PC Gaming Companies 2023: Who owns Who

Know where your money goes.  Here's how this graphic was created and why many are missing.

 

FAQ:

• PC developers only listed, so many developers will be missing (such as Sony devs).
• Must have developed a PC game in the last 5 years, some developers that made PC games, have converted to console/mobile market only.
• Graphic based on ownership only, not publishing deals.
• If parent company is in the name, it is not displayed, such as EA Sports, EA Canada, etc.
• Services are selective, such as Pogo.
• Display the current ownership between developers and their parent companies. This does not cover the history, past buyouts, mergers, or closures.
• Individual companies are not listed.
• Flag represents the parent companies country

Summary: Three companies rise among the rest. Tencent continues to gobble up companies and take advantage of Chinese trade restrictions by flexing into additional developers.  Microsoft continues their push, with the biggest gaming purchase in history.  Embracer Group also continues their push buying up developers.  without a clear plan, they will likely be the first group to clean house and trim out the fat.

Sony warmed up to PC last time, and stayed the course by picking up an additional PC developer in hopes of strengthening their shooter IPs.  The group everyone once hated on, EA stay quiet, sitting on the same IPs and staying the course.  Netflix thinks about getting into the video game business, likely with all the streaming options pulling in profits.

 

 

 

Updates:

• Disney has ~1% Epic
• Lego has ~1% Epic
• Beacon Interactive (not Beacon Interactive Systems) buys Saber
• Saber retains 3D Realms, Slipgate Ironworks, New World Interactive, Nimble Giant, Mad Head, Digic, Fractured Byte, Sandbox Strategies,4A Games and Zen Studios
  
• Embracer retainsE mbracer will retain control of Tripwire, Beamdog, Aspyr, Tuxedo Labs, Demiurge, Shiver, Snapshot Games and 34BigThings, Cryptic Studios, , Lost Boys, Gearbox Publishing (Perfect World)
• Take-Two buys Gearbox studios
• Embracer splits 3 ways
• Asmodee 
• Coffee Stain - Ghost Ship, Tarsier, Tuxedo Labs, as well as THQ Nordic and Amplifier Game Invest, Easybrain, Deca, CrazyLabs and Cryptic
• Middle-earth Enterprise - Crystal Dynamics, Dambuster Studios, Eidos-Montréal, Flying Wild Hog Studios, Tripwire, Vertigo Games, Warhorse Studios and 4A Games 
• Closes Piranha Bytes
  
• Tango Gameworks has been shutdown by Microsoft
• Krafton buys Tango Gameworks
• Behavior buys Red Hook
   

 

2023 PC Coop Games

Welcome the definitive listing of all the cooperative oriented PC video games for 2023!

This list will be continuously updated throughout the year.

Coop list for a different year 

The games on this list, must meet the following criteria:

• PvE - Player vs Environment
• Online, split screens limited
• Available/announced for PC
• Involve 2 or more human players
• Players must work along a progressive storyline, campaign, or various goals
• Generic RTS Skirmishes and Team based game types like CTF and Deathmatch are not included
• No MMOs (game must have a conclusion or set goal)
• Greenlight & Early Access games are generally not listed unless intent for release is stated
• I'll be subjective with Survival/Horde modes as the genera has matured a bit. However, most are slapped-on after thoughts and not list worthy.

Shooter

Aliens: Dark Descent - 4 player

real-time squad action

 

Second Extinction - 3 player
Shooting dinosaurs are back in style.  This game seems to fill the Turok itch.

 

Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League - 4 player -

 

Redfall - 4 player

techy paranormal investigator, a telekinetic witch, a magical loner sniper and a combat engineer with pet robots Vs Vampires.  Made by the creators of Dishonored. L4D with vampires.

 

Proteus - 2 player

Old school, fast pace shooter, of classic Doom.

 

Outpost: Infinity Siege

Combo of combat/shooting and base-building, collect resources scattered around the map to invest in building structures and characters back at your home base.  Fight against waves of enemies.

 

Arc Raiders

F2P, 3rd person shooter.  Shoot at robots. Made from original DICE developers, but future mass coop

 

Payday 3 - 4 player

Break into banks, its the only thing this developers know how to do.

 

Dead Island 2 - April
Zombies leave the island for sunny California.
Classes: hunter, berserker, speeder and bishop

Anacrusis - 4 player

L4D clone from an original writer of the game.  This one takes you into space with a 1960s spy theme.  What if NOLF was multiplayer?

