The Death of Couch Co-Op – Are We Losing the Magic of Local Multiplayer?

Remember when gaming was about passing the controller, not sending party invites?

There was a time when couch co-op was king. Whether it was spending entire weekends playing Halo 3 LAN parties, battling it out in GoldenEye 007, or screaming at your friends over a blue shell in Mario Kart, local multiplayer was at the heart of gaming culture. It wasn’t just about playing—it was about being in the same room, sharing the energy, and creating unforgettable moments.

But in 2025? Couch co-op is on life support.

As online multiplayer became the norm, developers slowly phased out split-screen gaming—and not because players stopped wanting it. The real reason? Profit. Why let two players share one game when you can sell two copies, two subscriptions, and double the microtransactions?

Even franchises that built their legacy on couch co-op (Halo, Call of Duty, Borderlands) have shifted their focus entirely online. Want to play locally? Too bad—better hope your WiFi doesn’t drop.

Sure, a few games like Super Smash Bros., Overcooked, and It Takes Two prove that local co-op isn’t completely dead. But compared to the PS2 and Xbox 360 eras? It’s a shadow of what it once was.

So, is couch co-op a relic of the past, or should developers bring it back? Would you rather game side by side with friends, or has online multiplayer made local play obsolete?

Drop your thoughts below—because we’re ready to debate.