Way of the Hunter 2 Multiplayer: Co-op, Crossplay & Joining
Multiplayer was the feature most people waited on during Early Access. It is in the game now, but it is deliberately small.
What you get at 1.0
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How many players? | Two, online co-op, free hunting together |
| Since when? | Experimental branch from June 23, 2026; default branch in Update 0.4.1, September 1, 2026 |
| Crossplay? | No, not in version 1.0 |
| Split screen? | No. Multiplayer is online only; the FAQ says offline play on consoles is “without Multiplayer, naturally” |
| Shared progress with single-player? | No. Single-player and multiplayer use separate worlds and animal populations |
| Trophies from co-op? | Since 1.0, animals you taxidermy in a co-op session are available for taxidermy in single-player |
| Offline? | Single-player works offline; co-op needs a connection |
How to play co-op
- Finish the tutorial first. The 1.0 known issues list warns that joining a session by invite before completing the tutorial can lock your save; the fix is deleting the save files by hand.
- Host a session from the menu, or join through a friend’s invite or the server browser (Update 0.4.0 improved both).
- No partner? The official Discord has a #looking-for-game channel the studio points players to.
Stay reasonably close to the host. Several client bugs disappear when you close the distance.
Crossplay
The official FAQ answer: “Not in version 1.0.” The studio says crossplay is a popular request and it is looking into it, but it has to meet every platform holder’s requirements first and has promised nothing. Buying on one platform does not give you the game, or any bonus, on another.
Known co-op problems at 1.0
From the studio’s known issues list (Patch 1.1 build 212672):
- Animals the client kills can disappear if the host is far away.
- Clients have trouble hitting moving animals consistently.
- Short desyncs, fixed by moving closer to the host or waiting.
- Doors and parking signs sometimes do nothing for the client until you reconnect.
- Animal sounds may be silent for the client.
- Xbox: inventory may clear after fast travel.
- A crash when the host uses the Buffden Apex Predator crossbow.
Patch 1.1 also fixed issues with vehicles and clip-on optics in multiplayer.
What is planned for multiplayer
The roadmap lists, in order: text chat and password-protected sessions first, then 3+ players, persistent worlds and co-op expeditions. The studio calls the larger items technically demanding and planned for 2027 and beyond.
More platform answers: consoles, co-op and crossplay.
Sources: Multiplayer announcements (Jun 23, Aug 18, Sep 1-2, 2026), Nine Rocks 1.0 FAQ, The Road Ahead, known issues for version 1.0, checked October 4, 2026.
Noted. That helps decide which page gets updated first.