 

Transformers: Reactivate - 4 player

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 - 3 player

Follow up to the hit sleeper shooter in the world of Warhammer 40,000

 

Wizard With A Gun - 5 player - survival

crafting survival game with the artwork of Don't Starve   

 

Remnant 2 - 3 player

shoot a souls like looking creatures.  Shooter looter, like Borderlands but with standard art direction.

Fortnite: Lego - survival

Lego based characters in a survival game mode, built on top of the Fortnite game.

 

RPG

Baldur's Gate 3 - August - 4 player

The classic coop D&D RPG returns, from the makers of Divinity series.  

 Aska - 4 player

Viking Survivor game with NPC you can boss around. 

 

Atlas Fallen - 2 player

aRPG.  Dev by plague's Tale and Shipbreakers, they go with the monster hunter type game. 

Diablo 4

Last one fell short, Blizzards a even bigger mess then before.  we'll see if #4 learned anything. 

 

Superfuse

Diablo clone Arpg.  The Boyz meets Diablo.

 

Strategy

Inkbound - 2 player

Turn based strategy. roguelike . From the makers of Monster Train.

Minecraft Legends 

Action strategy game in the Minecraft Universe

Trine 5

The same characters are back.  The formula works well, it shall stay the same.

 

Action

Barotrauma - 16 players

Sub sim where everyone gets a specific position in attempts to survive in the depths or Europa.  Coop available in sandbox, campaign, mission modes.

 

Rotwood - 4 player

beat em up action from Don't Starve art & Dev team.

 

Endless Dungeon

turret defense, wealth management and hero-shooter  

 

Flock

A Sim of birds flying in groups.

 

Rain World: Downpour - 4 player

DLC add copy t this platformer.

 

Steam World Head Hunter

 

Vampire Survivors - 4 player

local coop added

 

KarmaZoo - 10 players

Platformer with strangers

 

DIG - Deep In Galaxies 

Platforming twitching non stop button mashing.  

 

Glitch Busters: Stuck on You - 4 player

Cartoon action shooter to eraticate computer bugs.

Call Of The Wild: The Angler - 2 player

Fish with friends.

Left Behind

What its like playing Trine with your kids:

 

2022 PC Coop Games

Welcome the definitive listing of all the cooperative oriented PC video games for 2020!

This list will be continuously updated throughout the year.

Coop list for a different year 

The games on this list, must meet the following criteria:

• PvE - Player vs Environment
• Online, split screens limited
• Available/announced for PC
• Involve 2 or more human players
• Players must work along a progressive storyline, campaign, or various goals
• Generic RTS Skirmishes and Team based game types like CTF and Deathmatch are not included
• No MMOs (game must have a conclusion or set goal)
• Greenlight & Early Access games are generally not listed unless intent for release is stated
• I'll be subjective with Survival/Horde modes as the genera has matured a bit. However, most are slapped-on after thoughts and not list worthy.

Shooter

Evil Dead: The Game - 4 player

[ Metacritic - 76 ]

World War Z developer creates a L4D clone with a back of an existing movie license.  

 

Gotham Knights - 4 player

[ Metacritic - 68 ]   

World War Z developer creates a L4D clone with a back of an existing movie license.  

 

Warhammer 40000 - Darktide - 4 player

[ Metacritic - 74 ]

Vermitide in the future, A L4D formula with Space Marines [Imperial Guard actually].

 

Back4Blood - 4 player

[ Metacritic - 77 ]

 From the developers of Left4Dead sans Valve payrole.  More zombies, Very much a spiritual successor

 

Grounded - 4 player 

[ Metacritic - 82 ] 

What if honey I shrunk the kids was made into a survival video game?  Here you go! 

 

Outlast Trials - 4 player

Survival - psychological horror

 

Halo Infinite

Will have campaign coop, but not until after launch.  Expecting low reviews for the delay.

 

Ripout - 3 player

3D Realm take Doom like game.  No real campaign, as much as random maps with loot gathering and shooting demon things.

 

Rainbow Six Extraction - 3 player

R6 take on a L4D formula, but adds countless of gadgets, classes, and mixed tactics that should add a butter layer of depth. Aliens, not Zombies, look like something from the Venom universe. 

