Top Online Co-Op Games on Xbox Game Pass
Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass has established itself as the premier subscription service in gaming, particularly due to the release of major exclusives directly on the platform. Alongside a substantial number of third-party titles available from Day One, the diversity of gaming options ensures that there’s something for every gaming aficionado. While there are numerous outstanding single-player titles, the platform also boasts a wide selection of the best Xbox co-op games.
Co-op gaming has evolved significantly over the years, with online multiplayer now taking center stage, even as local co-op remains cherished. In this article, we will highlight the best co-op games on Game Pass focusing predominantly on titles that support online multiplayer. However, we will also mention some notable local co-op games towards the end.
Updated December 25, 2024 by Mark Sammut: As we approach the end of the year, Game Pass continues to captivate subscribers with a variety of online co-op titles. Despite a slight slowdown in new offerings, December introduced some noteworthy games. For a specific game added this month, please click the link below to explore it directly.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Zombies Co-Op Is Back
Although not the first in its franchise to land on Game Pass, Black Ops 6 marks a significant milestone as the first Day One release in the series. While it inevitably attracts a vast audience, particularly those loyal to the franchise, its availability on Game Pass offers a perfect opportunity for returning players who may have lost interest in recent iterations. Treyarch aims to entice this demographic with a more traditional narrative campaign.
Despite the single-player focus of the campaign, Black Ops 6 is crafted around its multiplayer functionality, encompassing both PvP and co-op modes. Key multiplayer options like Deathmatch, Kill Order, and Domination thrive on teamwork, with cooperative strategies often leading to success. The highlight of co-op gameplay is the return of the Zombies mode, where up to four players can collaborate to survive waves of foes while unlocking new areas, weapons, and enhancements.
Sea of Thieves
A Pirate Adventure Designed for Friends
Once met with lukewarm reception, Sea of Thieves has transformed into a captivating multiplayer experience. Gather a crew of up to four players, and embark on a treasure-seeking adventure across the seas, perilous waters filled with threats like the Kraken. While solitary players exist, they often find themselves at a comparative disadvantage given that the game is designed for co-op engagement and PvP challenges.
Having celebrated over five years since its debut, Rare remains committed to enhancing Sea of Thieves with regular updates, introducing fresh content and exciting loot for crews to explore.
Hunt: Showdown 1896
Hunt Together, Loot Together
Reinvented as Hunt: Showdown 1896 after significant overhauls, this thrilling extraction shooter immerses players in perilous hunts for valuable loot. While primary objectives focus on eliminating monstrous bosses, solo players can opt to grab minor loot and tactically retreat, as permanent death complicates the landscape of gameplay.
While the game allows solo play, its design encourages teamwork, especially in pairs or triads. With player-versus-player (PvP) and environment (PvE) challenges, diving into the action independently can often lead to devastating losses.
Core Keeper
Fight, Build, and Survive (Alone or With Friends)
Core Keeper is a unique blend of survival and sandbox gameplay, featuring procedural generation, expansive crafting, immersive combat, and exciting 8-player co-op. Initially marketed as a single-player experience, the game truly flourishes in its multiplayer capacity, enhancing the overall experience with cooperative exploration and resource gathering.
Set in a dark, expansive world, players embark on an adventurous journey that might feel slightly aimless at first. However, strength lies in its engaging crafting, combat, and building mechanics, ensuring that progress remains captivating as new options become available.
Remnant 2
Soulslike Shooter Crafted with Co-Op in Mind
Both entries in the Remnant series excel in providing extraordinary co-op experiences within the Soulslike genre. Unlike the trend where multiplayer aspects are secondary, Remnant 2 prioritizes cooperative gameplay, allowing players to form dynamic teams through diverse character archetypes designed for complementary play.
Despite some launch challenges, the sequel has garnered praise for its engaging gameplay and world-building, embracing users with intuitive character development and diverse procedural environments.
Dead Island 2
Just Uncomplicated Zombie Destroying Fun
Brimming with positive acclaim upon its release, Dead Island 2 reinvigorated its appeal once added to Xbox Game Pass. While skeptics may initially dismiss it as just another zombie title, the gameplay offers a visceral experience that is exhilarating beyond mere aesthetic appeal.
Although the game leans heavily towards single-player dynamics, co-op gameplay is seamlessly integrated, allowing players to rise up against hordes of undead with ease. Players need to coordinate missions, ensuring a strategic approach that enhances the overall gameplay experience.
Warhammer 40000: Darktide
Challenging Co-Op Campaign for Warhammer 40K Enthusiasts
Among the various games set in the Warhammer franchise, Darktide stands out as an engaging title that delivers frantic action, drawing in both dedicated fans and newcomers alike. Each of its four playable classes brings distinct advantages to co-op play, crafting a multiplayer experience centered around strategic team dynamics.
As the game was designed explicitly for cooperative engagement from the outset, successful campaigns hinge on teamwork, especially when facing formidable challenges.
