Binding of Isaac online co-op is almost here, as the roguelike goes dirt cheap

The Binding of Isaac's free online co-op update is almost here, as the quintessential roguelike is also dirt cheap for new players.

The Binding of Isaac Rebirth is ten years old. Since it launched, some of my other favorite roguelikes have taken up all my attention, but it’s almost time for the return of the king. I’ve played Slay the Spire, Hades, Dead Cells, Dicey Dungeons, and Balatro to my heart’s content, but everyone’s favorite tear-shooting child is about to make a comeback. The long-awaited Isaac online co-op update is finally almost here, and you can snag the roguelike at a deep discount in the meantime.

The best roguelike games owe a lot to The Binding of Isaac. The top-down dungeon crawler wasn’t the first to borrow from 1980’s Rogue, but its sheer popularity and success undoubtedly influenced the genre. I don’t think we’d have roguelikes in the form we do today if it weren’t for Isaac, and the game’s staggering reception is proof of that. The Binding of Isaac Rebirth currently has a 97% positive rating on Steam, from an eye-watering 274,000 reviews. Not many other games in the genre can boast numbers even close to that.

To that end, I’ll take any excuse to revisit Isaac’s escape from the clutches of his mother. Color me surprised to learn that The Binding of Isaac’s online co-op update is almost here, then. We don’t have long to wait for the free patch, and it’s going to be a game-changer.

“Isaac online will feature a full online co-op mode (with completion markers) alongside a considerable balance update that heavily focuses on buffing items you guys believe are lackluster/bad,” the game’s co-creator Edmund McMillen says.

McMillen also confirms that the game’s online co-op will support between two and four players, as co-developer Nicalis adds that we’ll be getting “Isaac-related announcements” throughout November to celebrate the game’s tenth anniversary.

The full launch of Isaac’s online co-op mode comes after the alpha test was canceled earlier this year. The Binding of Isaac executive producer Tyrone Rodriguez said it was “going offline until further notice due to someone datamining the game and ruining it for everyone else.” A hacker circumnavigated the alpha to play other modes, and shared this information with players. Rodriguez added that “the team need our tests to actually be tests,” so it was decided that the alpha was being taken down.

Now, that extended wait is finally almost over, as we almost have a fully functional online co-op for one of the best roguelikes ever made.

The Binding of Isaac’s free online co-op mode will launch on Monday November 18. The roguelike is also on sale until Monday November 11, so new players can expect to pay $7.49 / £5.49 for the Rebirth version of the game until then. You can find the game on Steam right here.

We’ve got more great ways to pass the time while you wait for The Binding of Isaac online to arrive, with the best indie games and co-op games available on PC to keep you busy.

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