Update 17 multiplayer and companion changes
NerveLabs reports improved online stability and alerts when either host or client disconnects. The patch also addresses missing Amphitheater ghosts after delayed co-op quest loading. These are specific developer-reported changes, not proof that every save, connection or quest-state issue has disappeared.
Companions no longer react to player crimes, and a case where dismissed companions failed to appear received a fix. This does not remove guards or the evidence-chest crime system, nor does it establish new party-size or cross-play rules. The separate host-world and guest-character model introduced in Update 16 remains the documented starting point.
Changed in Update 17
This page was compared with the official Update 17 announcement on September 25, 2026. The changes above are developer-reported; details requiring in-game testing remain explicitly unresolved.
Start here
- Guests should create and save a single-player character before joining.
- Select that save when joining a friend's game.
- Character appearance, equipment, regular items, gold, skills and perks travel.
- Guest character progress saves independently every 30 seconds.
- Quests and quest items remain host-side.
Current co-op guide desk
| Question | Guide |
|---|---|
| Which character joins? | /co-op/characters |
| What saves for guests? | /co-op/guest-progress |
| Who owns quests? | /co-op/quest-progress |
| How do saves split? | /co-op/save-system |
| What if something is wrong? | /co-op/troubleshooting |
Session settings and displays
- The host controls the friendly-fire option.
- Party status bars can show health, stamina and magic.
- Split-screen players have independent map controls and camera movement.
Evidence boundary
Exact values, requirements and edge cases stay marked as unverified until they can be checked in the current build.
Confirmed
These official labels establish the broad multiplayer promise and available Steam feature categories. They do not establish party size, how the game assigns ownership, how local inputs are handled or what happens when a connection fails.
- Online Co-op is listed as a Steam feature.
- Shared/Split Screen Co-op is listed as a Steam feature.
- Shared/Split Screen is listed as a Steam feature.
- Remote Play Together is listed as a Steam feature.
- Family Sharing is listed as a Steam feature.
- NerveLabs says the entire game is fully playable in co-op.
- Players are described as exploring, finding treasure and making consequential choices together.
- A network connection is required for multiplayer.
Update 11 quest-state autosave fix
Officially fixed in Update 11: autosave not storing quest state in co-op. This is a specific fix to the autosave record named in the announcement.
It does not establish host migration behavior and does not prove every multiplayer save, progression or disconnect problem is fixed. New reports still need the current build, save age and host or non-host role.
Update 12 co-op fixes
Update 12 reports that quest-item checks now apply consistently to the player being asked. In practice, the player holding a quest item must turn it in themselves; another party member cannot satisfy that check for them.
The same official note says Theodorus now offers spellcrafting when that option is unlocked in multiplayer and that teleporting works for clients in co-op. It also reports more co-op stability work without claiming that all stability problems are gone.
Update 13 friendly-fire setting
Update 13 adds an option to disable friendly fire. In co-op, the host's option determines the setting for the session.
This confirms who controls that option; it does not establish broader host authority over quests, saves, loot or other shared decisions.
Not yet verified here
These behaviors require repeatable current-build checks. The specific Update 11–13 fixes cannot be expanded into answers that the official notes do not provide.
- Maximum party size
- Host migration and disconnect recovery
- Save ownership and host/client progression
- Who controls quest choices
- Loot-sharing rules
- Cross-play support
- Drop-in and drop-out behavior