Last updated: July 30, 2026. This guide reflects the launch version of Mistfall Hunter.
Quick Answer: Solo is best if you enjoy Soulslike combat, stealth, and making every decision yourself. Squad is best if you're new, want faster farming, or have friends to play with. Neither is objectively better. The biggest mistake is expecting solo to feel like a PvE RPG.
Who This Guide Is For
This guide is for players who are deciding how to start Mistfall Hunter—not for players looking for advanced class builds or endgame optimisation. If you're trying to figure out whether to queue solo or with a squad for your first few hours, you're in the right place.
The Decision Most Players Don't Realize They're Making
Most players think the biggest decision in Mistfall Hunter is choosing a class. It's not. Whether you play solo or in a squad will shape how quickly you learn the game, how often you extract, and even whether you enjoy the PvPvE experience at all.
The class you pick matters. But how you queue matters more. And the community is deeply divided on which approach is better.
Why Players Can't Agree
Spend ten minutes reading Steam discussions or Reddit and you'll notice players aren't arguing about whether solo exists—they're arguing about what Mistfall Hunter is supposed to be.
The game officially launched July 29, 2026, as a dark fantasy PvPvE extraction ARPG where every run is a high-stakes gamble: loot deep, survive the fog, and ring the bell to extract—or lose everything.
But that "PvPvE" label creates a massive split in the community.
One side argues that the threat of other players is what makes every extraction matter. Without it, you're just playing a repetitive PvE Soulslike. The other side says forced PvP "kills any hope of it being good and fair" and that a PvE-only mode would make it the extraction co-op Soulslike they've been waiting for.
Here's the thing: solo does not mean PvE. You still encounter other players. The official game loop is PvPvE regardless of party size. Understanding this distinction is the first step to deciding how to play.
What the Community Gets Right About Solo
Why Solo Feels Rewarding
Every item is yours. No arguments over loot distribution. Every Gyldenblod, every relic, every piece of gear you extract with is yours alone.
Stealth matters more. Solo players can move quieter, pick their fights, and avoid unnecessary engagements. The Shadowstrix class, in particular, shines here.
You control the pace. No one dragging you into fights you don't want. No one rushing extraction before you've found good loot.
Why Solo Is Brutal
One mistake ends your run. You go down—you're done. No revives. No backup.
Extraction bells reveal your position. The moment you ring the bell, every player nearby knows exactly where you are. That's when solo becomes most dangerous.
Enemy squads can overwhelm you. Three players focusing one target usually ends badly for the solo player.
Repeated community comments describe solo as the highest-risk, highest-reward experience. Many experienced extraction players prefer solo because they control every decision. But the punishment for greed is absolute.
What the Community Gets Wrong About Solo
Common Belief: "Solo is impossible."
Reality: Many players prefer solo because they control every decision. While it's more challenging, it's absolutely viable. The Mercenary class, with its high durability and straightforward abilities, is frequently recommended for solo players who want to survive their mistakes.
Common Belief: "Solo means PvE."
Reality: You still encounter enemy players. The game's extraction loop remains PvPvE regardless of party size. If you're hoping to avoid PvP entirely by playing solo, you'll be disappointed.
Common Belief: "You need the strongest class."
Reality: Decision-making usually matters more than tier lists during early progression. A Mercenary with good extraction sense beats a Sorcerer who gets greedy.
What the Community Gets Right About Squads
Why Squads Work
Better boss control. With three players, you can take down towering monstrosities that would grind a solo player down. Faster farming = better loot.
Easier revives. If you go down, teammates can pick you up. If you go down solo, the run is over.
More forgiving learning experience. New players benefit from having teammates who can cover their mistakes. The Seer class, which struggles alone, becomes invaluable in a coordinated group with its healing and protection spells.
Crossplay works seamlessly. Squadding up is easy across PC, PS5, and Xbox.
What the Community Gets Wrong About Squads
Common Belief: "More teammates = easier game."
Reality: Random teammates can over-pull enemies, split the group, break stealth, steal loot, or aggro unnecessary enemies. As one community member put it: "Random teammates are sometimes harder to deal with than enemy players." Bad teammates can actually lower extraction success. Many players say random matchmaking is a gamble—sometimes you get a coordinated squad, sometimes you get people who go solo in trios and get everyone killed.
