Networking & lobby troubleshooting

Launch week surfaced join failures, regional lobby quirks, and a day-one patch expanding lobby size. Bun Muen published a temporary network-issues-patch beta on Steam while a permanent fix ships — everyone in your party must opt in together.

Can't join a friend's lobby?

If invites fail or lobbies appear empty, Bun Muen posted a Steam beta branch on July 22, 2026:

Right-click Shift At Midnight in your Steam library → Properties.
Open Game Versions & Betas.
Enter beta access code: networkissues (no spaces).
Opt into the network-issues-patch branch and let Steam update the build.
Every player in your session must repeat these steps — mixed branches cannot connect.

The developer is working on a main-branch fix; treat the beta as a temporary workaround during launch week. See also GameGrin's step-by-step recap.

Steam vs Xbox matchmaking pools

Steam players match only with other Steam owners — no crossplay with Xbox or Game Pass PC. Xbox ecosystem players (Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Cloud via Game Pass) share crossplay.

Align storefronts before sending invites. A public Steam server browser was promised at or shortly after launch for crews preferring strangers over friend codes — check Steam discussions if browse fails.

Six-player lobbies (July 23 day-one patch)

The July 23, 2026 patch lets hosts select up to six players when creating a lobby. Bun Muen warns the game is designed and marketed for one to three players — larger parties become chaotic and are not recommended for first playthroughs.

Official co-op roles (investigator, stocker, analyst) assume three-person splits. Oversized lobbies may desync faster during trap phases — see our co-op guide for voice discipline either way.

Russia lobby creation fix

The same day-one patch addressed players in Russia who could not create joinable lobbies. If you still fail after updating, verify both parties run the latest build and retry the beta branch steps above.

Other July 23 networking-adjacent fixes

Marionette HP lowered — survival phase tuning, not netcode, but affects post-shift sync stress.
Jack-in-the-box audio — louder cue so crews react during chaos.
Profanity filter removed — proximity chat moderation changed; unrelated to connectivity but noted in the same patch.
Crash + cursor lock — next minor patch targets players who crash and cannot click UI buttons afterward.

Full timeline on our changelog and launch week guide.

Reporting reproducible network bugs

Send short clips, platform (Steam build hash or Xbox version), region, and steps to reproduce. Avoid duplicate Steam discussion threads when Bun Muen already acknowledged the issue.

Kwalee monitors Steam hubs, Discord, and social channels — polite, reproducible reports beat rage posts during hotfix cadence.

Hematophobia filter (comfort option)

Separate from networking, Bun Muen added a hematophobia filter for players who want reduced blood visuals. Check in-game settings or recent Steam announcements for toggle placement — comfort options do not affect lobby connectivity.

Co-op gameplay reference clips

Frequently asked questions

Does the beta branch work on Xbox?

The network-issues-patch branch is Steam-only. Xbox and Game Pass crews should verify crossplay pools and retry invites after both parties fully update through Microsoft's store.

Can I play with six friends on Game Pass?

Six-player lobbies were confirmed in the July 23 Steam patch. Xbox parity may lag — confirm your build version matches friends before assuming the option exists on console.

Will Steam and Xbox ever crossplay?

Bun Muen's July 10 roadmap kept pools separate at launch. Expanded crossplay remains a community request — watch the roadmap page for updates rather than assuming parity.