Monster Hunter Wilds Support Hunters and SOS Flares

SOS Flares

After a quest begins, you can send an SOS Flare to call up to three other hunters from anywhere in the world. In addition to online multiplayer, the game can also call NPC Support Hunters, so even playing singleplayer you get the feel of a hunting party.

NPC Support Hunters auto-join

If you send an SOS Flare and not enough real players answer, Support Hunters automatically join your party after a certain amount of time passes. You are never stuck solo against a hunt that is too hard. In multiplayer settings at the Quest Counter you can set the maximum number of players to call and turn Support Hunters off (options like “Only Other Players” and “Only Support Hunters”).

Multiplayer scales monster HP

This is the detail that catches new players: SOS Flares work in High Rank, but the monster’s HP scales up for each additional player. A four-hunter quest means a much tankier monster, so the DPS you gain has to outweigh the extra health. Soloing or duoing is often faster for farming a specific target, while a full four-stack is best for surviving a hunt you find rough.

When to call for help

Use an SOS Flare whenever a hunt is too hard solo — see combat basics for the fundamentals that make solo hunting work in the first place. If you only need the hunt finished rather than a party, waiting out the Support Hunter timer costs you nothing and keeps your quest closed to strangers. If you are farming a specific monster for materials, weigh the HP scaling against your party’s damage before inviting a full squad; the farming materials guide covers more efficient farming routes.