Monster Hunter is back in a big way with Monster Hunter Wilds, the next main series entry in the decades-old franchise, and you can bring your friends with you to enjoy it.
For being such a crucial part of the Monster Hunter experience, playing online with friends in MH Wilds is a bit more complicated than it should be. Series veterans are likely accustomed to this, but newcomers will likely be confused about how to start co-op.
Thankfully, we’ve been testing out MH Wilds multiplayer for weeks and have all the info you need on what to do to get your hunts up and running. Here’s what you need to know to play with friends in Monster Hunter Wilds.
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How to invite a friend to your lobby in Monster Hunter Wilds
There are several ways to join up with friends in MH Wilds. Unfortunately, none are all that simple at first. But once you have it set up, it becomes quite easy and will be a cinch each time you log on the game after that.
In MH Wilds, each player has a Hunter ID, and each game session has a lobby ID, but the easiest way is to add them as a Hunter Friend to be able to quickly join each other.
Your Hunter ID can be seen directly under your Hunter’s name on their save file when you first open the game and attempt to load your save. Grab the code, write it down or memorize it, and save it for once you’re in the game. Have your friend you wish to invite do the same.
Once in the game, follow these steps:
- Open up your menu (ESC on PC, Start/Options button on controller).
- Navigate to Communication (the text bubbles icon).
- Select Link Party.
- Select Invite to Link Party.
- Navigate all the way to the right for Hunter ID Search.
- Enter in your friend’s Hunter ID.
- Select your friend, and then select Add to Friends.
How to join a friend’s lobby in Monster Hunter Wilds
Once they are in your Hunter Friends list, you can invite them to your lobby or add them to your Squad. Traditionally, Squads are the best option to quickly join friends and people you play with often because they are listed within the Squad screen (menu, then Info, then Manage Squads). You can create a squad or join a new one from that screen. Once your Squad is created, you can invite people.
From the Manage Squads screen, you can invite your friends to your Squad or do the Hunter Search technique again to find them from the beginning and do the same. Either way, once they’re your friend and in your Squad, the process becomes a lot easier to deal with.
You can then quickly join your friends via the Squads screen instead of linking up via Link Party or other means. Just have one player start and host a lobby to join each other quickly and easily without dealing with any of the first-time hassle above.
Once you have a player on your friends list, you can invite them by going to the Communication menu and selecting Member List. Your friends will be seen here in a section noted by the fifth icon from the left in the image above.
Get your Squad up and running and you will have your squad-only lobbies ready to go for your friends to seamlessly and quickly join in, no matter what platform they play on, and the fun can truly begin. Make sure to customize your Seikret’s appearance so you stand out from the group before you play!
Published: Feb 28, 2025 12:53 pm