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Microsoft’sXbox Game Passis arguably gaming’s definitive subscription service. Part of that reputation stems from the company’s willingness to allow major exclusives to debut directly on Game Pass, along with a fairly impressive range of third-party Day One arrivals. However, something that cannot be underappreciated is the platform’s variety, offering something for just about every preference or situation. Along with fantastic single-player options, many of thebest Xbox co-op gamesare also on Game Pass.
While local co-op goes back decades and will, hopefully, forever be part of the gaming landscape, the online variant is undoubtedly the most common and popular in this day and age. Naturally, Microsoft acknowledges that, but what are thebest co-op games on Game Pass?
The selection will be (mostly) limited to games that support only online co-op sincelocal co-op is covered in another article. That said, a few major exceptions that everyone should play will be included, and they will be listed at the end of the article.
Updated July 27, 2025 by Mark Sammut:A new majoronline co-op Xbox Game Pass gamehas debuted.
Frankly, it would be premature for me to predict whether Remedy’sFBC: Firebreakwill be around for the long haul, except for itstwo planned updates; however, theco-op game is on Xbox Game Pass, launching as a Day 1 release. The project also debuted on PS Plus and supports crossplay, so Remedy is presumably hoping to hit the ground running by instantly lowering the barrier for entry. Therefore, if somebody is remotely interested in giving this title a try, they should get on it as soon as possible while things are hot.
So, what isFBC? Set in theControluniverse, the game is (primarily) a 3-player online co-op shooter revolving around taking on missions involving the Hiss.FBCsupports solo play, but multiplayer is 100% the way to go.
Entering Game Preview,33 Immortalsdelivers exactly what its title promises: Co-op with 33 players. Now, “can” is the operative word, as Thunder Lotus' game drops players on a map with 32 other warriors for a 25-minute playthrough, with the goal being to defeat enemies, clear out mini-dungeons, collect currency, survive, and perhaps complete Ascension Battles. While 33 players are in the general area (Inferno, Purgatorio, or Paradiso), mini-dungeons are limited to 6 fighters, although smaller groups can enter. As a session progresses, players gradually lose out and die, all leading to a final stretch where the remaining few are divided into teams to take on the final challenge.
Gameplay-wise,33 Immortalsis a fast-paced isometric roguelite that delivers flashy combat with eye-catching animation and fun visuals. Players can pick from four weapons that effectively act as classes, and they will also unlock perks and relics as they progress. While each weapon/class has its solo strengths, they are at their best when harmonized with other players, allowing them to shine as a group.33 Immortalsis just a blast and an example of a cool concept that is executed well. Hopefully, the future is bright for thisGame Pass online co-op game.
While not the firstCall of Dutygame to launch on Game Pass,Black Ops 6is the first Day One release, an absolutely huge deal. Sure, Activision’s shooter was always going to be among 2024’s best-selling projects and did not need the subscription service rub to find a community, but that does not reduce the appeal of this arrival. Putting aside the core audience that buys every entry,Black Ops 6’s Game Pass availability means that lapsed players who had grown tired of the series now have an easy excuse to jump back in, something that Treyarch has tried to take advantage of by incorporating a more traditional story campaign compared to some underwhelming recent entries.
Although that mode is solely single-player,Black Ops 6is naturally designed around multiplayer, be it PvP or co-op. The classic multiplayer modes include options like Deathmatch, Kill Order, and Domination, and they largely revolve around 6v6 matches. Cooperation might not always be prioritized, but teams that work together generally win together. However,Black Ops 6’s main co-op offering is Zombies, which is back and as good as ever. WhileModern Warfare 3tried to shake up the core loop, its successor wisely opted to return to the formula that had proven successful for roughly a decade, playing mostly similar toBlack Ops Cold War’s Zombies. After picking one of the two available maps, four players have to survive waves of zombies while gradually unlocking new areas, weapons, and abilities. A few changes aside,Black Ops 6’s Zombies mode seems set to go down as one of the franchise’s better iterations, and hopefully, it will continue to improve over the coming months.
