Crossplay references the ability of a game to offer multiplayer server connectivity amongst different gaming platforms. Any hardcore gamer these days will caution that crossplay is a crucial component of any flagship title. The meteoric upsurge in PC gaming coupled with the pandemic lockdowns served to drastically accentuate the significance of crossplay. For many, crossplay influences the decision on whether or not to invest in a game. Following the amelioration of modern crossplay, many game developers diligently strove to supply the feature for their consumer base. Here are several popular titles that offer crossplay within the current year.
Minecraft
Minecraft is the world’s best-selling video game and features virtually inexhaustible sandbox-style gameplay. Players are tasked with the exploration of an open world. Within the world, players mine, extract and craft materials to create structures only limited by the imagination of the player. Fellow players can also work together in servers, in addition to other game modes such as survival. Minecraft allows for crossplay between all modern platforms.
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
Rainbow Six Siege is a tactical shooter with an emphasis on strategy and teamwork. Unique to typical first-person shooters, the game requires meticulous cooperation between squad members through gadget operation, environmental interaction and entry points. Siege offers crossplay between PlayStation and Xbox consoles, while PC, Stadia and Luna players can connect with each other.
Rocket League
Rocket League is a soccer-inspired sports game featuring rocket-propelled vehicles. Its patented premise involves utilizing tricks, flips and flight – courtesy of rocket-fueled vehicles – to secure goals in a heavily simplified version of soccer. The game’s fun, yet precise and challenging gameplay has birthed a healthy esport scene. Crossplay is available between all platforms.
Among Us
Catapulted into massive mainstream success during the pandemic, Among Us needs little introduction. Conceived as a social deduction game reminiscent of Mafia, Among Us requires players to cooperate in order to successfully determine the disguised sabotager or “imposter.” Such a seemingly simplistic premise demands astute observation supplemented with convincing advocacy of any suspicions held by players. This game is crossplay enabled on all available platforms, including mobile devices.
Fortnite
Fortnite is arguably the biggest battle royale game around. This third-person shooter features a major mechanic that separates the game from the rest of the pack: building. Building is frequently utilized in a multitude of different scenarios: providing cover against enemy fire, reaching higher vantage points, protecting team members from flanks and shielding items and location. Crossplay is available freely between PC, Xbox, PlayStation and Switch users. Players on Android are required to create a crossplay party in order to connect with the aforementioned players. Unfortunately for Apple users, the game is not currently crossplay.
Applicability of Crossplay in the Future
With the gaming space becoming significantly more connected, crossplay is evolving into a necessity. Players are eager to invest time and resources into games that they can reliably play with friends. Many developers have noticed this trend and have actively sought to implement crossplay between major modern platforms. As a result, the feature is becoming more expected within major titles. Perhaps this development is pushing the industry to implement crossplayability for future flagship titles. Either way, it is interesting to see how far crossplay implementation has come within the last few years.
Ethan is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Germanna Community College. A fighting game aficionado, Ethan has participated competitively in Super Smash Bros., Tekken, and Mortal Kombat tournaments. He is also a member of a local esports team.
