If you’ve spent hours wandering the flower meadows and misty forests of Infinity Nikki, you’ve probably heard other players rave about the elusive Maskwing, a glowing, butterfly-like creature that’s one of the hardest collectibles to find in the game. I spent three straight days missing my chance at this rare spawn before I figured out the exact tricks that work every time, so I’m breaking down exactly how to catch Maskwing Infinity Nikki without wasting hours of your playtime. You don’t need any premium items or endgame progression to pull this off, either — all you need is a little patience and the right info to skip the frustrating trial and error I went through. I even tested all the common “pro hacks” I saw floating around community forums, so I can tell you which ones are actually worth your time and which are just made up.
Key Prerequisites Before You Try to Catch Maskwing Infinity Nikki
A lot of new players assume you need the premium golden net to catch rare creatures like Maskwing, but that’s not true. The standard net you unlock after completing the ‘Flower Field Rescue’ side quest works just fine, as long as you time your swing correctly. If you’re trying to catch Maskwing Infinity Nikki to complete the Rare Creature Collection achievement, you don’t need to have any of the other butterflies caught first, either — this one is unlocked as a separate spawn regardless of your collection progress.
The only other thing you’ll want to have on hand is the Fragrant Lure consumable, which you can craft from 3 sunflower petals and 1 dewdrop, both easy to find in the starting meadow area. This lure doubles the chance a Maskwing will stay in place for 10 extra seconds after it spots you, which makes a huge difference if you’re still getting used to the catch mechanics. Don’t waste your premium currency on special lures for this, by the way. I tested both the paid and free lures across 12 spawn attempts, and the difference in success rate was less than 5% — not worth the cost at all.
Exact Spawn Locations and Peak Active Times
Maskwing only spawns in three specific zones across the map, and it only appears during very specific weather and time windows, which is why most players never stumble on it by accident. It never shows up in rainy or snowy weather, so you can skip searching entirely if the forecast isn’t clear. If you’re having bad luck spawning Maskwing Infinity Nikki, try switching to a less crowded server, as high-population instances often have rare creatures claimed within seconds of spawning.
The three zones it spawns in are the western edge of the Sunflower Meadow, the north side of the Misty Forest clearing, and the small island in the middle of Moonlit Lake. Peak spawn times are between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. in-game time, and it only stays visible for 3 minutes at most before it despawns. I like to set an in-game timer for 1:45 a.m. and fast travel to each spawn point in order to check if it’s there, which cuts down on waiting time a lot. If you don’t see it at the first spot, move to the second immediately, then the third — it only spawns in one spot per in-game night, so you don’t have to double back.
Step-by-Step Catch Process to Avoid Spooking It
Now that you know where to find it, the actual catch process is super straightforward as long as you don’t make the common mistakes that scare it off before you can swing your net. I’ve broken the process down into 4 simple steps that work 90% of the time for me:
- First, crouch as soon as you spot the Maskwing — any running or jumping within 20 feet of it will make it fly away instantly. You can walk slowly while crouched without spooking it, so take your time moving closer.
- Second, if you brought the Fragrant Lure, use it when you’re 10 feet away before you pull out your net. This will stop it from moving for 10 seconds, so you don’t have to chase it if it starts to drift away.
- Third, aim for the center of its glowing wing pattern when you swing your net. The hitbox is smaller than you’d think, and aiming for the edges of its body will almost always result in a miss.
- Fourth, if you miss your first swing, don’t panic — you have exactly one more chance to swing before it flies away. Wait half a second for it to stop drifting after the first miss, then swing again immediately.
I used to rush this process and swing as soon as I got close, which is why I missed my first 7 attempts. Taking 2 extra seconds to get in position and aim makes all the difference, and you won’t waste the 24-hour in-game cooldown before it spawns again. If you do miss both swings, just mark the spawn spot on your map and come back the next in-game night — it has a 70% chance to respawn in the same spot for two nights in a row, in my experience.
Common Mistakes That Make Maskwing Despawn Early
The biggest mistake I see new players make is using any kind of emote or skill while they’re approaching the Maskwing. Even the basic dance emote will make it fly away immediately, so keep your character still and only use the lure and net while you’re near it. Never use fast travel within 50 feet of a spawn point, either — the spawn animation will scare off any Maskwing that’s already loaded in, so fast travel to the nearest waypoint outside the spawn zone and walk the rest of the way.
Another common mistake is checking spawn points during the day, or when the weather is even slightly overcast. Maskwing only spawns in perfectly clear weather during the dead of night, so don’t waste your time searching if those conditions aren’t met. If you’re playing in co-op mode, make sure all players in your group are crouched too — even if one person is running around, the Maskwing will despawn for everyone in the instance. I learned this the hard way when my friend ran up to show me a new outfit right as I was about to catch my first Maskwing, and it vanished before I could swing. If you’re playing with friends, assign one person to watch for the spawn and alert everyone to crouch as soon as it’s spotted.
At the end of the day, catching this rare creature doesn’t have to be a frustrating grind if you come prepared with the right info. Once you get the hang of the spawn times and catch process, you’ll be able to add it to your collection in just a couple of in-game nights, no premium items required. I’ve used these exact steps to catch Maskwing for 11 of my friends who were stuck trying to find it, so I know they work consistently. Next time you’re logging on for a night of exploration, give these tips a try and you’ll figure out how to catch Maskwing Infinity Nikki way faster than I did when I first started playing.