 

Sker Ritual - 4 player

Takes place in their previous universe, Maid of Sker.  4 players go against waves of zombies.  Seems like a CoD zombie game.

 

Clash: Artifacts of Chaos - 2 player - June 2022

Co-op in the official twisted imagination and art style of the Zeno Clash universe

RPG

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands - ARPG

[ Metacritic - 78 ]

Set in the Borderlands universe, not a shooter 

Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 2 - ARPG - 2 player

[ Metacritic - 61 ]

 

Nobody Saves the World - 2 player

From the makers of the colorful Guacamelee, an aRPG that involved a lot of shapeshifting.

Strategy

Barotrauma - 16 player

Early Access

FTL in a coop chaos submarine.  Thought we just had this with We Need to go Deeper.  Though FTL space ship v submarine.  Basically same thing anyways. 

DwarfHeim -3 player

An RTS with Dwarfs. Mix and match your classes and abilities for the best outcome against hoards of bad guys invading your realm.

Phasmophobia - 4 player 

Early access.

A slow and methodical psychological horror about ghost hunting.

We Were Here Forever - 2 player

4th in the escape room series. 

 

Monster Hunter Rise - 4 players

Arpg

 

WarTales - 2 player

Dune: Spice Wars

RTS, Skirmish v AI

 

Rusty Lake: Path Within - 2 player

Adventure/puzzler game where each play is in control in two different timelines.

Action

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - 6 player

The classic arcade side scroller fighter returns in what seems to be a resurgence in the classics.

 

Babylon’s Fall - 4 player - March

Nier/Dark Souls style creature combat with 4 players.

 

Shoulders of Giants - 2,4 player -

A Frog and a Robot work together, compared to the classic Banjo-Kazooie game.

 

Lego Star Wars: Skywalker Saga - 2 player

A retelling of all the Star Wars movies, Lego style.  

 

Conan: Chop Chop - 4 player

[ Metacritic - 77 ]

Cartoony hack n slasher in the Conan universe.  

 

The Ascent - 4 player

Cyberpunk world using a top down shooter fest. 

 

Powerwash Simulator  - 6 player

Wash stuff, the ultimate OCD simulator.

 

Contraband

Smuggling game themed in the 1970s

 

Space Punks - 4 player

Top down shooter, similar to Helldivers.  Done with a Borderlands art style and overlal theme.

 

Ship of Fools - 2 player

On a ship, shooting at baddies. Collects stuf along the way.  Tower D, on a ship.

Saints Row - 2 player

Its the reboot of Saints Row, with drop-in out coop that allows you to keep your progress.

 

 

PC Gaming Companies 2021: Who owns Who

The purpose of these info-graphics are to simplify the answer to that question for PC gamers - Who owns what? For people that say they are going to boycott all EA games, that's going to include Pop Cap's Bejeweled, and Maxis The Sims games. If you are boycotting Call of Duty, maybe you should lay off on the Starcraft and World or Warcraft. Know where your money goes.

 

Summary: Tencent continues to take advantage of the pandemic economy and trade restrictions by flexing into additional developers.  Sony warms up to the idea that making PC games can be profitable.  Microsoft is serious about making games ...by purchasing developers.  Embracer Group plays with the big dogs, by becoming one.

 

FAQ:

• PC developers only listed, so many developers will be missing (such as Sony devs).
• Must have developed a PC game in the last 5 years, some developers that made PC games, have converted to console/mobile market only.
• Graphic based on ownership only, not publishing deals.
• If parent company is in the name, it is not displayed, such as EA Sports, EA Canada, etc.
• Services are selective, such as Pogo.
• Display the current ownership between developers and their parent companies. This does not cover the history, past buyouts, mergers, or closures.
• Individual companies are not listed.
• Flag represents the parent companies country

Additional changes since last design:

• Tencent buys Sumo Digital
• Tencent has unknown stake in Otherside Entertainment  & Platinum Games & Discord & 10 Chambers Collective & Yager Dev
  
• Tencent owns 3.8% of Remedy
• Tencent owns 80% of Grinding Gears Games
• Tencent owns 15.5% of Bluehole/Krafton
• Tencent own 9% in Frontier Developments
• Tencent owns 36% in Fatshark
• Tencent owns Sharkmob
• Tencent owns 49% Roblox Corp.
• Tencent buys  "1C Entertainment"
• Tencent buys Tequila Works
• Tencent ownership of Ubisoft increases
  
