Monster Hunter Wilds Online Multiplayer Guide – How To Play Through the Story With Friends, Squads, Links, Lobbies, and More

In this new edition, Monster Hunter Wilds, there are numerous upgrades to the primary hunting adventure that make gameplay more enjoyable. However, it appears that cooperative play with friends, specifically for the main storyline, has taken a step back. Our guide on playing Monster Hunter Wilds multiplayer offers insights into how to team up online during the main story, as well as explaining the distinctions between lobbies, squads, links, and environment links. Additionally, it clarifies what “Online Singleplayer” means when you open your save file.

How to play through the story in Monster Hunter Wilds with friends

In Monster Hunter World, participating in certain quests with others requires prior knowledge of the storyline cut-scenes. The specific structure may change depending on the quest and your progression through the story. Quests that involve a lot of walking and dialogue often necessitate individual completion initially. Essentially, once you receive the “Begin Quest” notification, you can invite friends, strangers, or NPCs to join your hunt.

If you’re planning to embark on the main adventure of Monster Hunter Woods with your friends, synchronizing your gameplay, you certainly can. However, the process could use some improvement, as it involves unnecessary hurdles. Compared to Monster Hunter Rise, it’s not as seamless, and at times, it’s even more complicated than Monster Hunter World was in certain instances.

In simpler terms, among the updates made by Capcom, online functionality improvements are included, yet one of the less effective aspects in Monster Hunter Worlds is arguably the cooperative mode within the main narrative.

Monster Hunter Wilds lobbies and multiplayer explained

In Monster Hunter Wilds, lobbies function much like they do in other games. A lobby here serves as a continuous game session accommodating up to 100 players simultaneously, although you won’t see everyone at once. You can observe the activities of fellow hunters, inspect their profiles, participate in quests they post (if available), and more.

Communication within a lobby is possible, allowing you to interact with others present. You can also join quests posted by other players within the same lobby, invite friends to your lobby, or send friend requests to others (either through a lobby or by searching for their Hunter ID).

Just as in Monster Hunter World, joining a lobby is the primary method of playing Monster Hunter Wilds.

Monster Hunter Wilds Link Party explained

Here’s a simpler and more natural way to explain it: A Link Party is like an arranged gathering where you can play Monster Hunter Wilds with a particular group of friends. It’s not the same as a lobby, but rather a private event you set up for hunting sessions after work. Each Link Party has its own chat room and sends invitations to fellow party members when someone starts a quest.

From my perspective as a fan, when I’m engaged in a Link Party with three companions, and a “Begin Quest” notification appears on my screen, an invitation for the same quest will automatically be sent to the other players so they can swiftly accept and join me on this adventure. Once we finish a joint quest like this or any quest completed within a Link Party, we all stay connected in the party, ready to continue playing together seamlessly.

As a fellow gaming enthusiast, if you and a few buddies frequently team up for adventures, Monster Hunter Wilds Link Party is an essential tool for you! And when it comes time to expand your squad, the “Invite Friend” feature allows you to call upon companions from your current platform’s friend list and join them in the lobby.

Monster Hunter Wilds Environment Links explained

Capcom’s naming could use some improvement. The Monster Hunter Wilds Environment Links primarily serve for organized expeditions in static maps with friends. They don’t support optional or story quests, and their main purpose is exploring a single map together to gather resources, hunt monsters on the map, or to snap group photos in Photo Mode.

If your goal is to collaborate with friends on quests, this feature isn’t suitable for that purpose. Instead, opt for the Link Party. Additionally, the usability of Environment Links may be subject to the progression of the story. If you are ahead in the game, you will need to connect to their Environment Link rather than inviting them.

Monster Hunter Wilds Online Singleplayer explained

When attempting to load your save in Monster Hunter Worlds, you’ll find several options: searching for lobbies, joining a suggested one, or opting for Online Singleplayer. Online Singleplayer keeps you connected to servers, allowing you to momentarily halt the game during hunting sessions and send out an SOS Flare when assistance is required. However, if you’re in a lobby, Link Party, or Environment Link, you won’t be able to pause the game, so remember that.

If you prefer hunting alone or with non-player characters, this game mode suits you best. You have the flexibility to join a multiplayer session whenever you wish, or send out a distress signal for assistance if required, subject to your SOS Flare preferences.

Monster Hunter Wilds Squads explained

In Monster Hunter Wilds, squads function similarly to guilds seen in previous games. Unlike lobbies or link parties, they serve as a community within the game. For instance, you might find an RPG Site squad within the game. This in-game group allows you to establish rooms where messages can be posted and remain visible even when members log off. You can join up to 8 such communities with a maximum of 50 members per squad on your save file in Monster Hunter Wilds. As the squad grows, so does its lobby capacity.

Monster Hunter Wilds Online Multiplayer modes and features in short

If you’ve advanced this far yet find yourself perplexed, allow me to offer a concise explanation: Here’s the gist of it all.

Monster Hunter Wilds is crossplay across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam meaning you can play with all your friends regardless of platform.
Monster Hunter Wilds’ story co-op is similar to Monster Hunter World and not as easy as Monster Hunter Rise.
If you want to play with the same group of friends, be in a Link Party together so quest invites go out to the same group of friends automatically.
Only use an Environment Link if you literally want to be in the same single map together exploring and not actually do quests. You can hunt monsters on said map though.
Join a Squad in Monster Hunter Wilds to be a part of a specific community.
If you play mostly on your own but want the flexibility of having randoms join you, use Online Singleplayer.

Monster Hunter Wilds has been released globally on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam. For tips and tricks, explore our collection of Monster Hunter Wilds guides right here.

2025-02-27 14:27