A second survivor can now walk the halls of the Raccoon Police Department beside you. HUNK’y Friend, a fan mod for the PC version of Resident Evil 2 (2019) built by Shopcreeper01, turns the single-player campaign into shared-screen local co-op, with a commandable AI partner for anyone playing solo. It is not tied to Capcom in any way, and it runs entirely on one machine rather than over the internet.
Quick answer: Install HUNK’y Friend from Nexus Mods, plug in a controller for player two, and the campaign plays in local co-op with shared-screen the tested mode and split-screen a rougher option. No online play is supported.
What HUNK’y Friend adds to Resident Evil 2
The mod adds a partner alongside Leon or Claire, so both players can battle, restore health, reload weapons, and collect items while progressing through the story. Either player can switch to other characters, including HUNK, Ada Wong, Sherry Birkin, and Tofu. Each player has an individual inventory, though they can pass items between them, and weapons and loadouts can be customized.
Player two gets three difficulty settings, one of which is a support mode that grants unlimited ammo, healing, and ammo refills. A revive system lets either player help the other back up after being knocked down. A quick-access wheel handles communication and gameplay orders without breaking the flow.
Classic fixed camera angles are supported through the RE2R Classic mod from alphaZomega, so the shared-screen run can be played with the older over-the-shoulder-free framing if you prefer it.
Requirements and setup for local co-op
You’ll need the PC edition of Resident Evil 2 (2019) and a second input device. A controller is required for the second player; the first player can use a keyboard and mouse. Testing was done on the current Steam ray-tracing branch, which is confirmed to work. Compatibility with the build without ray tracing has not been confirmed.
From the title screen you start the campaign as normal. Shopcreeper01’s testing was done on Leon’s scenario, so that is the safest path for a first run.
Once the game loads, the second player drops in beside you, and the co-op view takes over as you move through the opening at the Mizoil gas station.
Shared-screen versus split-screen
There are two distinct modes, and they behave very differently. The main shared-screen mode is the one that received testing. In it, the partner’s gunfire tracks player one’s crosshair, and invulnerability plus infinite ammo are turned on by default. This keeps the second player useful in a fight without needing their own aim line.
The separate split-screen option gives each player their own camera and controls, but it is flagged as very experimental. Expect poor performance there compared with the shared view.
Do not treat the shared-screen mode and the split-screen option as the same thing. Shared-screen is the stable path; split-screen is the rougher one the creator warns about.
The AI companion for solo players
If you are playing alone, the mod gives you a commandable AI partner instead of a human second player. The companion fights enemies, follows you, heals you, and opens doors, filling a role close to Sheva in Resident Evil 5.
You steer it through an AI command wheel. Orders include moving to a specific spot, holding position, switching weapons, and attacking a chosen target, all issued from the in-game communication menu.
Limitations and known issues to watch
The campaign remains experimental, so follow a few precautions to keep the run stable. Remove the partner before saving at a typewriter, then do so again before loading into a new level; otherwise, the run may break. Online play is unavailable, so everyone must play on the same PC.
Some players have reported the second controller not being detected. Shopcreeper01 says version 1.3.0 may address it, though confirmation was still pending. The project has already taken a big update to work through early bugs, and work on it is continuing day to day.
Where to download HUNK’y Friend
The mod lives on its Nexus Mods page, where you can grab the latest build and read the creator’s setup notes. You will know co-op is working when the second character appears and responds to its own controller, with the quick-access wheel available in play.
It does not match what you would expect from an official release, and it carries the rough edges of a project still in active testing. Even so, it gives Resident Evil 2 something fans have wanted for years, a way to share its survival horror run with a friend on the couch.
