How to Invite Friends in Hunt: Showdown Across PC and Xbox
Hunt: Showdown's cross-play functionality makes it possible for PC and Xbox players to squad up in the same lobby — but the process isn't quite as simple as sending a single invite. Understanding how the game's friend system and cross-play infrastructure actually work will save you a lot of frustration before you drop into the bayou together.
Does Hunt: Showdown Support Cross-Play Between PC and Xbox?
Yes. Hunt: Showdown supports cross-play between PC (Steam) and Xbox (both console and Xbox Game Pass on PC). This means players on different platforms can be placed in the same matches and, more importantly, can form a premade team together before queuing.
However, cross-platform invites don't happen through Steam or Xbox's native friend systems alone. They run through Crytek's in-game friend system, which operates independently of both platforms.
The Key Requirement: A Crytek Account
Before any cross-play inviting is possible, both players need to have their platform account linked to a Crytek account. This is the backbone of Hunt's cross-platform identity system.
- PC players link their Steam account to a Crytek account
- Xbox players link their Xbox/Microsoft account to a Crytek account
- Both players then get a Hunt: Showdown in-game name that works across platforms
If either player hasn't completed this linking step, cross-platform invites simply won't work. This is the most common reason players can't find each other across platforms.
Step-by-Step: Inviting a Friend from PC to Xbox 🎯
Step 1 — Exchange In-Game Names
The PC player and the Xbox player both need to share their Hunt: Showdown display names with each other. These are the names visible inside the game itself — not Steam usernames or Xbox Gamertags (though those can sometimes be the same, don't assume they are).
Step 2 — Add as a Friend Inside the Game
From the main menu in Hunt: Showdown:
- Navigate to the Social or Friends tab (found in the main menu interface)
- Select Add Friend
- Type in the other player's exact in-game name
- Send the friend request
The other player then needs to accept the request from their own Friends menu — this step works the same whether they're on PC or Xbox.
Step 3 — Form a Lobby Together
Once the friend request is accepted:
- Open your Friends list in the game
- Find the cross-platform friend (they'll appear regardless of their platform)
- Select Invite to Lobby or join their existing lobby if they've created one
- Both players confirm the squad before queuing
Hunt: Showdown supports up to 3-player teams, so you can fill that third slot with another friend on either platform.
Common Issues That Block Cross-Platform Invites
| Problem | Likely Cause |
|---|---|
| Can't find friend by name | Name entered incorrectly, or they haven't linked a Crytek account |
| Invite sent but never received | Friend request sitting in their pending/notifications tab |
| Friend appears offline | Platform or in-game privacy settings blocking visibility |
| Lobby won't fill or connect | Server region mismatch or one player in a different game mode |
| Cross-play not enabled | Cross-play toggled off in settings on either platform |
Cross-play can be disabled in the game's settings menu. If either player has turned this off, cross-platform invites and matchmaking won't function. Both players need cross-play enabled for this to work.
Platform-Specific Variables That Affect the Experience 🖥️
Not everything behaves identically once you're in a squad together.
Input detection: Hunt: Showdown can detect whether a player is using a mouse and keyboard versus a controller. Some players report minor differences in how aim assist behaves depending on input method, which can matter in a skill-sensitive game like Hunt.
Server region: PC and Xbox players connecting across different geographic regions may experience latency differences. Hunt selects servers based on the lobby host's region by default. If one player is in North America and the other in Europe, one of you will likely feel the connection difference.
Game version parity: Both platforms need to be running the same game version for cross-play to work. If a major update has just released and one platform hasn't updated yet, you may be temporarily unable to squad up.
Xbox Game Pass (PC) vs. Xbox Console: Players using Hunt through Game Pass on PC connect via the Microsoft/Xbox ecosystem, not Steam. The Crytek account system handles this the same way — but it's worth knowing they're technically on a different client than Steam PC players.
What the In-Game Name System Actually Controls
Hunt's cross-platform friend system bypasses Steam's social layer and Xbox Live's friend list entirely for the purposes of in-game teaming. This is intentional — it gives Crytek control over the cross-platform experience without depending on Microsoft or Valve to build interoperability between their systems.
The practical effect is that you can't just search for someone by their Xbox Gamertag inside Hunt on PC, or expect a Steam friend to automatically appear as an in-game friend. The Crytek layer is a separate identity system, and both players need to consciously set it up.
Whether this setup feels seamless or cumbersome depends heavily on how comfortable both players are with account management, how current their game versions are, and whether they're playing in overlapping server regions. Two players in the same city with current installs will have a very different experience than two players troubleshooting across regions and update schedules.