Dying Light: The Beast is built to be played with others. The standalone entry supports up to four players in online co-op across the full campaign and open world. You can host a session and let friends or strangers drop in, or browse public lobbies if you need backup. The catch: there’s no crossplay at launch, so squads need to be on the same system.

Quick facts

  • Online co-op supports up to four players for the entire campaign and open world.
  • Co-op unlocks after you finish the opening sequence and reach your first safe house.
  • Story progression is saved for the host; guests keep their earned XP and loot.
  • No crossplay at launch — play with others on the same platform only.

Platforms and player count

The Beast is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with four-player co-op. Online multiplayer is drop-in/drop-out, so your session doesn’t need a full squad to start.

How to unlock co-op

Multiplayer is disabled during the opening. Once you escape the starting facility and reach your first safe house (second campaign quest, Safe Haven), the game enables co-op and surfaces a notification. From that point on, you can host or join sessions freely.

Starting or joining a session

You can set up a party from the main menu or in-game.

  • Main menu: open the co-op/multiplayer menu to create a lobby, invite friends from your platform’s friends list, or browse public sessions.
  • In-session: pause the game, open the co-op panel, and use the “add” slots to invite more players. You can also toggle privacy to allow friends (or the public) to drop in without manual approval.
  • Matchmaking: use quick-join to hop into a compatible public session if you just want help or a faster-paced run.

Tip: If you prefer a steady crew, add reliable teammates as favorites so you can find them again quickly.

What carries over (and what doesn’t)

  • Your character’s XP, gear, and resources earned as a guest persist when you return to your own save.
  • Story and world state advance for the host only. If you’re helping a friend push their campaign, expect to replay those chapters later on your file to lock in the same choices and rewards.

Note: There’s no cross-progression between platform ecosystems. Stick to one platform if you want a continuous save.

Crossplay status

The Beast does not support cross-platform play at launch. PC, PlayStation, and Xbox users each match within their own platform network. The studio has signaled it may consider crossplay in the future, but there’s no timeline or commitment. For now, plan your squad around a single platform.

Tips

  • Finish the intro on every account that plans to join co-op; multiplayer won’t appear until the first safe house is unlocked.
  • Set your session to public if you want faster fill-ins, or friends-only/private to keep things controlled.
  • If you’re progression-minded, host the session yourself. If you’re farming XP or testing builds, guesting is fine — you’ll keep your gains.

Four-player co-op is seamless once you clear the opening, but plan around host‑only story saves and the lack of crossplay. If your group aligns on a single platform, The Beast’s drop-in structure makes it easy to keep a session rolling — whether you’re pushing the main path or just roaming for loot and chaos.