2021 has already seen many four-player co-op games release, but more are on the way, including Back 4 Blood, Halo Infinite, and Dying Light 2.
With ever-increasing ease of video game connectivity, co-op games seem to be on the rise. Whether PvP like Fortnite, PvE like Borderlands, or simply chill like Stardew Valley, co-op games allow friends to squad up and work together to win or have a good time. Though 2021's new co-op games vary in the number of players supported, four-player co-op seems to be one of the most popular team sizes, even across genres.
As the year is already halfway done, several four-player co-op games have already been released. Looter shooter Outriders launched in April, allowing players to work together to fight through a post-apocalyptic, sci-fi story. Similarly, Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance launched in June - albeit to a mediocre reception, though its experience improves when players take advantage of a full, four-person party.
Other four-player co-op games, such as WB Montreal's Gotham Knights and Arkane's Redfall, are set to launch in 2022 and beyond. Fortunately, 2021 still has many more four-player titles lines up, partially due to delays out of 2020 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Back 4 Blood
Left 4 Dead developer Turtle Rock Studios debuted Back 4 Blood at 2020's The Game Awards. Currently slated to release August 5, 2o21, Back 4 Blood will feature a four-player co-op campaign. Players will be able to team up to fight their way through hordes of zombie-like creatures called the Ridden. Just as the various Ridden enemy types have unique abilities, each of the player-controlled human Cleaners comes equipped with their own skills. This will allow multiplayer parties to strategize for well-rounded plans of attack.
Dying Light 2: Stay Human
Set to release December 7, Dying Light 2: Stay Human is an open-world action RPG that takes place in a new Dark Age brought about by a zombie apocalypse. It's a sequel to 2015's Dying Light, but it takes place 20 years later and features a new cast of characters. Its narrative plays a central role, and the decisions players make as they encounter different factions directly impact the course of the story. Up to four players are supported for co-op. Players join the narrative of the party host, allowing them to see how the campaign differs from game to game. However, this means any progress made on the host's campaign is not transferred over to those who join.
The Anacrusis
In this extraterrestrial first person shooter, four players must work together to fight against attacking aliens and defend the human race. The Anacrusis is about four crew members, Nessa, Guion, Liu and Lance, who are fighting to survive in a stranded spaceship. The AI Driver controls everything that happens during gameplay, curating obstacles to match players' skill and difficulty level. The Anacrusis was designed for multiplayer and solo play is not an option. Players will be matched with other gamers if they do not have an established party logging in.
Tribes of Midgard
Midgard, home of the Norse pantheon, is under attack from a plethora of mystical creatures, spirits and other iconic mythological creatures. Tribes of Midgard offers eight classes for players to choose from: a ranger, guardian, warrior, berserker, warden, hunter, sentinel and seer. The game also offers co-op campaign play, allowing up to 10 players to form a tribe and work together to triumph over enemies. Despite such large party sizes, Tribes of Midgard won't support crossplay as of its July 27 launch, but hopes to eventually bring that feature to its Xbox, PlayStation and PC players.
The Ascent
The Ascent can be played either single-player or co-op for up to four players. The shooter RPG, set in a cyberpunk world, puts players in the shoes of an employee of The Ascent Group, a mega-corporation that has ensnared every aspect of society. When The Ascent Group shuts down one day out of the blue, players must work together to fight against the rising threats that, if unchecked, will take down the city. The Ascent is currently slated for July 29 release on Xbox and PC platforms.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
Currently set for release at some point in 2021, Warhammer 40,000: Dartide is another co-op game that encourages friends to work together to defeat enemies. As with many titles in the co-op PvE genre, gameplay and combat was designed around team collaboration to make success possible. Warhammer 40,000: Darktide sees a cult called Admonition take control of Atoma Prime. Players enter the role of a warrior in the Inquisition, working with their allies to save the planet from chaos.
Diablo 2: Resurrected
A long-awaited remaster of the 2000 hit title, Diablo2: Resurrected offers online co-op for up to eight players. Seven playable classes, coupled with the fact that each player has the option to hire a mercenary NPC, means Diablo 2: Resurrected teams will be well-equipped for balanced and powerful parties. However, it's worth noting the game does not offer couch co-op, and at this time there are no plans to add it as an option, nor will there be cross-play for Diablo 2: Resurrected is set for a Sept. 23 release on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Mac and PC operating systems.
Evil Dead: The Game
It's not entirely clear if Evil Dead: The Game - releasing sometime in 2021 - will have a purely PvE option in addition to its 4v1 co-op PvP. On the game's official website, publisher Boss Team Games describes its gameplay as "co-op and PVP multiplayer," and Evil Dead: The Game's latest trailer focused exclusively on the 4v1 mode. Regardless, the PvP mode functions similarly to Dead By Daylight: A team of four players parties up to gather resources, fight off enemies, and seal a breach between the worlds of the living and the dead. One player then operates as the Kandarian Demon, controlling the forces of evil to hunt down the others.
Back 4 Blood
In addition to PvE, Back 4 Blood offers a unique twist on PvP gameplay. Teams of up to four square off against each other, one team acting as the Cleaners and the other as the Ridden. The Cleaner team must stave off the Ridden for as long as possible, and the round ends when all Cleaners have been eliminated. The teams then swap roles and play another round with the same objective. Afterwards, points are doled out, and a winning team is declared, based on who lasted the longest as the Cleaners. With nine Ridden classes and eight Cleaner characters, there's a large number of possible combinations for each matchup.
Halo Infinite
The long-awaited Halo Infinite, the 16th game in the Halo franchise, will offer several multiplayer modes. Big Team Battle is focused on large-scale mayhem, but Halo Infinite will also have 4v4 multiplayer in its arena modes. In a classic, simple PvP mode, two teams of four square off in deathmatch combat. While Halo Infinite has suffered multiple delays, it is currently set to arrive in the 2021 holiday season.
Source: Boss Team Games