• Embracer Group owns 3d Realms (Saber)
• Embracer Group owns Slipgate Ironworks (Saber)
• Embracer Group owns Ghostship Games (Coffee stain Studios)
• Embracer Group owns DigixArt (Koch Media) 
• Embracer Group owns Perfect World (Gearbox) and Shiver Entertainment 
• Embracer Group owns Crystal Dynamics, Eidos, Square Enix
  
• Embracer Group owns Beamdog (Aspyr)
  
• Funcom acquired the Cabinet Group
• Netflix buys Night School Studio
• Tencent owns Turtle Rock
• Take-Two buys Zynga
• Microsoft buys Blizzard/Activision
• Nacon owns - Big Ant, Cyanide, Eko, Daedalic, Kylotonn, Spiders
• Blizzard buys Spellbreak Studios
• Sony buys Bungie
• Koch Media becomes Plaion
• Embracer buys Tripwire Interactive
• Frontier buys Complex Games
• Volition slides over to Gearbox
• Tencent owns Techland
• Embracer closes Volition
• Atari buys Night Dive Studios
  

2021 PC Coop Games

Welcome the definitive listing of all the cooperative oriented PC video games for 2020!
This list will be continuously updated throughout the year.

Coop list for a different year 

The games on this list, must meet the following criteria:

• PvE - Player vs Environment
• Online, split screens limited
• Available/announced for PC
• Involve 2 or more human players
• Players must work along a progressive storyline, campaign, or various goals
• Generic RTS Skirmishes and Team based game types like CTF and Deathmatch are not included
• No MMOs (game must have a conclusion or set goal)
• Greenlight & Early Access games are generally not listed unless intent for release is stated
• I'll be subjective with Survival/Horde modes as the genera has matured a bit. However, most are slapped-on after thoughts and not list worthy.

Shooter

 

Aliens: Fireteam - 4 player

[ Metacritic - 68 ]

It's unclear if this is L4D clone with aliens franchise or more story driven. Has a class system.

 

Rainbow Six Extraction - 3 player
[ Metacritic - 71 ] 

Squad based tactical, set in the future.  Battle monster virus.

 

Icarus - 8 player

[ Metacritic - 67 ]

Survival from Dayz creator.  Aliens replace zombies. 

 

GTFO - 4 player

[ Metacritic - 88 ]

More like  Killing Floor than L4D. Object oriented levels with zombie like masses if the stealth approach falls apart.

RPG

Outriders - 3 player

[ Metacritic - 73 ]  

aRPG.  A Mass effect meets Diablo game.  

 

Blightbound - 3 Player

[ Metacritic - 59 ]   

Diablo clone.

 

Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance - 4 player

[ Metacritic - 53 ]   

aRPG, 3rd person.  A campier, flashier, actiony take on the D&D license. 

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance  - 2 player

aRPG.  Not to be confused with the spiritual successor D&D Dark Alliance.  This is the original from 20 years ago, that is finally seeing its PC release.

Strategy

Barotrauma - 16 player

Early Access

FTL in a coop chaos submarine.  Thought we just had this with We Need to go Deeper.  Though FTL space ship v submarine.  Basically same thing anyways. 

The Past Within - 2 player

Puzzler 

KeyWe - 2 player

[ Metacritic - 74 ]  

The game about two little Kiwi's running a post office.  A life without arms simulator.

Operation: Tango - 2 player

[ Metacritic - 71 ]  

Secret agents/spy work through various puzzles, where successful communication is the key.  Very similar to Clandestine  

Carrier Command 2 - 16 player

[ Metacritic - 61 ]

Remake of a classic Micropose game.  This is an 1st person aircraft carrier simulator, down to individual stations that get individual takes on the chaos outside.

American Truck Simulator - 8 player

[ Metacritic - 80 ]

Driving sim adds coop to the long hauls.  Convoy style.

Orcs Must Die 3 - 2 player

[ Metacritic - 77 ]

3rd person tower defense with a light class system.  Known for quarky traps tat you build out for the waves of Orcs.

Action

 It Takes Two - 2 Player - March

[ Metacritic - 88 ]

Just in time for  couples stuck in quarantine.  You play married couple on the rocks that have been turned into dolls and go on a platforming- puzzling adventure to save themselves.

