Crimson Moon supports co-op for two players, online only: there is no split-screen or couch co-op, and you cannot bring a third Nephilim into a session. Two friends can play the whole game together, share a single life pool across the hunt, revive each other when one goes down, and play across platforms, since ProbablyMonsters has patched crossplay friend requests and invites on several occasions. Below is how a session actually works, what each player keeps afterward, and which co-op bugs the studio has already fixed as of November 2026.
We built this from ProbablyMonsters' launch post and patch notes on Steam, the Steam store listing, the studio's build explainer, a launch review, and co-op databases that track local and online support.
How Many Players Can Play Crimson Moon Together?
The answer is two. The launch announcement describes the game as playable alone or alongside another Nephilim in 2-player online co-op, and the Steam store page lists Online Co-op as a feature without any shared-screen or split-screen tag. Co-op databases that track couch play list local co-op as not supported on PS5. If you were hoping to play three or four players at once, or on one television, Crimson Moon is not built for that.
What you do get is co-op across the entire game rather than a separate mode. A launch review described Crimson Moon as playable in seamless co-op throughout, and the studio's own explainers repeat the same idea: every hunt can be taken solo or with a friend, from the Prologue to the final boss. There is no separate co-op campaign to unlock, and you do not need to finish the story alone before inviting someone in.
On PlayStation, keep in mind that online multiplayer in paid games usually requires a PlayStation Plus membership, so the second player on PS5 should check their subscription before you schedule a session.
Platforms and Crossplay
Crimson Moon is available on PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store, on PlayStation 5 and on Xbox Series X|S. Several patches have dealt with cross-platform play directly. Hotfix 1.0.2 on September 30, 2026 fixed crossplay friend requests between Xbox and other platforms not being received, fixed Epic Games Store players failing to see in-game multiplayer invitations, and fixed a long list of join errors. Patch 1.1 on November 3, 2026 then listed further co-op and multiplayer fixes, naming progression, Quick Match, crossplay and joining games specifically.
In practice that means a PC player and a console player can team up, but the smoothest results come after both players are on the latest version. If one of you has auto-updates turned off, a version mismatch is the first thing to rule out when a join fails. Steam Deck also counts as PC: the game became Steam Deck Verified on November 6, 2026 after Patch 1.1 addressed performance there, and 1.0.2 had already fixed Steam Deck clients desyncing during combat.
Starting a Session: Hosting, Codes and Quick Match
Every hunt starts in Sanctus Clypeus, the hub where you plan missions at the War Table and prepare gear at the Loadout Station. Co-op works the same way: one player hosts, the other joins, and the pair heads out together. You can invite a friend through your platform, enter a multiplayer invite or join code, or use the matchmaking option the patch notes call Quickplay or Quick Match. A trophy guide written at launch describes the host-code route as the simplest way to get a friend in.
Timing matters. Before Hotfix 1.0.2, players could sometimes join a session while the host was already mid-run, which caused problems, and the studio fixed it so that joins happen at the right point instead. The same patch fixed players getting stuck in the hub after joining and leaving a session without first selecting a Loadout. The reliable habit is to join while the host is in Sanctus Clypeus, pick your Loadout, and only then start the hunt.
Difficulty is part of that setup. The host chooses the difficulty at the War Table when the first mission of a run is set up, and it cannot be changed partway through a run, so agree on it before you leave. Our guide to Crimson Moon's difficulty levels and the War Table explains how harder tiers change enemies and rewards, which matters more when two people are sharing the risk.
The Shared Life Pool, Revives and Scaling
The biggest difference from solo play is the life pool. Each run is supported by a pool of lives, and when it is exhausted the run ends and you cannot go back for lost loot. In co-op that pool is shared, so a partner who takes unnecessary damage is spending lives that belong to both of you. Encounters scale between one and two players rather than simply doubling enemy health.
When a player goes down, the partner can revive them, and the studio has spent several patches cleaning this up. Hotfix 1.0.1 fixed downed players not being revived correctly at activated Nexus Gates, and 1.0.2 improved the downed and revive experience in general, including a revive prompt that wrongly appeared on the downed player's own screen. There is also a spectator camera for the player who is waiting, and the same patch fixed its controls and missing audio.
A practical rule for pairs is to decide who plays aggressively and who stays back to revive. The game rewards parrying and careful spacing, and two players rushing the same elite enemy is the fastest way to drain a shared pool. Call out Nexus Gates and Boon choices out loud as well: since each player picks their own Boons, talking through who takes the healing or defensive options keeps the pair from stacking two glass-cannon builds that fall over at the first boss.