Considering it had a fairly tepid launch,Sea of Thieveshas blossomed into a fantastic multiplayer-driven project. Four players can team up to form a pirate crew and head out into the unknown in search of treasure, adventure, and maybe a Kraken. While solo explorers do exist, they will be at a disadvantage sinceSea of Thievesis intended with co-op and PvP in mind.
Even though more than five years have passed since the game’s debut, Rare is still regularly producing updates that introduce fresh events and loot. There is almost always something new for a crew to discover inSea of Thieves.
Originally known asHunt: Showdownbefore going through a substantial makeover, the1986variant is an addictive extraction shooter that challenges players to take part in hunts, all in the hope of gaining some mouthwatering loot. While the main goal is to take out a Bounty Hunt’s main boss, hunters can also decide to just pick up smaller loot and get out of dodge, which is a valid option as permadeath is a thing, and losing astrong huntercan be painful.
Now,Hunt: Showdown 1896can technically be played solo, with players just looking out for number one; however, the game generally prioritizes teams of two or three members. As a PvPvE game,Hunt: Showdown 1896’s greatest challenge is often the other players who are trying to score big, and hunting solo can be a sure-fire recipe for a spectacular loss.
Core Keeperis a survival-building game with procedural generation, deep crafting, solid combat, and 8-player co-op. The latter was a staple part of the game during its early access run, all the way to itsfull release in August 2024, and co-op brings a new dimension to a title that has a lot of them. Putting multiplayer to the side for a second,Core Keeperis primarily marketed as a single-player experience, and most people will likely jump into a solo campaign long before they consider inviting somebody to come and take a look.
Dropped into a dark and expansive world, players are told to “figure it out,” a process that involves a lot of digging, resource gathering, and stumbling. Initially,Core Keepercan feel rather aimless, which would be an issue if the core mechanics were not strong from the start. Fortunately, crafting, combat, and building are immediately fun and, more importantly, improve as time goes by and players unlock more options or grow more confident.
Core Keeperis addictive in the way that only certain indie survival-crafting games seem to be, and it is currently among that genre’s best versions. The co-op is the icing on the cake that enhances the overall package, and it gives the game a more relaxing and cozy tone.
While not part of the series initially,Far Crydid start to implement co-op from the third entry.Far Cry 4was the first to allow two players to experience (most of) the campaign together, a formula that was improved, fine-tuned, and perfected byFar Cry 5. Although arguably more polarizing than its two immediate predecessors, the Montana-based entry is arguably the best co-op game in the franchise, along with just being of the better open-world options. Except for a handful of opening missions, players will be able to join forces for the entire campaign, although only the host’s story progression will be saved. As long as the guest does not mind that fact, they should try out this title.
A rare direct sequel,Far Cry New Dawnis not generally hailed as one of the best entries in Ubisoft’s franchise, and the game is especially difficult to recommend to people who have not playedFar Cry 5. While fun to see Hope County in a post-nuclear war climate, the map is very similar to the original game, and the setting is one of the most repetitive in the series. The story does not hit the same highs as its predecessor either, although the sibling villains are entertaining enough.
For all its flaws,Far Cry New Dawnis still a great co-op experience, and its focus on shorter missions complements multiplayer well. While not recommendable as a standalone release,New Dawnis certainly worth playing as an extension ofFar Cry 5.
Although garnering largely positive reviews at launch,Dead Island 2got a second lease on life when it debuted on Xbox Game Pass. The long-overdue sequel does not sound that impressive on paper, and if someone was not a big fan of the original, they might struggle to justify dropping cash to just have another opportunity to kill a few zombies in a good but seemingly not great game. However,Dead Island 2just feels incredible to play, which is something that might not come across via gameplay footage or screenshots. Featuring a visceral gore system that makes dissecting the undead a deeply satisfying experience,Dead Island 2focuses on getting the basics right, and it nails them.
Primarily known for its single-player, the 2023 release is a fantastic solo option, and an argument could be made that new players should start with this mode before trying co-op. That said, Dambuster implemented the latter feature well, ensuring that both hosts and guests are on an even footing. Co-op becomes available early in the campaign, too, so players won’t have to wait long before they can play together. That said, players need to be on the same missions to join forces, otherwise, the person who is further along in the campaign will need to join as a guest and help their friends in their earlier quests.