Common Belief: "Squads eliminate risk."
Reality: A coordinated enemy team is still dangerous. You're not invincible just because you have backup. And if you're playing with randoms, there's no guarantee they'll have your back.
Common Belief: "Squad = faster progression."
Reality: If your squad members are inexperienced or uncoordinated, you'll wipe faster than you would solo. Good squad play requires communication and synergy.
Solo vs Squad: The Real Trade-Offs
Choose Solo if:
You enjoy Soulslikes
You like stealth and careful positioning
You don't mind slower progression
You enjoy making every decision yourself
You want all the loot for yourself
Choose Squad if:
You're new and want a more forgiving experience
You want faster farming and boss clears
You have friends to play with
You enjoy class synergy
Best Classes for Each Playstyle
If you're searching for the best solo class, this section answers that directly.
Best for Solo
Mercenary – One of the strongest beginner-friendly solo classes thanks to its durability and forgiving playstyle. The shield setup lets you learn enemy attacks safely, while the War Hammer offers heavy damage when you're ready.
Sorcerer – Incredible ranged damage and crowd control. The Blink ability lets you instantly reposition or escape dangerous melee engagements. Squishy, but devastating when played well.
Shadowstrix – The solo player's favorite for stealth. Invisibility lets you avoid unnecessary fights and ambush distracted opponents. High skill ceiling—managing invisibility and positioning takes practice.
Best for Squad
Seer – The primary support class. Healing and protection spells make it invaluable in coordinated groups. Struggles alone but shines in trios.
Blackarrow – Widely considered one of the strongest trio picks in the current launch meta thanks to battlefield control, positioning tactics, and ranged damage that shines during PvEvP transitions.
Withered Knight – Strong at engaging and applying debuffs. A common recommendation from early players is to pair a frontline class like Withered Knight with Blackarrow for ranged pressure and Seer for healing and support.
Does Solo or Squad Help You Improve Faster?
This is the question most guides ignore.
Solo teaches you:
Positioning – every step matters when no one has your back
Patience – waiting for the right moment to engage or extract
Extraction timing – knowing when to leave with what you have
Map awareness – memorising routes, enemy spawns, and escape paths
Squad teaches you:
Teamwork – coordinating abilities and covering each other
Boss mechanics – surviving longer means seeing more attack patterns
Class synergy – understanding how abilities complement each other
Communication – calling out enemy positions and loot priorities
Neither approach is "better" for improvement—they develop completely different skill sets. If you're new to extraction games, squads help you learn the basics with a safety net. If you're experienced, solo sharpens your fundamentals faster.
Mistakes New Solo Players Make
Many players start solo because they think it avoids PvP. Others jump straight into random squads expecting an easier experience. Community discussions suggest both assumptions lead to frustration.
The most common regret? Players who roll solo with a squad mentality. Charging into every fight, staying too long on the map, ignoring the extraction timer—that mindset will lose you everything fast.
The tutorial doesn't explain these critical lessons:
Extraction timing matters more than kills. Calling the bell is the loudest thing you can do. It broadcasts your position to every player on the map. Don't extract unless you're ready for company.
Not every fight is worth taking. Many experienced extraction players recommend avoiding unnecessary PvP rather than chasing every fight, especially during early progression.
Escaping with average loot beats dying with legendary loot. Greed is the #1 killer in extraction games. Know when to leave.
Does Matchmaking Change the Answer?
Yes—and this is a bigger factor than most guides acknowledge.
If you have friends who play: Squad is almost always better. Coordinated groups with voice chat can dominate.
If you're using random matchmaking: The answer gets complicated. Random teammates are a gamble. Some are helpful, communicative, and coordinate well. Others ignore objectives, steal loot, or run off alone and get everyone killed.
If you don't use voice chat: Squad becomes less valuable. Many of the benefits of team play—coordinated pushes, callouts, shared tactics—require communication. Without it, you're just three solo players sharing a lobby.
If you're playing solo by choice: The experience is pure. Every decision is yours. Every victory is yours alone. But every loss is also yours.
The Duo Queue Situation
One of the biggest community discussions right now: there's no duo matchmaking.
Players repeatedly ask, "Why solo and trios but no duos?".
