Summary
Since its reveal at The Game Awards 2022, fans have been eagerly anticipating the release ofRemnant 2, the upcoming sequel toRemnant: From The Ashes. Contrary to other Soulslike titles that are typically single-player focused experiences,Remnant 2is very much a co-op game and truly shines when playing in a squad with friends. With many returning players to the franchise drawn in by the appeal ofRemnant’s co-op gameplay, the lingering question on many fans' mind is actually one that hasn’t received a definitive answer from developer Gunfire Games. The title enters its early launch period today ahead of the official release of July 25, and whetherRemnant 2supports cross-play is still unknown.
The issue of cross-play is a prominent one for fans considering picking up a new co-op focused live-service title, as being able to play with friends is predicated on everyone using the same hardware if cross-play isn’t an included feature.Remnant: From The Ashesnotably featured cross-play, albeit in a limited fashion, with players limited to playing cross-play between hardware generations. While PS4 and PS5 owners could play together, they couldn’t squad up with their Xbox console-owning friends. With other major live-service releases embracing cross-play, the apparent lack of that feature duringRemnant 2’s launch windowmay hinder player adoption.
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In a Packed 2023, Remnant 2 Needs Cross-Play to Be Competitive
With no definitive confirmation from developer Gunfire Games on the title’s support of cross-platform play, the possibility ofRemnant 2launching without the feature intact appears ever more likely. While there is still hope that the developer will add cross-play functionality in a future update or patch, there is also still the question of how that cross-play will function. Given thatRemnant: From The Ashesonly allowed for players to link up across different hardware generations from the same manufacturer, the implementation of fully-fledged cross-play inRemnant 2would be a welcome addition. Not only that, withDiablo 4still fresh in players' minds it’s practically a necessity.
Woes about loot drop rates and class nerfs aside,Diablo 4’s launch and first season have essentially been a rousing success. From a technical standpoint, linking up with friends and fellow clan members works seamlessly regardless of platform thanks to players' accounts being tied to their Battle.net tag. WhileRemnant 2is a very different type of gamecoming from a developer that arguably doesn’t have the same resources as Activision Blizzard, it is another game with co-op play as one of its definitive draws. For one of the year’s biggest and most-anticipated co-op releases to arrive without cross-play is unfortunate in terms of its launch window success.
In the increasingly populated live-service co-op space, games that feature cross-play are automatically set up for greater success than those that don’t, thanks to a lack of limitations placed on who players can team up with. While players who own multiple consoles and a PC have their pick ofwhich platform to purchaseRemnant 2for, others may have to contend with one choice of hardware that, without cross-play, locks them out of playing with friends. For a co-op focused game that has a dedicated legion of fans from its predecessor, this lack of cross-play could turn off would-be players.
The safest option for players hoping to pick upRemnant 2and get the squad back together is to agree on which platform everyone will purchase the game. However, with other live-service titles not requiring this kind of logistic alignment, it’s a shame that the cross-play functionalityfeatured inRemnant: From The Asheswasn’t at the forefront of the developer’s priorities at launch. After all,Remnant 2is only available on modern-gen consoles and PC, which should theoretically make implementation of cross-play a no-brainer without having to worry about multiple generations of hardware. With any luck, cross-play functionality will be present at the official launch on July 25 or added in a post-launch patch.
Remnant 2releases on July 25 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
