Vampire Survivors co-op guide | How does it work?
Vampire Survivors co-op is one of the most sought after features for a game that has been incredibly popular since it was first released back in October 2022. The release of the Nintendo Switch version means that Vampire Survivors co-op is coming via that version, but also for Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, and PC (Steam), and even mobile devices on August 17th.
Our handy guide explains how Vampire Survivors co-op works, including how XP pickups work, levelling, and even what the release date is for the mode. So check out all the information, below.
When is co-op coming?
The Nintendo Switch version launches with co-op, while the PC (Steam), Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, and mobile (iOS, Android) versions will be updated on August 17th (the same day as the Switch version) with the mode included.
What is the co-op mode? Is it online or offline?
The co-op mode for Vampire Survivors is offline only. This means you’ll need to play with someone else in the same room.
There is a small exception to this, in that you can play “online” using Steam Remote Play on PC, or even a solution like Parsec, which is designed to let you play local co-op only titles via the internet.
Vampire Survivors co-op XP and upgrades explained
The co-op mode works slightly differently to the main game, though the fundamentals are the same. In co-op you each select a character you want to play as in order (Player One first, then player two, and so on). Once you’re in the game you share a single experience bar, but you can build your own character out still.
As you level up you will take it in turns to choose your upgrade. For example, when you level up the first time, player one will get to choose their upgrade. Then, on the next level, player two gets to pick their upgrade, and so on, rolling through this sequence for each level as you play.
It’s important to note that you do not get the upgrade your partner gets, so don’t rely on someone else picking “Garlic” if you want it, because even if they do pick it: you won’t get it. With this in mind you can co-ordinate builds so that one of you is moving towards Area of Effect (AoE), while another is more melee or ranged.
Vampire Survivors in co-op isn’t any more difficult, and scales well, so is a great way to play. You do not share health pools, either, so you’ll need to decide who gets the chickens to get health back first.
How does death work in co-op?
Now here’s something you might like to hear: you can respawn if you die in co-op mode. Rather than you being done if you do lose all your health, you’ll turn into a big coffin, and a timer will be counting down. While this is the case, your friends need to stay alive and you will respawn with around 40-50% of your health.
It’s entirely possible you will die again, however, as you will spawn where your coffin was. This means enemies may still be surrounding you. In our testing, the respawn time is between 15-20 seconds. You can see a bar filling up on the coffin just to make it that bit more tense.
