How to Fish Wiki hook and wave mark

Support log

Multiplayer Not Working

If How to Fish multiplayer is not working, first identify whether you cannot join, cannot host, freeze after joining or disconnect later. Patch 1.0.12 fixes a FishNet issue while joining a lobby at maximum FPS, and Patch 1.0.10 increases connection time to reduce instant disconnect risk. Neither note promises that every invite, platform pair or lobby failure is fixed, so use a small, recorded check instead of changing many settings at once.

Guide status

published

Reviewed 2026-09-05. Evidence scope: Official Patch 1.0.10 through 1.0.12 multiplayer scope reviewed 2026-09-05. This guide is updated when key route details can be checked.

01Name the multiplayer failure precisely

“Multiplayer not working” can describe several different symptoms. A menu return after accepting an invite, a freeze when hosting, a black screen after joining and a later disconnect should not share one assumed cause. Write down whether the host can create a lobby and where the guest’s attempt stops. That makes a focused check possible without pretending that every co-op issue has the same fix.

Steam discussion reports show all of these patterns, including players returned to the menu when trying to join and players freezing while hosting or joining. Those reports demonstrate user demand, not a developer-confirmed diagnosis. Keep the discussion dates and the player’s device separate from the game’s official patch facts. This page uses community posts as symptom signals only.

02Use the current patch notes as boundaries

Patch 1.0.10 says the allowed connection time was increased to lower the risk of instant disconnects. Patch 1.0.12 says FishNet should no longer override maximum FPS while joining a lobby. These statements identify two released networking-related changes. They do not establish that a particular friend invite, router, device or host configuration is now guaranteed to work.

Before testing, make sure each player has restarted Steam after an update and can state the current in-game patch. Then use one host and one guest for a fresh-lobby test rather than mixing several players and old sessions. Record whether the symptom changes at the join screen, in the lobby or after loading. A smaller test produces better evidence than several simultaneous invitation attempts.

03Run non-destructive first checks

Start with a normal game restart and a single new lobby. If the game files may be incomplete, Steam Support documents file verification through Library, Properties, Installed Files and Verify integrity of game files. That checks the installed game files without instructing players to delete saves. It is a safe first check, not proof that the lobby issue comes from damaged files.

Test the same pair in solo mode only to learn whether the symptom requires joining a lobby. Do not turn off security software, edit network files or install an unknown fix merely to force a connection. Those steps can create a wider system problem and do not have How to Fish-specific evidence in this guide. Keep any network change outside the scope of a normal route or achievement run.

04Keep black screens and join failures separate

A black screen during a join can look like a connection failure, but it is still a display symptom that needs its own record. Note whether game audio continues, whether the picture fails at launch or only after accepting an invite, and whether a solo launch works. Patch 1.0.12 contains a joining-related fix, but does not say that it resolves every black screen. Use the Black Screen guide for the display-first branch of the check.

Likewise, a normal lobby that later disconnects is different from an invite that never opens. Record the host device, guest device, patch and approximate point of failure for each. Do not call an error a version mismatch unless the game actually displays that message. This prevents an unsupported label from becoming a second, overlapping troubleshooting page.

05Leave a reproducible co-op report

If a fresh test still fails, record the host and guest platform, patch, lobby action, symptom and whether it is repeatable. Add only observations you can reproduce, such as a freeze after choosing host or a menu return after accepting an invite. Avoid including account credentials, private IP addresses or unsupported causes in a public post. A concise sequence is safer and more actionable than a long list of changes made at once.

Check the update index before repeating the test after a new patch. The developer has already shipped several fixes that touch connection timing, join behaviour and voice infrastructure. That makes the patch number central evidence for future reports. It also lets the guide distinguish an old forum post from a current released-build result.

Next verified routes

Continue with the exact next question

Check a black screen after joiningUse the display-first branch when picture loss is the main symptom.Read the current joining-lobby patch noteSee exactly what the current official fix says and does not say.Return to a stable first-run routeKeep a co-op test separate from an important quest or hand-in attempt.

Evidence boundary

What this guide can confirm

  • Patch 1.0.10 increases allowed connection time to lower instant-disconnect risk, while Patch 1.0.12 includes a FishNet joining-lobby fix.
  • Steam Support documents non-destructive verification of installed game files through the Steam client.
  • Community threads report join returns, lobby freezes and disconnects, but do not establish a universal multiplayer fix.

Sources and review scope

Check the evidence behind this route