Tears of Metal Co-op Guide: Player Count, Hosting, and Sessions
How Tears of Metal online co-op works for 2–4 players, what to check before hosting, and how current networking and save limitations affect a session.
Tears of Metal supports solo play and online co-op for two to four players. Version 0.12.58540 improves networking and replaces coin revives with an HP-based system; v0.14.58630 adds more multiplayer desync fixes. Mid-run saves are still not confirmed as shipped.
What is confirmed
- Online co-op supports 2–4 players; solo play is also supported.
- Reviving another player costs 50% of the reviver's current HP and requires more than 10% maximum HP.
- The revive timer becomes five seconds shorter after each revive.
- August 13 improved networking, and August 14 fixed several client desync bugs.
- Mixed-storefront groups must check the current crossplay branch status.
What the official listings confirm
Paper Cult describes the game as playable alone or with up to four players online. The Xbox listing separately labels online co-op as 2–4 players. Campaigns move through handcrafted environments with changing scenarios and objectives rather than a single competitive match format.
The game is not advertised as local couch co-op on the official pages we reviewed. Plan for each player to use an online-capable device and account.
A reliable pre-session checklist
- Update the game, restart it, and compare the displayed version or Steam branch.
- For Steam-to-Xbox groups, read the current crossplay notice before troubleshooting invitations.
- Let the player with the most stable, lowest-latency connection host.
- Agree on session length. The August 13 update still described mid-run saves as active work rather than a shipped feature.
- If progress or unlocks matter to the group, decide who will host consistently until the game documents progression ownership more precisely.
How the new HP revive works
- Reviving a teammate costs 50% of your current HP instead of coins.
- The revived player receives HP in proportion to the share of your maximum HP that was sacrificed.
- You must have more than 10% of your maximum HP to start a revive.
- The time limit to revive becomes five seconds shorter after every revive in the run.
These rules come from the August 13 v0.12.58540 announcement. Early Access balancing can change them again, so check the in-game build when exact values matter.
What the August networking patches changed
Version 0.12.58540 says networking was drastically improved, with shorter and less frequent stutters or desync on poor or distant connections. Version 0.14.58630 then fixed client desync affecting Elite and Boss HP, Threat Levels, Campaign Maps, and several boss or movement states.
These are meaningful improvements, not a promise that every connection is flawless. Use a stable host, keep builds matched, and distinguish ordinary co-op networking from the separately disabled main-branch crossplay compatibility.
Troubleshooting in the right order
| Symptom | First check | Next check |
|---|---|---|
| Invite does not work | Branch and version match | Crossplay status for the storefront combination |
| Players drift or see different states | Host connection quality | Reduce distance/splitting and review official desync notes |
| A friend cannot rejoin | Whether the current build supports that campaign state | Official bug reports and newest patch |
| Session may run too long | Current mid-run save status | Schedule a shorter attempt rather than assuming a checkpoint |
What is still changing
Paper Cult shipped major networking work and the HP revive rework in August, then followed with more multiplayer fixes. Mid-run saves and further optimization remain active work, so session planning guidance is still time-sensitive.
How this guide was verified
We use official store listings and developer announcements for changing facts. Strategy recommendations are labeled as editorial guidance.
- Official Steam store page ↗Release status, game structure, co-op count, content scope, and PC requirements.
- Official August 14 patch notes — v0.14.58630 ↗Latest reviewed build, multiplayer bug fixes, and the current crossplay warning.
- Official August 13 update — v0.12.58540 ↗Networking optimization, HP-based revives, Aodh, performance work, and Steam Deck stability fixes.
- Official Xbox product listing ↗Xbox Series X|S, PC, online co-op, Play Anywhere, cloud saves, and Xbox cross-platform capabilities.
- Official Steam announcements and patch notes ↗Current build notes, multiplayer priorities, unlock fixes, and crossplay notices.