Co-op features can make any game better. It doesn’t matter if the game is a 10/10 masterpiece or a 0/10 dud. Thanks to the Internet, it’s easier than ever before to hook up with long-lost friends or family members to have fun gaming sessions. That is, until companies take online servers down or delist games. So, the idea of co-op games becoming inaccessible goes further than simply having the game be hard to buy nowadays.
10 Perfect Co-Op Games Nobody Remembers
These co-op games delivered a perfect experience, but few gamers seem to remember their existence today.
Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Sky and The Lord of the Rings: War in the North are two good examples of co-op games that can be played, but are hard to find nowadays. Marvel Heroes Omega is another good example, and while official servers were shut down, fans have kept it alive. Those games are great, but let’s dive in deeper to find more literally impossible co-op games instead.
Anthem
Soaring Low
Anthem
- Released
- February 22, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
Anthem launched in 2019 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, the next game from the acclaimed BioWare studio. It featured a class system wherein players could go into mech-like suits, called Javelins, and fly around open areas, sort of like a mix between Destiny if players were also Iron Man.
The rough launch and lack of a consistent road map led to the studio stumbling, and even though they tried to keep the game afloat, active development stopped in 2021. It did not shut down until 2026, so it had long legs at least, even if no new content was coming in for years. With no offline mode whatsoever, players can’t enjoy it anymore, which is a shame because the flying really was an impressive feature.
Rumbleverse
Battle Royale!
Rumbleverse
- Released
- August 11, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Iron Galaxy
- Genre(s)
- Battle Royale
- Platform(s)
- PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
Rumbleverse launched as a free-to-play wrestling game on a plethora of consoles, including PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It was released in August 2022 and only lasted until February 2023, meaning it had a very short window to thrive. Players could participate in solo matches against others online, or they could play co-op with just one other player.
Similar to most Battle Royale games, the point was to grapple and brawl with opponents to become the last player standing. The big open city areas and the brawling gameplay made it distinct in a sea of other Battle Royale competitors, but apparently, it wasn’t enough to keep the game afloat, and it can no longer be played in general.
White Knight Chronicles
An MMO-Style Co-Op Game
White Knight Chronicles
- Released
- December 25, 2008
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Mild Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Level 5, Japan Studio
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 3
White Knight Chronicles was released for the PS3 in Japan in 2008, followed by a later release in North America in 2010. The game features a story campaign wherein players can go on a big adventure, fighting monsters with their party in MMO-style combat, or they can summon their giant mech-like knight to fight too. There was also an online mode that let players make their own character and then go on individual missions.
Most Important Co-Op Games
Without these titles, the world of co-op gaming may not have evolved in the right direction.
While the campaign and the co-op mode were not the best Level-5 games ever made, co-op did shine if players found a good group. It’s also important to note that in 2011, White Knight Chronicles 2 was released for the PS3 in North America, which also came with the original game. The online servers for both games were shut down in 2013. The only good news is that the game itself, while hard to play on modern hardware natively, at least can still be enjoyed on PS3 systems.
The Simpsons (Arcade)
Gotta Save Maggie!
The Simpsons Arcade Game
- Released
- March 4, 1991
- ESRB
- Suggestive Themes, Mild Language, Use of Alcohol, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Konami, Novotrade, Backbone Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Beat 'Em Up
- Platform(s)
- Arcade, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
The Simpsons arcade game by Konami launched in 1991 and quickly became a magnet for quarters. Unlike a lot of beat ‘em ups of the 90s, there was no console port for the SNES or Sega Genesis, but there were weird versions for the Commodore 64 and MS-DOS of all places. As Homer, Bart, Lisa, or Marge, players could brawl across a plethora of stages, all for the sake of saving Maggie.
Fans had to wait until 2012 to play it at home again when it came digitally to the PS3 and Xbox 360, but they had to act fast, as it was delisted in 2013. Even for a licensed game, that was a fast delisting. The game remains lost to the wind to this day, with the inability to play it without illegal means unless fans fork over money to buy an arcade cabinet or a reproduction, which is also rare now.
Dauntless
A Free-To-Play Monster Hunter
Dauntless
- Released
- September 26, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Blood, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Dauntless was released in 2019 as a free-to-play alternative to Monster Hunter with less obtuse controls and a more friendly difficulty curve. Players could group up on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, along with other systems down the line. Four players online could customize their characters with armor and weapons, and tackle a variety of big monsters.
Some example weapons include axes, swords, and hammers, all with varying attack patterns and skills. Compared to other Monster Hunter clones, Dauntless was quite popular, and it had a relatively good run as it wasn’t shut down until 2025, making the entire game useless now.
Fable Legends
Almost Made It
Fable Legends
- Developer(s)
- Lionhead Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Microsoft Studios
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
Fable Legends started development in 2012, and it was first shown off in 2014, followed by its first Beta. The game would get a second Beta in 2016, which was more like a soft Early Access launch for a select group of players, which even allowed them to put money into the game. The game itself was free to play with a team of four collaborating in dungeons to fight against a dungeon master, of sorts, played by someone else.
8 Best RPGs With Crossplay Co-Op
The divide between consoles is getting thinner thanks to these RPGs, which allow you to play with your friends across platforms.
It was an interesting idea for an action RPG, although tying it to the Fable franchise may have hurt it a bit. In this same Beta period in 2016, Microsoft eventually canceled the game, refunded players their money, and even closed the developer that started the series, Lionhead Studios, which is definitely the greatest tragedy of this whole thing.
Magic: Legends
Magic Diablo
Magic: Legends
- Developer(s)
- Cryptic Studios
WHERE TO PLAY
- Publisher(s)
- Perfect World Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Magic: Legends is another example of a game that was never technically released on a wide scale. It was released into a Beta form on PC platforms in March 2021, and it was canceled that October, along with the planned PS4 and Xbox One versions. The game could be likened to a Diablo clone, as players could take their characters into top-down areas alone or with friends to fight seemingly endless hordes of enemies.
Players could build decks to decorate their skill menu, and when one was used, a cooldown would initiate, shuffling in another card from the hand. It was an interesting way to bring the deck-building aspects of Magic: The Gathering into an action RPG, but apparently it wasn’t enough to justify the ongoing development.
Lost Reavers
Treasure Hunters
- Developer: Bandai Namco Studios
- Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Released: April 28, 2016 (NA)
- Platform: Wii U
Lost Reavers, like the Wii U itself, is largely forgotten by time for those who even played it back in 2016. Surprisingly, it had a decent run compared to some other free-to-play games because servers weren’t shut down until 2019, which was deep into the Switch’s lifecycle.
Teams of four could go into ruins to find treasure to extract, sort of like a heist game. Players were met with waves of the undead that they could bash or shoot enemies between the four playable characters. Despite the solid idea, the game was not met with a lot of praise during its time on the Wii U, so Bandai Namco probably won’t bring it back anytime soon.
Best Free Co-Op Games You Can Play On Steam
Are you and your friend looking for free-to-play co-op fun? Then, try out the following fantastic games on Steam.