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The Revival of Couch Co-Op: Are Split Screens Making a Comeback?
Summary:
Once upon a time, multiplayer gaming meant sharing a couch, a TV, and a bag of chips while battling it out in GoldenEye 007 or teaming up in Halo 3. Then, online gaming took over, and couch co-op was left behind, dismissed as a relic of the past. But something strange is happening—local multiplayer is making a comeback. Indie studios are reviving split-screen gameplay, major developers are adding couch co-op modes again, and gamers are rediscovering the joy of playing side by side. Could the future of gaming actually lie in its past?
For years, couch co-op was on life support. Big publishers abandoned it in favor of online play, convincing us that multiplayer meant headsets, Wi-Fi connections, and screaming at strangers across the world. Developers said split-screen was “too technically demanding.” Studios claimed there wasn’t enough interest. And so, slowly but surely, the era of sharing a screen with your best friend faded into nostalgia.
But now, a shift is happening. More and more games are embracing local multiplayer again, and players are realizing that maybe—just maybe—something was lost in the move to online-only gaming.
The Golden Age of Couch Co-Op
Back in the ‘90s and early 2000s, multiplayer gaming wasn’t about servers or lobbies—it was about squeezing onto a couch with friends and fighting for screen space. Mario Kart 64, Super Smash Bros., Halo, Left 4 Dead, Street Fighter II—these weren’t just games, they were social events.
It was gaming at its purest: the joy of landing a perfectly timed combo, the agony of getting blue-shelled, the sheer chaos of four players sharing a single TV. Friendships were tested. Controllers were thrown. And yet, nothing could replace the feeling of immediate, in-person rivalry.
Then, online gaming changed everything.
How Online Play Killed the Split Screen
The rise of broadband internet and Xbox Live in the mid-2000s made online gaming the new standard. Suddenly, you didn’t need to have friends over to play together. You could game with anyone, anywhere, anytime. It was revolutionary.
But it also came at a cost. Local multiplayer was quietly pushed aside. Game developers prioritized massive online experiences over split-screen co-op, and suddenly, the idea of physically sharing a game felt outdated.
Games that were once synonymous with couch co-op—like Halo and Call of Duty—gradually removed split-screen options. Even franchises built on cooperative gameplay started abandoning local play. And gamers, hypnotized by the ease of online matchmaking, barely noticed until it was too late.
The Indie Resurgence: Why Couch Co-Op Is Coming Back
But here’s the thing—people missed it.
Gaming wasn’t supposed to be an isolated experience. Something about sitting side by side, reading each other’s expressions, and reacting in real-time made games better. And indie developers took notice.
Indie studios, unburdened by corporate trends, started bringing local multiplayer back. Games like Overcooked, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, Cuphead, and Moving Out reignited the love for couch co-op, proving that there was still a demand for games designed to be played together.
Major studios took notice. It Takes Two, a game designed entirely around two-player local co-op, became a massive success and won Game of the Year in 2021. Nintendo, a longtime champion of local multiplayer, doubled down with Super Mario Party, Splatoon 3, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Even Halo Infinite—after initially scrapping local co-op—faced so much backlash that 343 Industries was forced to reconsider.
The message was clear: couch co-op wasn’t dead. It was just waiting for its second wind.
The Future of Local Multiplayer
So, is couch co-op truly back, or is this just nostalgia-driven wishful thinking?
The truth is, local multiplayer will never dominate gaming like it once did. Online gaming is too convenient, too ingrained in the industry to be dethroned. But the revival of couch co-op proves that gaming is best when it offers options. Not everything has to be an isolated experience.
More developers are recognizing that split-screen gameplay adds value. More players are remembering the joy of laughing, shouting, and sabotaging their friends in the same room. The industry is realizing that local multiplayer isn’t just a gimmick—it’s a core part of what makes gaming special.
Maybe the future isn’t about choosing between online play and couch co-op. Maybe the best games are the ones that let us have both.
But now, a shift is happening. More and more games are embracing local multiplayer again, and players are realizing that maybe—just maybe—something was lost in the move to online-only gaming.
The Golden Age of Couch Co-Op
Back in the ‘90s and early 2000s, multiplayer gaming wasn’t about servers or lobbies—it was about squeezing onto a couch with friends and fighting for screen space. Mario Kart 64, Super Smash Bros., Halo, Left 4 Dead, Street Fighter II—these weren’t just games, they were social events.
It was gaming at its purest: the joy of landing a perfectly timed combo, the agony of getting blue-shelled, the sheer chaos of four players sharing a single TV. Friendships were tested. Controllers were thrown. And yet, nothing could replace the feeling of immediate, in-person rivalry.
Then, online gaming changed everything.
How Online Play Killed the Split Screen
The rise of broadband internet and Xbox Live in the mid-2000s made online gaming the new standard. Suddenly, you didn’t need to have friends over to play together. You could game with anyone, anywhere, anytime. It was revolutionary.
But it also came at a cost. Local multiplayer was quietly pushed aside. Game developers prioritized massive online experiences over split-screen co-op, and suddenly, the idea of physically sharing a game felt outdated.
Games that were once synonymous with couch co-op—like Halo and Call of Duty—gradually removed split-screen options. Even franchises built on cooperative gameplay started abandoning local play. And gamers, hypnotized by the ease of online matchmaking, barely noticed until it was too late.
The Indie Resurgence: Why Couch Co-Op Is Coming Back
But here’s the thing—people missed it.
Gaming wasn’t supposed to be an isolated experience. Something about sitting side by side, reading each other’s expressions, and reacting in real-time made games better. And indie developers took notice.
Indie studios, unburdened by corporate trends, started bringing local multiplayer back. Games like Overcooked, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, Cuphead, and Moving Out reignited the love for couch co-op, proving that there was still a demand for games designed to be played together.
Major studios took notice. It Takes Two, a game designed entirely around two-player local co-op, became a massive success and won Game of the Year in 2021. Nintendo, a longtime champion of local multiplayer, doubled down with Super Mario Party, Splatoon 3, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Even Halo Infinite—after initially scrapping local co-op—faced so much backlash that 343 Industries was forced to reconsider.
The message was clear: couch co-op wasn’t dead. It was just waiting for its second wind.
The Future of Local Multiplayer
So, is couch co-op truly back, or is this just nostalgia-driven wishful thinking?
The truth is, local multiplayer will never dominate gaming like it once did. Online gaming is too convenient, too ingrained in the industry to be dethroned. But the revival of couch co-op proves that gaming is best when it offers options. Not everything has to be an isolated experience.
More developers are recognizing that split-screen gameplay adds value. More players are remembering the joy of laughing, shouting, and sabotaging their friends in the same room. The industry is realizing that local multiplayer isn’t just a gimmick—it’s a core part of what makes gaming special.
Maybe the future isn’t about choosing between online play and couch co-op. Maybe the best games are the ones that let us have both.