request help from other players by sending an SOS, which will remove the pause function. If there are no online players available, you will be joined by NPCs instead.
Link Party is a new option in Monster Hunter Wilds and the best way to play through the story in multiplayer. This is also the most convenient way to consistently play with the same party. When anyone in the Link Party launches a new quest or posts, everyone in the party will automatically receive an invite to join.
"Normally, only players in the same lobby are able to join your quests, but if a player is in your Link Party, they can join from a different lobby," Capcom explains. You can form a Link Party through the Communication tab on the Start Menu.
When playing through the story, walking around and conversing with NPCs is done solo. But Quest invites will automatically be sent to Link Party members when the quest start screen appears. Everyone will experience the cut scene at around the same time, but the first player who loads into the hunt and see the quest start screen will automatically send invites to everyone. Players will then accept this invite and load into their friend's instance to hunt the monster together. Despite being in another players instance, everyone will receive credit for completing the hunt and the story can continue as normal.
Environment Link is a special feature of Link Parties that allows you to invite other Link Members into your environment so you can explore together in multiplayer. This is best when you want to hunt freely in a location without playing through the story or doing a specific quest. It's similar to Expeditions from previous Monster Hunter games, but you will get Quest Rewards for the monsters because of the Field Survey Quest system.
Monster Hunter Wilds is now available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.