 

Rogue Heroes - 4 player

Zelda like for multiply players

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings Of Ruin - 2 player

[ Metacritic - 82 ]

scaled down, entry level, monster hunting.  heavy on the anime. 

Bubble Bobble 4 Friends - 4 player

[ Metacritic - 68 ]

A renewal of the classic arcade game of the similar name.  I really had no idea what was going on before, and I still don't now.  But its bubbles, and a kids game, so what more is needed?

2020 PC Coop Games

Welcome the definitive listing of all the cooperative oriented PC video games for 2020!
This list will be continuously updated throughout the year.

Coop list for a different year 

The games on this list, must meet the following criteria:

• PvE - Player vs Environment
• Online, split screens limited
• Available/announced for PC
• Involve 2 or more human players
• Players must work along a progressive storyline, campaign, or various goals
• Generic RTS Skirmishes and Team based game types like CTF and Deathmatch are not included
• No MMOs (game must have a conclusion or set goal)
• Greenlight & Early Access games are generally not listed unless intent for release is stated
• I'll be subjective with Survival/Horde modes as the genera has matured a bit. However, most are slapped-on after thoughts and not list worthy.

Shooter

Deep Rock Galactic - 4 player 

[ Metacritic - 85 ]

Space dwarves mining for loot in this L4D like game where you run and gun to survive hordes of underground nasties. 

 

Resident Evil Resistance  - 4 player

[ Metacritic - 64 ] 

L4D clone in the Resident Evil Universe.

 

Serious Sam 4 - 4 player
[ Metacritic - 64 ]

Over the top shooter, with 100,000 simultaneous things to shoot at.

RPG

Wasteland 3 - 2 player

[ Metacritic - 85 ]

Taking a hint from how Divinity handles coop, Wastelands hopes for similar success.

 

Godfall - 4 player

[ Metacritic - 61 ]

Fantasy 3rd person aRPG by Boarderland creators - Gearbox.

 

Zombie Army 4: Dead War - 4 player

[ Metacritic - 74 ] 

Spinoff from Sniper Elite, ZA4 gives a massive amount of killing methods to remove the WWII zombie hoards.

Darksiders Genesis - 2 player

[ Metacritic - 77 ]

An aRPG, more of a Tomb Raider and Guardian of Light vibe then Diablo.

 

Minecraft Dungeons - 4 player

[ Metacritic - 74 ] 
aRPG with Mincraft graphics.  More of a scaled down aRPG, then anything else to do with Minecraft.  

Strategy

Iron Harvest - 2 player

[ Metacritic - 75 ]

A classic steampunk take at WWI.   Coop added post launch allows campaign contoll of any character on the field, which could get messy.  Looks like old school RTS.

Year of Rain - 2 player

We have not seen an RTS revolve around 2 players since C&C Red Alert 2.  This game aims to  fill those longing for Warcraft like gameplay. Disappointedly unfinished.

Wargroove: Double Trouble - 4 player 

[ Metacritic - 82 ]

Compared to Advanced Wars, turn based tactics. Includes campaign coop via a free DLC.

 

The Magic Circle - 4 player

[ Metacritic - 79 ] 

Surveillance-focused immersive horror. Created by Bioshock veterans, this game will ride the "Things" vibe.

Untitled Goose Game - 2 player

[ Metacritic - 79 ]

Puzzler of sorts, added coop post release.  Work together to drive people quackers. 

Simulator

Surgeon Simulator 2 - 2 player 

[ Metacritic - 70 ] 

Bumbling around with a friend over surgery.  What could go wrong?

Action

Darksburg - 4 player 

[ Metacritic - 64 ] 

From the makers of surprise successful Northgard.   Top down zombie killer seems like an odd follow-up  Pick a class, and survive against the odds.

 

Marvel's Avengers - 4 player

[ Metacritic - 68 ] 

Had the potential to bring back the great Legend series, but instead delivered a high end mobile like souless cash grab.

Struggling - 2 player

[ Metacritic - 65 ] 

2 arms, one body, 2 controllers.  This game will live up to its name. 

Wildfire - 2 player

[ Metacritic - 79 ]

 8-bit style platformer involving fireballs.  Lots and lots of fire. 

  

Haven - 2 player

[ Metacritic - 77 ]

 Make sure your gaming with someone you're close to.  A whole lot of hand holding, in this romantic combat action adventure.