Guide: Monster Hunter: World Multiplayer FAQ – How to Play with Friends, Join Squads, and Create Games

Chances are, you've bought Monster Hunter: World for multiplayer. After all, the enormous world and even bigger monsters are way more fun to tackle as a group than by your lonesome.

The only problem is, Capcom hasn't made it very easy to play with your friends. Nor is it exactly straightforward to join a squad, or create a multiplayer game that your friends can join.

That's where Push Square comes in. We've spent a bunch of time with these systems to help bring you this guide to making your multiplayer life a lot easier.

How do I create a multiplayer game in Monster Hunter: World?

There are two ways you can do this. You can keep it open, inviting randoms into your world, or go private. This gives you your very own instance of the game, but allows you to invite friends at your leisure.

To create an open game, simply press start, choose your character, then on the next screen hit 'Create an Online Session'. You can then tweak a bunch of different settings based on your preferences.

This is also where you can set the session private. So it's pretty easy to choose between the two different modes from this screen.

How do I invite a friend into my multiplayer game in Monster Hunter: World?

That's easy. Make sure you're in a town or the gathering hub and press start. Use R1 to scroll over to 'Communication' and then select the 'Invite a Friend' option. This will allow you to invite any of your PSN friends.

If you can't see your friend, make sure you have added them on PSN. It won't work otherwise.

Why can't I see my friend in Astera?

Though your friend might be in the same session as you, you can only actually see them in the gathering hub or while in a quest together. Head to either of them to start spamming emoticons at each other.

How do I start, or join, a friend's quest?

Head on over to the quest board and hit 'Post a Quest'. Choose the quest you want assistance with and you can choose how many players you'd like to join you. After that, set a Passcode for that quest and share it with your friend.

Provided that your friend is in the same multiplayer session as you, they should be able to see and join your quest by visiting the quest board, hitting Join a Quest, and then finding it in Available Quests.

Follow those instructions backwards to join a friend's quest.

What is a squad in Monster Hunter: World?

A squad is like a clan from an MMORPG. If that means nothing to you, consider it a group of players that you regularly play and communicate with.

Joining one makes it much easier for you to play with these players, as you can choose the option 'Squad Session Search' to automatically join a session that one of your squad members is in. That alone will massively speed up playing together, and it also prevents you having to play with random players.

You'll also get a squad icon and the squad name will appear over your head. This shows all other players in the game which squad you're a part of.

How do I create a squad in Monster Hunter: World?

To create a squad, head on over to the gathering hub and visit the squad counter. If you're struggling to find it, locate it on your map.

Talk to the NPC behind the counter and you'll see an option to create a squad. Hit this, customise your squad, and you're done.

How do I invite a friend to my squad in Monster Hunter: World?

Well, that's easy – you don't even have to be in the gathering hub to do that. Simply press start, scroll to the 'Communications' tab, and then hit 'Squads'. Here you can invite friends and manage various other aspects of your squad.

How do I join a friend's squad in Monster Hunter: World?

At present, there's no way to manually join a squad. You can't search for one, or see a list – nothing like that. The only way to join a squad is to receive an invite from a squad leader.

So ask your friend nicely and they might just invite you to join theirs. Once they've done so, head on over to the 'Communications' tab, hit 'Squads', and accept the squad invite.

How many friends can I have in a single squad in Monster Hunter: World?

Each squad can have up to 50 players as members.

Can I join multiple squads in Monster Hunter: World?

Yes! You can join up to eight squads at a time.

What do I do if I need help and I've already started a quest?

Don't panic – that's what the SOS Flare is for! This allows you to quickly request help with a monster while you're already out in the field.

To fire it, press start.

My friend's fired an SOS Flare – how do I join them?

Make sure you're in the same session as them and head on over to the quest board. Hit 'Join Quests' and you'll find an 'SOS' option. Hit that, find your friend, and go and help them out.

How are rewards affected in multiplayer in Monster Hunter: World?

Rewards aren't affected at all. Each player will have a chance to carve a slain monster, and you'll all receive individual rewards at the end of the quest.

Does the difficulty scale in Monster Hunter: World multiplayer?

It does, but it doesn't scale by number of players. The difficulty increases as soon as another player has joined, but doesn't increase further if a third or fourth joins you as well.

What happened to my Palico?

You probably just joined a multiplayer session with more than two players. Only the first two players who join a multiplayer session will have their Palicos join as well. The third and fourth players will not have a Palico partner.