The Co-op Update: two playtesters, one build

Experimental co-op for two: host a build for a friend or in public, take turns merging commits, and restart each other's process when one of you goes down.

NoMan.exe

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NoMan.exe

QA in Dev Preview of the Dead was always a one-person department. Now you can bring a second playtester.

🎮 Co-op for two (experimental)

Press Co-op on the title screen to host a build for your friends or in public, or to join someone else's from the list. The list shows what's going on in each build: waiting for a partner, playing solo, or a co-op build on wave 7. Friends can also join you straight from the s&box friends list, and if you pick 2 players when you start the game, it hosts for you.

🔀 One shared build

Same arena, same patch notes, same commits. Level-ups take turns: one of you merges a commit, then the other. A weapon card levels up the gun of whoever picked it. Esc pauses for both of you.

🧟 Down, not out

When one of you goes down, the other can bring them back: stand next to them until their process restarts. Shipping the wave brings everyone back. Both down, and the build ships without you.

⚖️ Tuned for two

More enemies, tougher ones, and bosses with a lot more health, so two shotguns don't turn wave 20 into a formality. The Physics Gun and the Tool Gun sit this one out for now.

🏆 What counts

Career XP: both of you earn half the team score.
Achievements: what the team does (waves, bosses, combos) unlocks for both of you. Your own crowbar kills are still yours.
Leaderboards: co-op runs stay off the solo boards, and the daily build stays solo.
Career perks: rebase, revert, your stack and crunch sit out in co-op, like in the daily build.

📡 It's experimental

Your partner's ping is on the HUD, and the game warns you when the connection drops. If your partner leaves, the run carries on for you, and the host can remove a partner from a public build. If something breaks, tell me in the forum or the reviews: what happened, and on which wave.

Also: Play now asks how many players and who can join before the game starts. Pick 1 player to play solo, exactly as before.

Co-op

26 October 2026

Areas

9 changes in this update

Co-op (experimental)

Co-op for two - host a build for friends or in public from the title's Co-op screen, or join one from the list
Joining friends - friends can join your build from the s&box friends list, and picking 2 players at Play hosts one for you
Shared build - one arena, one set of patch notes and commits, level-ups take turns
Revive - stand next to a downed partner to restart their process, shipping the wave brings everyone back
Tuned for two - more and tougher enemies, bosses with extra health
Rewards - both players earn half the team score as career XP, and team achievements unlock for both
Connection - your partner's ping on the HUD, and a warning when the connection drops
Remove - the host can remove a partner from a public build

Play - the game asks how many players and who can join before it starts, 1 player plays solo as before

people

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