Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass has undeniably become a mainstay in the gaming world. Though it’s not the only subscription service available, it’s arguably the most popular, and perhaps the best. Subscribers are treated to launch day access to every first-party Xbox game, along with a few third-party gems from time to time.
While this feature is a key attraction, Game Pass’s popularity could be attributed to its vast and varied library. Whether you’re into chilling horror experiences or intense online PvP, Microsoft’s platform has got you covered. Naturally, it also includes some stellar online co-op games, but which ones stand out as the cream of the crop on Game Pass?
As of November 25, 2024, significant additions to Game Pass’s co-op selection have been scarce, except for Black Ops 6. To shake things up, let’s explore two exciting titles that support both local and online multiplayer.
We’ll largely focus on titles that emphasize online co-op, since local co-op adventures are featured in a different discussion. Nevertheless, a few must-play exceptions will sneak in at the end.
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6
Zombies Co-Op Is Back
Released just in time for Halloween on October 25, 2024, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 made a striking debut as a Day One title on Game Pass. While Activision’s blockbuster shooter could easily draw a crowd without any extra help, its inclusion in the subscription service makes a persuasive argument for idle players to return. Treyarch’s renewed focus on a traditional campaign, in contrast to some less impactful recent stories, boosts the appeal even further.
Although its single-player campaign isn’t cooperative, Black Ops 6 still caters heavily to multiplayer fans, whether you’re duking it out in PvP or teaming up against the undead. Familiar modes—Deathmatch, Kill Order, Domination—invite 6v6 chaos, where cooperation might not be at the forefront, but teamwork certainly leads to victory. However, for a solid co-op option, the revived Zombies mode is where it’s at. The formula hearkens back to Cold War’s style, challenging a team of four to fend off waves of zombies on two available maps while unlocking new territories, firepower, and abilities. With a few timely tweaks, Black Ops 6’s Zombies promises to stand strong as one of the series’ best, with hopes for ongoing enhancements.
Sea Of Thieves
A Pirate Adventure That Is Meant To Be Taken With Friends
Sea of Thieves has transformed spectacularly from a lukewarm launch into a standout multiplayer experience. Up to four pirates can join forces, embarking on adventures full of loot, lore, and potential kraken encounters. While solo endeavors exist, this game thrives on cooperative play as well as PvP encounters.
Even years after its release, Rare continues to whip up fresh events and treasures, ensuring Sea of Thieves remains brimming with new discoveries for your crew.
Core Keeper
Fight, Build, And Survive (Alone Or With Friends)
Released in August 2024 by developer Pugstorm, Core Keeper is a survival-building game featuring eight-player co-op. Throughout its early access to full release, this multiplayer functionality remained an integral feature. Core Keeper, primarily marketed for single players, subtly invites cooperative gameplay by its very design.
Players dive into a vast, dimly lit world, driven by their curiosity and a knack for digging and resource gathering. Despite an initially aimless feeling, its solid crafting, combat, and building mechanics engage from the get-go, improving with time and exploration.
Core Keeper embodies that addictive spirit found in select indie survival-crafting titles, with co-op play adding a cozy layer to spice up the gameplay.
Remnant 2
Soulslike Shooter Designed With Co-Op In Mind
Remnant: From the Ashes and its sequel, Remnant 2, both available on Xbox Game Pass, are notable co-op hits. The Soulslike genre often dips its toes into multiplayer, but these titles dive in fully, with the sequel particularly tailored for cooperative play. Launch day issues notwithstanding, Remnant 2 generally ups the ante over its predecessor with thrilling gameplay.
A third-person Soulslike shooter at its core, Remnant 2 emphasizes dynamic firearm action, enhanced by a robust character-building system. Each archetype (except the solo-oriented Handler) complements fellow players effectively, showcasing the game’s co-op appeal in a procedurally generated, aesthetically diverse world.
Dead Island 2
Just Uncomplicated Zombie Destroying Fun
Dead Island 2, initially well-received but truly finding its stride on Game Pass, defies its seemingly mediocre premise by delivering an incredibly fun experience. Although not mind-blowing in concept, its visceral gore system and calculated focus on nailing core game mechanics create an irresistibly satisfying zombie-slaying ride.
Primarily praised for its solo campaign, Dead Island 2 offers a solid standalone experience. However, jumping into online co-op doesn’t lag far behind, offering a seamless joining process that allows friends to team up once past early campaign stages—sharing the zombie mayhem from thereon.
Warhammer 40000: Darktide
Challenging Co-Op Campaign for Warhammer 40K Fans
Amid countless Warhammer 40K games, Darktide sets itself apart as a recent action-heavy gem that appeals beyond the franchise’s fan base. It offers four distinct classes, each uniquely balanced for cooperative gameplay, to tackle formidable foes.
With no single-player option, teamwork is key in Darktide’s punishing campaign, requiring strategic cooperation to defeat its many bosses and relentless adversaries.
