Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 Four-Player Co-op and Cross-Play Voice Chat
AFE2 launched with 4-player co-op, crossplay, and cross-platform voice on day one. A post-launch patch already fixed a voice-chat issue affecting cross-platform friends and an Xbox invite bug. Here is how to form the squad and get everyone talking.
Core problem: Get four people into the same fireteam across PC (Steam/Epic), PS5, and Xbox, and actually talk to each other in-game. The first game had late and limited crossplay with no real cross-platform voice. AFE2 fixes that, but you still need to set it up correctly.
1Patch First, Then Enable the Pool
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Install the latest patch on every platform in the group.
A post-launch patch fixed a voice-chat issue affecting cross-platform friends and an Xbox bug where accepting an invite did not join the session.
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Leave crossplay on.
Quick Play queues campaign and Horde together so the pool stays larger.
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Sessions are P2P. Whoever has the most stable connection should host.
A weak host means drops and desync. Host migration exists but is not a free pass.
2Form the Four-Player Squad
Same-platform friends: use the platform friends list and invite as usual.
Cross-platform friends (invite code flow):
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Get everyone into the ship / social menu.
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Open Team, then Cross-play.
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One player generates an invite code and stays on that screen.
Do not leave the code screen until the others have accepted.
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The others enter the code and accept.
Xbox Game Pass PC and Xbox console treat each other as same-ecosystem friends, you do not need the code for that pair.
3Turn On Cross-Platform Voice (In the Lobby, Not Mid-Swarm)
In-game voice is supposed to work across PC, PS5, and Xbox. Players still report it failing until settings and permissions are aligned. Do this on every machine before you drop:
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Headset plugged in and selected as both input and output.
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Game audio settings: Voice Chat On.
Prefer push-to-talk if you have it. Open mic with a noisy room wrecks callouts.
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Platform mic permission (see per-platform steps below).
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Talk once in the lobby.
When someone speaks, their name should flash on the left. If it does not, they are not in the game voice channel.
4When In-Game Voice Fails: Discord Backup
Use the official Discord server. That is what the publisher and Steam news keep pointing at for LFG and voice, and it is what first-game players used when cross comms did not exist.
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Console Discord works (PS5 Linked Services / Xbox Parties and chats, Discord) if everyone is in the same voice channel.
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Keep in-game voice off if you use Discord so you do not get double audio.
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There is no text chat. You get pings. Callouts matter more on higher difficulties because friendly fire is on.
5Decision Checklist Before You Launch
| Situation | Do this |
|---|---|
| All four same platform | Platform invite + in-game voice |
| Mixed PC / PS5 / Xbox | Cross-play code or in-game friends + in-game voice, Discord as backup |
| Xbox invite accepted but not joining | Join from in-game list. Confirm post-launch Xbox invite fix is applied. |
| Need a random 4th | Quick Play, same difficulty |
| Voice dead after 2 minutes | Switch to the official Discord server, stay in that channel for the run |
6Common Mistakes
- Hosting from the worst connection. P2P will punish that.
- Mixing PS Party / Xbox Party with mixed-platform squads. Those parties do not carry voice to the other ecosystem. Use game voice or Discord.
- Leaving one person on the invite-code screen too early. The generator must stay until the others accept.
- Assuming AI fills the fourth slot "well enough" on high difficulty. They shoot and revive, they do not run full class kits.
- Skipping the patch, then blaming "broken cross voice." That specific bug was already listed as fixed.
- Talking over hub NPC dialogue. Hub conversations are long. Mute NPC chatter in audio if you can, or wait until you are in the dropship.