Steam's Gone Co-Op Crazy: Is Single-Player Officially Dead?
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
Game Rant reports that co-op games are absolutely dominating Steam in 2025, raking in billions and outselling single-player titles by a significant margin. Is this a long-term trend, or just a passing fad driven by affordable indie titles and Steam's player-friendly features?
Right, so Game Rant's just dropped a bombshell: co-op games are absolutely *smashing* it on Steam in 2025. And when I say smashing, I mean dominating the charts like a fully-kitted warrior in a newbie lobby. According to their analysis, based on figures from Alinea Analytics, we're talking billions of dollars and millions of copies sold. Seems like everyone's suddenly got the co-op itch, eh?
Specifically, co-op titles have apparently pulled in a whopping $4.1 billion in revenue just in the first half of this year. That's an 11% jump from last year, which, let's be honest, is nothing to sniff at. What's even more bonkers is that the top five best-selling games on Steam were all co-op experiences. REPO, Schedule 1, Peak, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Elden Ring Nightreign took the top spots in terms of copies sold. Revenue-wise, it was Monster Hunter Wilds leading the charge, followed by Schedule 1, REPO, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, and Split Fiction.
Now, I'm not saying single-player games are suddenly going to vanish in a puff of smoke (although, wouldn't *that* be a fun experiment?), but this is a serious shift. Think back to 2018 – co-op games only accounted for $1.25 billion of Steam's earnings. That's a *huge* difference. The trend started picking up around 2020, and it's been snowballing ever since, fuelled by the release of games like Phasmophobia, Valheim, It Takes Two, Lethal Company, Baldur's Gate 3, Helldivers 2, and REPO.
What's particularly interesting is that a lot of these co-op successes aren't your typical AAA behemoths. We're seeing indie and AA titles leading the charge, which makes you wonder if the lower price point is a big factor. Are people more willing to take a punt on a new co-op experience with their mates if it doesn't cost them the price of a small car? Probably, right?
Steam's got a few things going for it that make it a co-op haven. No online fees, for one. And Remote Play Together is a stroke of genius – only one person needs to own the game for everyone to join in. That's the kind of player-friendly innovation we love to see. But does this signal a long-term trend, or is it just a fad? Only time will tell, mate. But for now, it looks like co-op is king (or queen, depending on your gaming preferences).
Game Rant reckons this trend is set to continue, and frankly, I'm inclined to agree. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a dungeon to crawl with some mates. Anyone fancy a pint afterwards?
Tags: co-op games, steam, gaming trends, indie games, multiplayer
Original article: Game Rant