What Each Player Keeps After a Co-op Run
Progression in co-op used to be the most confusing part of the game. Hotfix 1.0.1 made co-op run progress persist for clients, which means the joining player can continue the run solo if the host leaves. Hotfix 1.0.2 then fixed a client incorrectly inheriting the host's mission progress, a client returning to the hub in the base Crimson Oath gear instead of their own equipment, and level-up rewards re-displaying after a session ended.
Lore Scrolls are the other common question. At launch the second player sometimes could not collect them, which also blocked related quests. Hotfix 1.0.2 fixed that, so both players can now pick up scrolls and progress Lore Scroll quests in the same session. Those scrolls matter, because returning them to Mereda unlocks new Boons, which our Boons guide covers in depth.
Gear follows the normal rules: what you find is temporary until you survive and purify it, and purified items become part of your own collection. Treat each player's collection as separate and plan your purifications accordingly.
Building a Duo That Works
ProbablyMonsters' build explainer describes co-op as a chance to coordinate loadouts and pick complementary Boons, for example doubling down on damage or pairing an aggressive build with one focused on survivability and revives. Each Nephilim wears nine pieces of gear and chooses an Angel before the hunt, and Nexus Gates offer temporary Boons during the run, so two players can deliberately split roles instead of copying the same setup.
A simple split that suits the shared life pool is one player on a parry-heavy one-handed weapon and shield who holds attention, and one on a two-handed weapon with a strong Weapon Art who handles damage. Our Crimson Moon build guide explains how gear rarity, Weapon Arts and Boons stack so you can plan both halves of that pair.
Co-op is also required for one trophy. Slay Together unlocks when you finish a mission in co-op, and the full trophy roadmap suggests doing it early so it is not left hanging at the end. If it does not pop, our guide to PS5 trophies that fail to unlock lists the sync checks to try first.
| Update | Date | Co-op changes |
|---|---|---|
| Hotfix 1.0.1 | September 11, 2026 | Client run progress persists so the client can continue solo; invite and reconnect fixes; revives at Nexus Gates fixed |
| Hotfix 1.0.2 | September 30, 2026 | Quickplay fixed; Xbox crossplay friend requests and Epic invites fixed; Lore Scrolls collectable by both players; no joining mid-run |
| Patch 1.1 | November 3, 2026 | Further fixes for co-op progression, Quick Match, crossplay, joining games and combat |
Saves and Devices for Co-op Partners
Because many of the launch save problems happened when players moved between devices, the 1.0.2 notes recommended playing on a single device where possible and making local backups on PC. Patch 1.1 then introduced a new save system aimed at those issues. If you and your partner play on several machines, keep each save on one device. On PS5, cloud uploads are the official way to move a save between consoles, and our explainer on how PS5 cloud saves and backups work covers that process in general terms.
Skip the Solo Grind Before Your Partner Arrives
If one of you is far ahead and the other is starting fresh, the gap in permanent gear can make shared runs lopsided. The Crimson Moon hub lists a mega modded save for PS5 and PC that its page describes as Rank 30, both currencies at 999,999,999, Legendary gear in every loadout slot and all 93 Lore Scrolls, with the story still starting from Mission I. The page also notes that it replaces your current save, requires your own copy of the game and is not available for Xbox, which matters if your co-op partner plays there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Crimson Moon co-op?
Yes. The whole game can be played in two-player online co-op, from the Prologue to the final boss, with a shared life pool.
Does Crimson Moon have split-screen or couch co-op?
No. Co-op is online only. The Steam page lists Online Co-op without split-screen, and co-op databases list local co-op as unsupported.
Is Crimson Moon crossplay between PS5, Xbox and PC?
Yes. The official patch notes repeatedly fix crossplay issues, including friend requests between Xbox and other platforms and Epic Games Store invites.
Can three or four players play Crimson Moon together?
No. Sessions are capped at two players.
Does the joining player keep their progress?
Yes. Since Hotfix 1.0.1, co-op run progress persists for clients, and 1.0.2 fixed several cases where a client lost gear or inherited the host's progress.
Do I need PlayStation Plus for Crimson Moon co-op on PS5?
Online multiplayer in paid PS5 games generally requires a PlayStation Plus membership, so plan on it for co-op.