Vampire Survivors News

Yesterday’s June Nintendo Direct (June 21) was quite the feast. We received five different Mario-related announcements, a Pikmin 4 demo, Star Ocean 1 and 2 remakes, and so much more. All in all, there’s a lot you could’ve missed, so here’s everything that was shown off during the Nintendo Direct.

The Nintendo Direct kicked off with the announcement of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC, Hidden Treasure of Area Zero. This DLC is made up of the Teal Mask, arriving this fall, and the Indigo Mask, arriving in winter. In addition, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope also received a new DLC, The Last Spark, which released immediately after the Nintendo Direct. A demo for the game is also available now.

If Pokemon perked you up, you’ll also be glad to know that Detective Pikachu Returns, a sequel to the 2018 Nintendo DS title, will be coming to Switch on October 6. Our Electric-type mouse detective also remains mouthy as ever, you’ll be glad to know.

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There are still no vampires coming to Vampire Survivors, but what is coming on August 17 is a new couch co-op mode that will let up to four people jump in to do battle with the game's multitudinous enemies—and, just a little bit, with each other...
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As if you needed more of a reason to while away the hours listening to Vampire Survivors’ strangely entrancing OST while mowing down thousands of skeletons, ghosts and vampires, 2022’s more moreish and BEST game is getting local co-op.

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Vampire Survivors is a proper good gam; the kind that only comes around every so often. The kind that makes Jim beg for a BAFTA win, the kind that gets picked up for TV treatment within months of launch.

Until now, the game was only available on PC and Xbox hardware and mobile. But now, at today's Nintendo Direct, it was confirmed that Vampire Survivors is coming to Switch – and it's bringing some friends with it.

Well, actually, it's asking you to bring some friends along, too. The game – previously only available as a single-player experience – will be getting a couch co-op mode will come in a free update on August 17, which will let you play the whole Vampire Survivors saga with up to 4 players in local co-op on PC, Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and mobile.

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Today is a very special day in Vampire Survivors’ history, as we can finally confirm that something a lot of people have been asking for is coming to the game: We are adding Vampires! Just kidding.

But we are adding a couch co-op mode for up to 4 players!



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The couch co-op mode will be released on August 17 with a free update that will let you play the whole game, including all updates and DLCs, with friends (or foes). In couch co-op mode, you can either continue your current game or start a new adventure. It will also be possible to seamlessly switch between single and co-op play between stages, unlock achievements, etc. In short: you will be able to play the whole game in local co-op!
And yes, this will also work on Steam Deck if you sit together close enough (or connect it to a TV).

We hope you will enjoy the co-op mode as much as we did when playtesting and making it. It already tested multiple friendships in the poncle team – your friendships could be next.

After searching for many months, we finally found the "port to Nintendo Switch" button in our game engine! We'll press it on August 17, not a day sooner.



For everyone who wants to know more details about how the co-op mode will work, we’ve also got some more info below. Since we will be on so many platforms, we have also started a newsletter where we will be sharing further announcements and info about the co-op mode in the next weeks, so if you want to receive them you can sign-up here.

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Why are you adding couch co-op to Vampire Survivors?
Because it’s fun (we hope!) and couch co-op is one of the most requested community features.

How much does the couch co-op update cost?
Nothing. The co-op update will be completely free.

When does the couch co-op update launch?
August 17, 2023.

How does the couch co-op update change the gameplay?
While we can’t go into too many details here, we can already say that the gameplay stays largely the same (more chaos aside), though adding more players changes a few gameplay systems of course. For example, you will share the “level up” bar with the experience points with your friends and level up in turns, all players will always be visible on the same screen (so no splitscreen) and there will also be a few ways to sabotage each other: just, you know, pick Gatti Amari.

Can multiple people play on one keyboard on PC?
Unfortunately we hit some technical limitations, so for now you will need one controller input device (keyboard, controller etc.) per player.

With how many people can I play Vampire Survivors once the couch co-op update hits?
Up to 4 players in total in local couch co-op. Be the bullet hell with your besties! Or on your own by using 4 controllers at once! (jk please don't do that to yourself 🙏)

Can I also play co-op online?
Not officially! When the co-op update lands, it will allow local couch co-op for up to 4 players but does not support online play.
That being said, there are online gaming solutions like Steam Remote Play Together that work with every game, so you will be able to play online with those workarounds of course.

Is there only a couch co-op mode or can I also play against my friends?
There's no versus mode, but we're sure some of you will find a way or two to test how good your friendships are in the co-op.

Will there be specific couch co-op multiplayer levels?
Nope! We designed the co-op mode in a way that you can play through all of Vampire Survivors with friends, but there won’t be co-op specific levels.

Will there be couch co-op focused achievements?
Also nope! We don’t want anyone to feel like they HAVE to play co-op to unlock and see everything in the game. You will be able to play the whole of Vampire Survivors with friends, foes or your favourite creatures of the night but it’s fully optional.

Can I also play the DLCs in couch co-op?
Of course! As long as you own a DLC you will be able to play it in local co-op.

Do I need to start from the beginning to play the couch co-op?
You can seamlessly switch between co-op and single player before every run. No need to start a new game, and all the unlocks you get during a co-op play session will carry over to your singleplayer save.

Can I select the same character as my friends? We all want to play as Poe!
Multiple Poes would tip the balance of the universe, so for now every character can only be selected by one player per run.

Will there be future single-player updates for the game?
Yes! We will continue to support the game with free updates and paid DLCs, but moving forward you will be able to play everything solo (as usual) or in co-op if you prefer.

Beta when?
If you're on the new-engine branch, you'll be able to test couch co-op some time before the official release, but we don't have a specific date for that yet.

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Local co-op also on MOBILE?
Yes, if you connect bluetooth controllers to your mobile device you can play together, but in landscape only. Good luck! 👓

Does the update include friends and a couch?
No, as unfortunately we're unable to provide physical goods and people... Or are we?