Minecraft Legends
Decent Entry-Level Real-Time Strategy
While Minecraft Legends may not bathe in universal acclaim, it offers an enjoyable foray into real-time strategy (RTS) mechanics without the steep learning curve typically associated with the genre. Players can gather friends to combat the Piglins, though teamwork does not tie members together, allowing for individual journeys alongside collective objectives.
Grounded
Survive in a Familiar World with Friends
Obsidian has made strides into the survival genre with Grounded, where players shrink down and navigate an oversized backyard teeming with life. While the game excels in single-player, including a collaborative shared world option without a host required, it truly shines in co-op, allowing for integrated strategies as characters explore together.
Space Engineers
Challenging Yet Rewarding Sci-Fi Sandbox
Space Engineers offers a distinct sandbox experience, thrusting players into vast, open space with limited resources to trigger exploration. Though initial immersion may seem daunting, the freedom to build and create is what keeps players engaged. Once they become accustomed to the mechanisms, online multiplayer enhances the experience, fostering social interaction while unraveling the game’s potential.
Palworld
Ambitious Genre-Mixing
Since its early access debut, Palworld has captivated players with its ambitious concept that merges survival elements with monster-capture mechanics. Set on the Palpagos Islands, players dive into an ecosystem rich with opportunities for resource gathering and exploration. The game’s robust co-op functionality supports interactions among friends, adding layers to the overall gameplay experience.
Payday 2
A Classic Heist Game That Outshines Its Successor
Despite its age, Payday 2 remains a cornerstone of the online co-op experience. This title immerses players in the adrenaline-fueled world of executing heists, where meticulous planning and dynamic execution govern success. With a plethora of maps and options, every mission unfolds uniquely, fostering memorable moments among friends.
Conan Exiles
Survival Open-World Game with Co-Op Potential
Offering a dynamic survival experience, Conan Exiles showcases remarkable longevity within its genre. With features accommodating diverse preferences, players can engage in PvE or PvP gameplay, making it suitable for various styles, including co-op endeavors. The flexibility and opportunities for shared adventures significantly enhance its appeal.
World War Z: Aftermath
Blast Through Zombie Hordes
Building on the foundation of the original, World War Z: Aftermath elevates the experience with enhancements that focus on cooperative gameplay. Following a familiar structure of character classes and episodic campaigns, the game delivers relentless action as players fend off hordes of zombies, and its increased emphasis on teamwork makes it a thrilling cooperative venture.
Deep Rock Galactic
Team Up, Explore, and Prosper
Set on the rich planet of Hoxxes IV, Deep Rock Galactic invites players to dig deep in search of valuable resources while battling native creatures. The game’s procedural generation lends it replayability, and the synergy among its four unique dwarf classes ensures that co-op gameplay flourishes, encouraging players to combine skills strategically for optimal success.
Monster Hunter Rise
Unite for Capcom’s Most Accessible Entry Yet
With its cooperative gameplay at the forefront, Monster Hunter Rise invites teams of up to four players to take on thrilling hunts together. While newcomers may wish to tackle the single-player mode first to grasp essential mechanics, the multiplayer hunts create opportunities for team strategy and experimentation, enriching the overall experience while hunting formidable monsters.
Halo Infinite
Not Quite Perfect, But It’s Still Halo
While Halo Infinite faced criticism for not having co-op features at launch, incremental updates introduced multiplayer support that has received mixed reviews. The immersive campaign continues to hold promise despite pacing issues. The ability to play through its missions in co-op now elevates the experience further, revealing the franchise’s essence amidst its challenges.
The Quarry
A Unique Co-Op Experience for Horror Fans
In The Quarry, Supermassive Games offers a gameplay style reminiscent of interactive horror films. Players take on the roles of camp counselors navigating a terrifying narrative, utilizing co-op features to influence decisions collectively while managing the suspense and player agency within a horror context, though the online format might not appeal to all participants.
A Way Out & It Takes Two
Hazelight’s Co-Op Masterpieces Deserve Attention
A Way Out and It Takes Two, both crafted by Hazelight Studios, excel as cooperative experiences necessitating player synergy. Their unique approaches to storytelling and gameplay mechanics enrich the experience, allowing for both local and online players to engage and enjoy complementary narratives revolving around interpersonal relationships.
Moving Out 2
Collaborate in a Whimsical Business Adventure
Continuing the fun, Moving Out 2 takes players into the chaotic world of relocations. The hilarious premise combines with engaging co-op gameplay where players can tackle absurd tasks that require coordination and adaptability. The game’s humor serves to enhance the collective experience, making it a perfect fit for friends looking for light-hearted fun.
Diablo 4
An Engaging Experience in Both Modes
Diablo 4 has faced its share of controversy, but as a multiplayer experience, it thrives. Players are encouraged to team up in various campaigns while seamlessly progressing together. The synergy of cooperative play fosters character builds that uniquely complement one another, enhancing their overall enjoyment of the exquisite loot and battle mechanics.
For those searching for engaging co-op experiences, Xbox Game Pass continues to evolve, with its rich lineup providing something for everyone. From intense action shooters to whimsical adventures, the multiplayer opportunities are expansive and exhilarating.
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