Monster Hunter Wilds introduced plenty of changes and tweaks to make hunting more accessible and streamlined. But not every change has been welcomed by longtime fans as one missing multiplayer mechanic has left some Hunters feeling that the series has lost a bit of its soul. Thankfully, PC users can relive those moments thanks to a mod that brings back the classic Hunter-launching mechanic to Monster Hunter Wilds.
Created by modder Pablo1517, the Liftoff – MH4U Hunter Launching mod on Nexus Mods restores the ability to send teammates flying. Just like in older Monster Hunter games, certain attacks, such as the Great Sword, Hammer, and Switch Axe’s upswings, can launch Hunters into the air. They can then follow up with an aerial attack to mount the monster. However, since the mod only affects client-side files, every player who wants to experience the mechanic must install it themselves. This also means console players on PS5, Xbox, and Switch 2 won’t be affected by the mod.
For some fans, that unpredictability was part of what made multiplayer hunts of older generation games so memorable. “My buddy kept launching me with his hammer back in the day haha, I was just screaming like I was actually launched XD,” recalled one Reddit user. “Good ol times, now we just jump off our seikret and call it a day.”
Another Hunter was much more passionate about the mechanic’s removal. “I haven’t forgiven them for removing this btw, upswinging people out of sticky situations is what made these games feel alive to me,” they wrote. “This is just another change that makes this game feel less like a co-op game and more like a solo one with other people on the screen.”
One commenter even drew comparisons to another co-op game where (deadlier) friendly fire is part of the experience. “Helldivers 2 (and classic MH) proves that having ‘friendly fire’ can actually make the community pull together more and make teamwork more interesting,” they pointed out.
Still, not everyone has fond memories of being involuntarily launched into orbit or being constantly tripped by overeager Long Sword users. “There is no way we are pretending that being thrown was super awesome and not annoying,” argued one user. Another chimed in, “I remember being thrown off my rhythm and getting #@$&!*.”
Nevertheless, keen-eyed PC Hunters might have noticed that Pablo1517 isn’t the first modder to bring back this mechanic. Back in late 2025, modder kokoane released Launching Mod (PvP), which also restores the ability to send players flying as well. That mod even lets you choose between “World” and “Old World”-style launching, affecting how and what weapons or attacks throw other players. It also includes interactions with the Gunlance’s Wyvern’s Fire explosion, something that appears to be absent from the newer Liftoff mod.
Still, what makes the whole debate somewhat amusing is that Capcom already came up with a solution to this problem anyway. Slotting in the Shock Absorber skill would prevent Hunters from flinching or launching each other with their attacks. Meanwhile, Level 3 Flinch Free could be easily tweaked so it prevents you from getting launched or tripped in case your party “forgot” to use Shock Absorber. You know, a decent way to make those QOL skills relevant again? But I guess maxing out Weakness Exploit is more important than being considerate of your fellow Hunters.
