One of the Best Co-Op Games of 2024 is Coming to Switch 2 Next Year

Co-op multiplayer gaming fans will soon get to enjoy a newly enhanced version of Core Keeper, plus a major update, when the Switch 2 edition of the beloved sandbox exploration game launches on January 28. While Core Keeper is presently playable on the Switch 2 via the system’s backward compatibility with standard Nintendo Switch titles, the upcoming new version of the game and its free expansion look to make key improvements that will offer an even better experience.

Core Keeper ranked among the best co-op games of 2024, with many praising it for its blend of mining, building, fighting, crafting, and even farming mechanics, all which help players on their journey through an enchanting underground world begging to be explored. Many reviews applaud the clever blend of relaxing, pixelated graphics with sometimes challenging yet very satisfying gameplay, earning Core Keeper a number of comparisons to Stardew Valley and Terraria, among others. The game received a number of awards and accolades, and developer Pugstorm has even more in store for fans with the upcoming Switch 2 edition and new update.

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Core Keeper Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Void and Voltage Update

The Nintendo Switch 2 edition of Core Keeper will feature a number of graphical improvements, including enhanced fidelity, targeted 60 FPS, lighting and shadow adjustments, upgraded water visuals, and greater particle effects. Perhaps most significantly, the Switch 2 version of Core Keeper will offer native 8-player co-op, provided the host player is using a Switch 2. Presently, Core Keeper provides 1-8 player co-op via online connection, with a maximum of 4-player co-op natively supported on the original Switch. Fans who already own Core Keeper on the Switch will be able to upgrade to the Switch 2 edition completely free of charge, and they will also have access to the new Void and Voltage update, coming the same day as the Switch 2 version on January 28.

The Void and Voltage update for Core Keeper, which will be available for free across all platforms, will add a brand-new Breaker’s Reach biome, additional enemy types, more boss fights, and new weapons to choose from. Unlike other lively corners of the Core, Breaker’s Reach is an inorganic mechanical biome littered with Chargers, Patrollers, and Swarmers who must be defeated if players wish to access the valuable resources being guarded. Breaker’s Reach is controlled by S.A.H.A.B.A.R, a gigantic nightmarish robot with laser-targeting energy beams that will push players’ battle prowess to the limit. To take advantage of the mechanical scrap from the skirmishes in Breaker’s Reach, a new Advanced Automation Table will make it easier than ever to craft helpful tools, including new items like generators, critter catchers, proximity sensors, and more.

Upgraded gear, including miniguns, mortars, grenades, remote detonators, and a flamethrower, will also be added with the Void and Voltage expansion, plus more decorations, off-hand items, and accessories. Players who wish to explore everything that Void and Voltage has to offer will be able to discover the Void sub-biome, where threatening new versions of familiar enemies will be lurking. The enhanced version of Core Keeper will join an already impressive lineup of co-op games available on Switch 2. Hazelight Studio’s smash-hit Split Fiction, a follow-up to the 2021 Game of the Year It Takes Two, offers a split-screen 2-player experience, while Mario Kart World, the Switch 2’s partner launch title, reimagines the classic racing franchise with a new Free Roam mode and expanded NPC roster.

Additionally, there will also be a Switch 2 edition of Stardew Valley, offering similar enhancements as the upgraded version of Core Keeper coming in January. Both games are welcoming to first-time and veteran players, making their improvements to native co-op gameplay a welcome change for families and friend groups alike. Core Keeper fans can enjoy all the exciting additions of Void and Voltage, plus the enhancements of the Nintendo Switch 2 edition, when both release on January 28.

Released

August 27, 2024

ESRB

E For Everyone // Mild Fantasy Violence

Developer(s)

Pugstorm

Publisher(s)

Fireshine Games