How to actually play multiplayer?

[Delnizz]

Everything I can find in-game makes no sense and doesn't match what it says. If we try steam, it shows no friends. If we try xbox, it says no friends. Online, the official guide says to push Window+G. That brings up gamebar, but there is nothing there about adding friends. How do you actually do this?

[Farrel]

The only way we got it to work was to link microsoft and steam accounts, then use the steam friends interface... Right click your friend (who should be in game, with multiplayer enabled) and pick 'join game'.

Both need to be running via steam for that to work. And, obviously, you need to be friends on steam.

[worm_master]

becoming Xbox friends should do it....

[Morbidius]

It's not enough being friends on Steam.

You need to add each other as friends on your Microsoft/Xbox accounts also.

And the game is closed off for multiplayer as default. When you are in the game and have started up a community press "Esc" so the game pauses.
Then go and press "Settings" ---> "Multiplayer" ---> "The option at the top switch that one" to open up your game for multiplayer. Then send an invite and play together.

You know your game is in "multiplayer mode" when you press "Esc" and the game doesn't pause anymore (zombies will move around even though you hit the Esc button). There is also three invite slots in the upper left corner when you press "Esc" if you are in multiplayer mode.

[Mitzuriki]

Probably the jankiest system I've ever seen. I hope they take note from Helldivers 2 (in-game friend codes)

[GamingChocobro]

This doesn't work for me.. the button doesn't do anything. I can attempt to join through steam but i can't because of account privlege issues, and i spent like 2 hours trying to sort that out and it doesn't work.