Hunt with friends acrossMonster Hunter Wilds platforms

To hunt with friends on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in Monster Hunter Wilds, make a Link Party rather than relying on a lobby alone. Cross-play is supported, but the game separates a party for repeat quests from a lobby where players gather and an Environment Link for sharing the open map. Have every player finish character creation and the opening Chatacabra sequence, go online, and leave cross-play enabled. Then one player creates the Link Party, posts the hunt, and the others join it through Alma.

01Check the setup before inviting anyone

Wilds supports online cross-play between PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Each hunter needs their own copy, internet access and the online access required by their platform. On console, sign in to the relevant network and meet its paid-online requirement. Start in an online lobby or Online Single Player, not offline mode. If cross-play was disabled earlier, return to the title-screen options and enable it before creating a mixed-platform group.

Do not test the invite while someone is still in the opening sequence. Independent multiplayer testing notes that a hunter must complete character creation and the initial Chatacabra hunt before the usual online flow is available. Platform friend lists do not bridge PC, PlayStation and Xbox, so use the game's Link Party system. A lobby remains useful as a meeting place, but it is not the same thing as a repeat-hunt party.

02Create a Link Party for the regular group

Choose one hunter to lead the group. Open Communication, then use Link Party and the invite option. The leader can invite an existing Hunter Friend. For mixed platforms, use the in-game route and have the recipient accept in Wilds. Look for the Link Party indicator, not merely another name in a lobby. Only the leader can send party invitations, so change leader or rebuild the party if the wrong person is trying to add someone.

A Link Party has a maximum of four hunters, matching the normal quest limit. Members can remain connected even when they are in different lobbies or began in Online Single Player. They receive a notification when a party member posts a joinable quest, making this the clearest route for a small group doing several hunts. A lobby is broader: its members can see each other at base camp and browse each other's quests, but it does not automatically make everyone a Link Party member.

03Post one quest and join it through Alma

When the group is ready, the host posts a quest, such as by speaking to Alma or beginning a Field Survey from the environment map. Link Party members should receive a notification once it is available. They then speak to Alma and open Link Member Quests to find the host's posting. Select the matching hunt, prepare equipment and food, then depart when ready. This is the repeatable route for targeted hunts: the party does not need to recreate a lobby or exchange a code for every quest.

Joining a Link Party does not put the whole group in one landscape immediately. It makes posted quests easier to join; it does not merge free-roam instances. Quest eligibility still applies. A player who has not reached the required progression point, or cannot take that quest, may not be able to join even though the invitation worked. For story hunts, wait until the host reaches the joinable point, then look for the quest at Alma rather than assuming the cutscene can be entered together.

04Use Environment Link only for shared roaming

To travel through the wilderness and trigger Field Surveys together, the Link Party leader can open Communication, choose Link Party, then select Invite All to Environment Link. This puts the group in one shared environment rather than merely notifying them about quests. It suits a relaxed session of collecting materials, looking for monsters or taking consecutive Field Surveys. Leave or disband it from the same menu when returning to ordinary quest posting. It is an extra mode, not a setting that must stay on permanently.

There is a trade-off: while in an Environment Link, the group cannot start optional quests or saved Investigations from Alma. Those runs are limited to what is active on the World Map, so return to the normal Link Party flow for a particular optional quest or stored Investigation. Use a private lobby when a larger community wants a controlled place to gather, but split it into Link Parties for actual four-player hunts. Keeping those three systems distinct prevents most apparent cross-play confusion.

05Fix the common joining failures safely

If an invite or posted hunt does not appear, confirm every player is online, cross-play is enabled, and the recipient has finished the introduction. Ask the party leader to repost the invitation rather than having several people send competing requests. Then check the actual hunt at Alma's Link Member Quests list, not only the lobby member list. If it is a story step, wait for the host's joinable notification; if it is beyond a guest's progress or locked by its conditions, choose a hunt both players can access.

SOS Flares open a quest to eligible online hunters rather than reserving a slot for friends, so they are less reliable for a planned group. When friends are the priority, keep the four hunters in a Link Party and use the quest notification. If the goal changes to free-roam exploration, switch deliberately to Environment Link. The practical difference is simple: Link Party for scheduled hunts, Environment Link for the map, and lobbies for a wider group.