The developers of Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance have revealed that the game will receive split-screen local co-op in a post-launch update. The launch version of the game will feature both single-player and online multiplayer modes.
Dark Alliance is an upcoming action RPG that stars the Companions of the Hall, who are some of the most famous heroes of the D&D Forgotten Realms campaign setting. The story follows Drizzt Do'Urden, who must return to the frozen land of Icewind Dale. He once buried an ancient magic artifact there, beneath an avalanche, in order to keep its power out of the hands of those who would use it for evil. The titular "Dark Alliance" refers to the group seeking to free the artifact and steal its power. Drizzt and his allies must battle an entire army of monsters in order to stop them from claiming the artifact.
The only way to play Dark Alliance with friends at launch is through its online multiplayer, which can support up to four players. The developers addressed the lack of local co-op during a recent livestream, which was outlined in a post on the official Dark Alliance Twitter. Local split-screen co-op for two players will come to the PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game this summer. If the announcement is to be believed, local co-op will be the developers' "main priority."
The distinction regarding the versions of the game means that the update won't be coming to the PS4 or Xbox One versions of Dark Alliance. This is likely due to hardware limitations, as split-screen can be a huge drain on resources. It's a shame that the local co-op won't be featured in every version of the game, but it might not be feasible on the older hardware.
It was also revealed that the update will be released alongside the first free DLC for the game. This wording suggests that paid DLC is coming in the future, not counting the existing pre-order bonuses available for the game. It's possible that more characters are coming to the game, such as other Legend of Drizzt characters (like Artemis Entreri or Jarlaxle), or other characters from the Forgotten Realms (like Minsc from the Baldur's Gate series). There is also a lot of scope for adding new dungeons and monsters. Friends will be able to tackle this new content together, once the co-op update launches this summer.
Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance will be released for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on June 22, 2021.
Source: Dark Alliance/Twitter