Minecraft Legends
Decent Entry-Level Real-Time Strategy Game
Minecraft Legends has carved out a respectable place for itself, delivering a fun, accessible real-time strategy (RTS) experience rooted in Minecraft’s world. While players shouldn’t expect the deepest RTS mechanics, its combinative hack and slash format makes this title a welcoming gateway to the genre.
Should solo adventuring grow stale, invite a few friends to take down Piglins together. Minecraft Legends’ online co-op doesn’t drastically alter the core gameplay, favoring independent player actions while promoting collaborative mischief.
Grounded
Survive A Familiar World with A Few Friends
Breaking new ground for Obsidian, Grounded transitions from the studio’s character-driven RPG roots into a shrunk-down survival saga. Players, miniaturized, wander a bug-riddled backyard, juggling exploration, story elements, and ensuring survival within this ecosystem.
Grounded excels in single-player, yet supports immersive online co-op. It even offers the creation of Shared Worlds, accessible without the original host, allowing alleigible narrative to thrive in each session.
Space Engineers
Challenging But Rewarding Sci-Fi Sandbox
Space Engineers, while not the easiest game to jump into, offers a unique sandbox experience poised in the great expanse. Players start with minimal resources, mining asteroids for materials to construct extraordinary creations—ships included—using a voxel-based framework, enabling boundless creative potential.
Beginners might benefit from solo exploration before joining multiplayer servers, where up to four Xbox users can share in the cosmic quest. While collaboration isn’t enforced, fostering interaction can lead to rewarding co-op endeavors.
Palworld
Ambitious Blend Of Genres
Launching January 19, 2024, Palworld shook the gaming landscape by fusing open-world survival with Pokémon-esque creature-catching and third-person shooting. Pocket Pair’s commitment to the project may leave room for improvement, but the game already clicks in unexpected ways.
Set in the Palpagos Islands, Palworld beckons explorers to fortify bases and catch helpful creatures, which aid both in combat and base duties. Simplified survival mechanics blend diverse gameplay elements, creating an allure in its innovative genre mix.
Designed for solo play and online co-op, Palworld welcomes players onto 32-user servers or smaller squads. Co-op maximizes its entertainment potential, adding depth to an already engaging loop.
Payday 2
Classic Heist Game That Is Still Better Than Payday 3
Payday 2, in all its aged glory, remains a cooperative gem that endures. Routinely captivating, the title thrives where friends unite for thrilling heists—a cycle of planning intricacy and exciting execution.
With widely varied avenues to success and a dynamic skill tree, each robbery adopts a unique flair, ensuring replayability alongside well-balanced team dynamics.
Conan Exiles
Survival Open-World Game That Wears Many Hats, Including Co-Op
Despite a rocky start, Conan Exiles’ remarkable staying power underlines its versatility. From dedicated single-player campaigns to constant survival modes, the game adapts to player preference.
Multiplayer offers PvE and PvP servers, with co-op thriving in quieter corners of the lands. Private setups banishing PvP create ideal cooperative adventurers as players delve deeper into Conan’s world.
World War Z: Aftermath
Blast Through Hordes Of Zombies
Evolving from its 2019 origins, World War Z: Aftermath enhances the cooperative zombie-shooter experience with further content and value adjustments. Modernized and compelling, Aftermath easily stands against peers with its explosive and strategy-laden gameplay.
The classes provide varied playstyles, enabling cohesive team dynamics as players face intimidating hordes and diverse location-based challenges.
Deep Rock Galactic
Group Up, Get In, Grab Resources, Make Bank
In Deep Rock Galactic, players dive deep into Hoxxes IV’s hazardous depths, extracting resources while fending off merciless creatures. With procedurally generated environments, the experience remains fresh from one adventure to the next.
Specialist dwarves define each squad of explorers, with the game encouraging diverse role selection during co-op sessions. While solo play holds appeal, the camaraderie and coordinated teamwork in multiplayer elevate the adventure to new heights.
Monster Hunter Rise
Hunters Unite For Capcom’s Most Accessible MH Game
Monster Hunter Rise accommodates both lone wolves and social adventurers, providing up to four-player co-op for its monster-slaying escapades. Heightened difficulty challenges friends to join forces using skills learned in the standalone village segments.
Whether hunting solo or together, Rise offers engaging quests open for collaboration, inviting players to customize builds and explore a wide array of thrilling combat encounters.
Halo Infinite
Not Perfect, But It Is Still Halo
Halo Infinite’s rocky initial release eventually found its footing, delivering a solid campaign enriched by cooperative play. Despite launching sans co-op, the inclusion of online multiplayer rounds out the package—deservedly embracing its legacy.
Linear story moments outshine open-world co-op sections, yet the overall experience holds merit for Halo aficionados who cherish shared Chief battles against familiar foes.
These insights explore how Game Pass fuels cooperative adventures across a diverse range of genres. Whether you’re a fan of first-person shooters, strategy games, or open-world survival, the Xbox library promises exciting shared experiences for you and your friends.