There are roughly a billionWarhammer 40Kgames, and they not only cover a wide spectrum of genres but also quality.Darktideis among the franchise’s better releases in recent years, and its action-heavy gameplay should also satisfy non-fans who are just looking to shoot and dice their way through hordes of zombie-esque creatures. The game offers four playable classes, each of which feels wildly different to control. They all have their positives, and most players will likely find themselves gravitating to one or two of the characters.
Darktide’s 4-class setup obviously lends itself to co-op play, to the point of the game not launching with a solo mode. The campaign can get quite punishing at times, so party members will need to work together if they want to survive against the game’s various bosses.
Obsidian’s resume speaks for itself, particularly when it comes to character-driven RPGs. However,Groundedsaw the developer step into uncharted territory known as the survival genre. After being shrunk down to miniature size, players find themselves walking beneath a lawn’s leaves and cowering in the face of insects. Along with story-driven exploration with the goal of freedom, players will need to monitor and react to the behavior of the entities that make up this area’s ecosystem.
Groundedworks beautifully as a single-player adventure, but it also supports online co-op. In fact,Obsidian even allows people to create a Shared Worldthat can be accessed without needing a host to be present. The game features four playable characters who interact with each other during co-op sessions, which enhances the multiplayer’s immersion.
On paper, an open-world survival game where players catchPokemon-esque creatures and engage in third-person shooter action sounds like a recipe for both success and disaster. Surely, such an ambitious title cannot conceivably come together to create a cohesive whole; yet,Palworldkind of clicks. Now, it is important to remember that Pocket Pair is still working on this project, and the current version is not only subject to change but also has plenty of room to grow. Technical issues are also normal, althoughPalworldis not a broken mess either.
Set on the Palpagos Islands,Palworldchallenges players to survive and thrive. The former involves stocking up on necessities and building a base, while the latter requires exploring the impressive world in search of resources and Pals to catch. Monster-taming goes beyond battles as well, as Pals come with special abilities that allow them to be useful at bases or when traveling the map. While not the most complex survival project ever,Palworld’s success lies in its clever incorporation of various genres and mechanics that are typically not associated with each other.
Although suitable for solo adventurers,Palworldis also designed with online co-op in mind, with players having the option to jump into 32-user servers or to team up with three of their friends. While its implementation comes with a few wrinkles that can be frustrating, this feature brings a whole new dimension to the experience that can help keep the gameplay loop engaging once players start to feel like they have seen almost everything currently in the game.
Despite its age,Payday 2is firmly established as a cornerstone of the online co-op scene, and that does not seem likely to change anytime soon. At this point, Overkill’s game does not need an introduction since it has been easily accessible for a very long time; still, if a group of friends is looking for an FPS game they can play together, they cannot do much better than this 2015 release.
Basically, the gameplay loop revolves entirely around planning and executing heists. As part of a crew, players accept contracts and jump onto a map where they have a few avenues they can follow if they want to escape with their loot.Payday 2does a great job of shaking things up just enough so that each heist feels unique and emergent, a factor that is also enhanced by a skill tree system.
Saber Interactive’sWorld War Zwas decent when it launched in 2019 as a zombie-fueled third-person shooter with a heavy emphasis on co-op gameplay. Sticking somewhat close toLeft 4 Dead’s blueprint while still innovating in a few key ways, the game offered a fun albeit uneven time, and it did lack longevity. Nowadays, the original title is difficult to recommend since it has been rendered moot byAftermath, a definition version that comes with an expansion. Along with a plethora of fresh content like new stages and an eighth class,World War Zhas also morphed into a more complete and satisfying overall package, one that can stand toe-to-toe with most modern online co-op shooters.
Campaign-wise,WWZdoes not hold too many surprises since it follows a fairly straightforward formula. Players pick from a few character classes and have to plow their way through a handful of episodes set in different locations. While the story is forgettable, a shame considering it is set in the same universe as a great novel, the action is consistently entertaining thanks toWWZ’s impressively large and aggressive zombie hordes. The classes are well-defined and cover a wide range of gameplay styles, allowing players to pick their favorites and craft balanced teams.
