Dead Island 2 Multiplayer Guide: How to Unlock Co-Op and Invite Friends

Dead Island 2 is a blast with friends, but cooperative multiplayer is not available right from the beginning of the game. You’ll have to make a little bit of progress in the story before you can squad up with your friends or other players online. Thankfully, the introduction is very short and it won’t be long before you can start exploring the streets of Hell-A with a group of other Slayers and chop through hordes of undead foes with friends.

How to Unlock Co-Op in Dead Island 2

To unlock co-op multiplayer in Dead Island 2, you have to play through the introduction of the game. Once you reach Emma’s mansion in the mission, “Call the Cavalry,” you’ll get a message stating that co-op is now enabled.

Related: Dead Island 2 Slayer Tier List: All 6 Characters Ranked From Worst to Best

That’s all there is to it! At this point, you can jump straight into the online options and get your friends together or try to find a group of randoms through online matchmaking.

How to Invite Friends in Dead Island 2

To invite your friends to your Dead Island 2 game, just open the pause menu and navigate to the Session menu. Then, you can invite any of your friends and manage the players currently in your lobby. If you want to play with random players, then you can choose the Join Game option from the main menu to jump into an active lobby with people around your level.

Does Dead Island 2 Have Crossplay?

Sadly, Dead Island 2 does not have crossplay. You cannot matchmake with players on other platforms. However, the game does have cross-generation play, so PS4 and PS5 owners can party up and Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S players can join each other’s sessions. There’s no mixing between the two platforms, though.