The best new games to play with friends at the end of 2026 are Gravhounds (4-player co-op, Game Pass, November 2), Escape Academy 2 for a duo of puzzle fans (November 5), Sonic Pico Park for a party of up to 8 (November 12), and Blind Descent for a survival group of four (December 2). Add Broke Wizards if your group likes to compete, and three big updates: Battlefield 6 on November 10 and December 8, and Marathon's permanent PvE mode on December 8.
We checked every date, player count and platform on October 22, 2026, on the Steam, Xbox or publisher page. When a studio only gave a month, we say so.
The calendar
| Date (2026) | Game | Players | Platforms | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 28 | Broke Wizards | 2 to 6 online | PC | Release (Steam) |
| November 2 | Gravhounds | 1 to 4 | PC, Xbox Series X|S | Early access, Game Pass |
| November 3 | Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered | Versus, 4 local | PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2 | Release |
| November 4 | World of Warcraft: Forever | MMO | PC | With a WoW subscription |
| November 5 | Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School | 1 or 2 | PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S | Release, Game Pass |
| November 10 | Marvel Cosmic Invasion: Siege of Castle Doom | Up to 4 | PC, consoles | Paid DLC |
| November 12 | Sonic Pico Park | 2 to 8 | PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch, Switch 2 | Release |
| November 25 | Arctic Drive | 1 to 4 | PC, Xbox | Early access |
| December 1 | Hela: of Mice & Magic | Up to 4 online | PC | Release |
| December 2 | Blind Descent | 1 to 4 | PC | Early access |
One big release is missing on purpose: GTA 6 lands on November 19 with no online at launch, see what we know about GTA 6 multiplayer.
November 2026
Broke Wizards (October 28)
From 5TH Cell, the Scribblenauts studio, Broke Wizards puts 2 to 6 wizard roommates in a race to pay rent to a giant imp landlord, through minigames and odd jobs. Steam lists online co-op with public and private lobbies, on PC. Some calendars say October 29: Steam says October 28, and calls it a competitive party sandbox.
- Why a group will like it: six friends, one rent, zero loyalty.
Gravhounds (November 2)
A 1 to 4 player co-op action builder from Octopus Panic: working-class dogs stranded across the galaxy build a base and defend it. It enters early access on PC (Steam) and Xbox Series X|S on November 2, on Game Pass from day one. The studio expects about six months of early access.
- Why a group will like it: one friend builds, three shoot, and nobody needs to buy it if you all have Game Pass.
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered (November 3)
Atari's remaster of the kaiju brawler adds online play to the Versus and Melee modes, and keeps local play (Steam tags it 4 players local). It comes out on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2. It is a fighting game, not co-op: pick it for a night of rivalries.
World of Warcraft: Forever (November 4)
This is not an expansion. World of Warcraft: Forever is a third, permanent version of WoW, next to the modern game and Classic, set in a reimagined original Azeroth with a level cap of 60. It launches November 4 and is included with a WoW subscription or Game Time: a clean start for a guild of old friends.
Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School (November 5)
The escape-room sequel moves to an open-world campus full of puzzle rooms. You play alone or with one partner, online or in local split-screen, on PC (Steam, Epic), PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and it is on Game Pass from day one.
- Why a duo will like it: the best puzzles need two people talking at the same time.
Sonic Pico Park (November 12)
The Pico Park co-op puzzle formula with Sonic and friends, for 2 to 8 players, locally or online, with cross-play online. It is out on Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC.
- Why a big group will like it: every level needs everyone, so eight friends really means eight players, not six spectators.
Arctic Drive (November 25)
A 1 to 4 player co-op survival sim in a procedurally generated Arctic: drive, scavenge, stay alive. Early access on Steam, and on Xbox according to the developer's announcement.
December 2026
Hela: of Mice & Magic (December 1)
A 3D open-world adventure where you play a small mouse in a forest inspired by northern Sweden. Steam lists online co-op for up to 4 players and local split-screen with a friend, on PC.
- Why a group will like it: a calm co-op game for friends who do not want a shooter every night.
Blind Descent (December 2)
A survival game ten miles under the surface of Mars, for up to 4 players. It enters early access on PC (Steam, Epic, GOG) on December 2; PS5 and Xbox Series versions come later, with the full release. The developers expect about a year of early access.
- Why a group will like it: base building and exploration are better when someone else carries the oxygen.
Big updates to existing games
- Battlefield 6: the Dead Space event runs until November 10. Season 5 Phase 2 on November 10 adds a European Casino map and a Casino Heist event; Phase 3 on December 8 brings the Server Browser and Platoons. Find a Battlefield 6 squad.
- Marathon: the Symbiosis update on December 8 adds the first permanent PvE mode, a new Runner shell, a refreshed Perimeter zone, a social space with a firing range and an experimental Team Deathmatch. Find a Marathon trio.
- Helldivers 2: Major Update 8.0 is on Arrowhead's roadmap for December, no day and no content announced. Find a Helldivers 2 squad.
- Marvel Cosmic Invasion: The Siege of Castle Doom, a paid DLC, adds Invisible Woman and Doctor Doom on November 10, in a beat 'em up you can play with up to 4.
Two dates for the whole group: The Game Awards on Thursday, December 10, and the Steam Winter Sale from December 17, 2026 to January 4, 2027, the right moment to buy the PC games above together. Steam's Scream Fest also runs from October 26 to November 2 if you still need a horror night: see our Halloween co-op games.
How to plan a co-op night
- Count the players first: 2 points to Escape Academy 2, 4 to Gravhounds, Blind Descent or Arctic Drive, 6 to Broke Wizards, 8 to Sonic Pico Park.
- Check platforms: Broke Wizards, Hela and Blind Descent are on PC only for now.
- Use subscriptions: Gravhounds and Escape Academy 2 are on Game Pass on day one.
- Remember early access: Gravhounds, Arctic Drive and Blind Descent are unfinished, so expect bugs.
- Wait for the sale if you can: the Steam Winter Sale starts December 17.
Find players when your group is short
GameVerse is a free desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux, with mobile coming soon. It shows you players who are online now on the same game, mode and region and who want the same kind of session, chill or competitive, with cross-play in mind. Then you chat and open a lobby with voice. It does not match on rank, stats or role, and it does not verify anyone. If you prefer communities, our list of the best LFG Discord servers is a good start.
FAQ
What new co-op games come out in November 2026?
Gravhounds (November 2), Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School (November 5), Sonic Pico Park (November 12) and Arctic Drive (November 25). Broke Wizards arrives just before, on October 28.
What new co-op games come out in December 2026?
Hela: of Mice & Magic on December 1 and Blind Descent in early access on December 2. Marathon's Symbiosis update with permanent PvE follows on December 8.
Which new game is best for a big group?
Sonic Pico Park, with 2 to 8 players locally or online. Broke Wizards takes up to 6 players online, but they compete against each other.
Is GTA 6 a co-op game at launch?
No. GTA 6 comes out on November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S without an online mode at launch.
Which of these games are on Game Pass?
Gravhounds and Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School are on Game Pass from day one.