Hoxxes IV holds many riches and even more hazards. Working for the eponymous corporation, players are charged with diving into the alien planet’s underground caverns to dig for resources, a process that tends to attract the attention of the aggressive and buggy locales. Thankfully, the playable dwarves are more than capable of defending themselves through an array of weapons and even a few skills.Deep Rock Galacticis a co-op treat that can be played almost endlessly thanks to its procedurally generated levels, and the game offers one of the best demonstrations of that technology’s potential.
Before heading out into the depths, players can pick fromDeep Rock Galactic’s four classes, all of whom serve specific roles that set them apart from their companions. As each dwarf can be leveled up independently, the game encourages users to swap them around as needed until they find a class they unquestionably prefer. While enjoyable in single-player,Deep Rock Galacticimproves immensely when experienced alongside a few friends. This goes beyond the idea that “multiplayer makes everything better” since the gameplay is obviously intended to be played in co-op. The classes work well in solo runs, but their full potential can only be unlocked by linking up with their fellow dwarves.
Haloand co-op are synonymous, which made the fact thatHalo Infinitelaunched without the feature inexcusable. Eventually, 343 added online co-op support to the campaign, although the developer also made the controversial decision to nix local co-op. Due to everything that has happened since its launch,Halo Infinitecannot be described as an unbridled success for Xbox, but the game’s triumphs should not be dismissed either.
The campaign is ambitious, expansive, and, a blast to play through. Sure, it has some pacing issues and a rather rough ending, but the positives outweigh the negatives. The same can also be said forHalo Infinite’s online co-op, which has a few frustrating moments but is largely fantastic. Co-op works better during the campaign’s linear missions than its open-world, but the latter is still enjoyable provided players stick relatively close to each other.
Hazelight’sA Way OutandIt Takes Twosupport local co-op, but they are such seminal cooperative experiences that they still need to be highlighted. And, their online support is implemented well, so players who cannot play locally will not be missing out on much. Both titles must be played in co-op and tell stories specifically driven by two playable characters and their relationships.A Way Outfollows two convicts as they attempt to escape from a maximum security prison, with the story not only covering their plan but also the aftermath. Vincent and Leo are fully-formed characters with well-defined backstories and personalities, and they play off each other brilliantly. The gameplay is entirely driven by co-op, requiring players to coordinate their actions to complete missions.A Way Outis not very hard or mechanically complex, but everything comes together to tell a captivating story.
It Takes Twocontains many of the same hallmarks asA Way Out, albeit with a wildly different tone. This time, players step in the shoes of parents who are on the verge of calling it quits; however, a supernatural intervention sees them confined to their daughters' dolls. If that is not strange enough, they end up going on a very bizarre and fantastical adventure, all the while trying to mend their relationship. With strong writing, adaptive gameplay, great visuals, and just plain old fun,It Takes Twomight be thebest online co-op game on Game Pass.
Another project that supports local and online co-op,Moving Out 2is a great option for people who want to laugh, argue, and have fun. As the title suggests, the gameplay revolves around moving furniture, with players taking charge of a relocation company willing to cross dimensions to complete jobs. While the original game can get pretty silly, the sequel amps up the absurdity, offering a bizarre setting that embraces multiverse concepts. Excessive as that might sound for what is ultimately a pretty casual experience, it complements the story’s comedic tone well.
The core loop involves overcoming physics to ensure that many items arrive at their destination in one piece, which is easier said than done. Like all the best co-op releases,Moving Out 2is equally likely to ruin or strengthen friendships, and that potential frustration is part of the appeal. Also, this game needs to be played with a partner as solo runs are just nowhere near as entertaining.
Diablo 4has led a controversial life, but Blizzard’s action RPG has come fairly far since its launch. That said, as a multiplayer option, the game has always been worthwhile. Couch co-op is arguably ideal, but the online version has its benefits, including allowing parties of four players rather than two. Friends can play through the campaign as a unit, progressing together along the way as long as they are at the same point in their respective runs (the host determines the quest point).
Despite its polarizing aspects,Diablo 4is nevertheless built on an addictive combat-loot loop that can be hard to find in other games. Co-op allows and encourages parties to craft complementary characters, an element that is not part of single-player runs.