The developers have officially reiterated that duo matchmaking is not planned in the short term, citing matchmaking balance and queue health rather than simply ignoring the request. They've also confirmed that a solo version of Brandrgarde may appear as a limited-time mode, and that class balance will be adjusted separately for Solo and Trio data after launch. These are active design choices, not just community speculation.
If you want to play with exactly one friend, your options are:
Queue as a duo in trios (you'll face three-person squads)
Both queue solo and hope to get matched together (not recommended)
This affects the solo vs squad decision more than people realise. If you have one friend, you're forced into a disadvantage against full trios—or you both play solo.
The Soulslike Expectation Mismatch
Many Soulslike players come to Mistfall Hunter expecting:
Slow, methodical exploration
Boss fights as the primary challenge
Progression through pattern recognition
Instead they discover:
Extraction timers that punish hesitation
Loot risk that makes every death painful
Hostile players who don't follow boss patterns
This expectation mismatch explains many early complaints better than simply saying "PvPvE is divisive." Soulslike players aren't wrong to expect careful combat. But Mistfall Hunter isn't a Soulslike—it's an extraction game with Soulslike combat. The moment you treat it like a pure PvE dungeon crawler, you've already lost.
Is Mistfall Hunter More Fun Solo or Squad?
Fun doesn't equal easier. It depends on what you enjoy.
Solo is more fun if you enjoy:
Tension and high stakes
Stealth and careful planning
Independence and self-reliance
The satisfaction of escaping against the odds
Squad is more fun if you enjoy:
Teamwork and coordination
Communication and shared victories
Boss fights and fast farming
Learning from teammates
Neither is objectively more fun. But understanding what you enjoy—not what's "easier"—will help you choose the right mode.
Should You Start Solo or Squad?
Start Solo if:
You've played extraction games before (like Dark and Darker)
You enjoy stealth and careful positioning
You don't mind losing runs while you learn
You prefer making every decision yourself
Start Squad if:
You're completely new to extraction games
You have friends who already play
You want safer boss kills and faster farming
You enjoy teamwork and coordination
Start Solo (for now) if:
You only have random matchmaking
You want to learn maps before risking teammates
You're patient and don't mind slower progression
Can You Switch Between Solo and Squad?
Yes. The game doesn't lock you into one mode. You can queue solo one run and squad the next.
Your inventory and overall progression carry across modes, so switching between solo and squad is encouraged rather than punished.
Many players recommend:
Learning maps solo first (less chaos, more time to explore)
Switching to squads for farming (faster clears, better loot)
Returning to solo when you want a challenge
There's no penalty for switching. Experiment and see what works for you.
Why This Debate Will Keep Changing
The solo vs squad conversation isn't static. The developers have confirmed they'll analyse class balance separately for Solo and Trio data after launch, meaning today's strongest solo class might not be tomorrow's. Seasonal updates, new classes, and limited-time modes like the planned solo Brandrgarde variant will shift the meta regularly.
What works best today may change in future seasons. That's why this guide includes a "Last updated" note—we'll revisit these recommendations as the game evolves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mistfall Hunter worth playing solo?
Yes, if you enjoy high-risk, high-reward gameplay. The Mercenary and Sorcerer are strong solo picks.
Is solo harder than squads?
Yes. One mistake and you lose everything. But many players prefer the challenge and the control.
Can solo players beat squads?
Yes, but it requires excellent positioning and timing. Stealth classes like Shadowstrix can ambush distracted groups.
Can you avoid PvP?
No. The game is PvPvE. You will encounter other players in every run.
What's the best beginner class?
Mercenary. It's durable, forgiving, and teaches the fundamentals.
Should new players start solo?
Only if you're experienced with Soulslike or extraction games. Otherwise, start with a squad.
Final Verdict
Solo rewards better decision-making, while squads reduce the punishment for mistakes. The best choice depends less on difficulty and more on the type of tension you enjoy.
If you want a stealthy, methodical experience where every decision matters and every victory is yours alone—go solo.
If you want faster farming, safer boss fights, and the camaraderie of team play—go squad.
But don't expect either mode to let you escape the PvPvE loop. That's the game's identity.
If you're undecided, start with a few solo runs to learn the maps, then move into coordinated squads once you're comfortable with extraction timing. You'll understand both sides of the debate far better after experiencing each yourself.
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