Overview
Rooted supports both solo and cooperative multiplayer gameplay. The game can be played entirely offline without an internet connection, or online with up to 6 players in co-op sessions.
Player Count
Co-op sessions support up to 6 players. The developers have indicated that this number may increase in the future, but 6 is the confirmed maximum for the current development phase.
Connection Features
Feature | Details |
|---|---|
Drop-in/drop-out | Players can join and leave sessions freely without disrupting the game for others. |
Offline solo | The game is fully playable offline. No internet connection required for solo play. |
VOIP | Built-in voice communication for coordinating with teammates during co-op sessions. |
Friendly Fire
Friendly fire is an optional server setting. When enabled, players can damage their teammates with weapons and other attacks. When disabled, player attacks pass through teammates harmlessly. This setting is configured by the session host.
PvP
Dedicated PvP servers are planned for after the full release of the game. During the current development phases (Alpha and Beta), the focus is on cooperative survival gameplay. PvP will add a competitive dimension where players can fight each other for territory and resources.
Cooperative Gameplay
In co-op sessions, players share the world and can collaborate on all game systems:
Build and defend bases together.
Coordinate hunting expeditions and zone exploration.
Use drones to place markers visible to all teammates (see Contaminated Zones).
Communicate via built-in VOIP.
Session Structure
A Rooted session supports between one and six players. Hosts choose how many slots to open and whether to allow drop-in joining mid-session. The studio's communication frames the design around small co-op groups rather than large persistent servers, keeping pacing and resource pressure consistent with the survival loop.
Setting | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Players per session | 1-6 | Solo offline is supported; up to six in co-op. |
Drop-in join | Optional | Players can land into an active world if the host allows. |
Friendly fire | Toggleable | Off by default; can be enabled for roleplay or harder runs. |
VOIP | Built in | In-game voice supported; external tools also work. |
Friendly Fire and Coordination
Friendly fire is the only opt-in combat-on-teammates mechanic in the current build. Squad coordination matters once it is on, especially during firearms-heavy runs after the December 2025 weapons patch added the M4A1 and Glock. Group play also benefits from drone scouting to map enemy patrols before engagement.
PvP Roadmap
Player-versus-player gameplay is planned for after the Early Access launch, hosted on dedicated servers separate from the standard co-op flow. Until then, the only combative interaction between players is the friendly-fire toggle. Crossplay across Steam and Epic is confirmed as mandatory for Early Access, which keeps the co-op pool unified regardless of where each player owns the game.
Languages and Reach
Early Access ships with full interface, audio, and subtitle support for English, French, German, Simplified Chinese, Danish, Italian, Spanish, and Dutch. Localization breadth widens the practical co-op pool at launch.
Co-op Vehicles And Shared Audio (In Development)
Two co-op systems shown in a June 2026 update are in development rather than live in the current build. Vehicles are gaining passenger roles, so a friend can ride in their own seat on a shared craft instead of only taking the wheel, with the seat releasing cleanly when a driver steps off.
A world radio layer keeps speakers in the world synchronized across a session, so everyone in co-op hears the same station at the same point in its programming. Both systems are confirmed development direction and are not yet in the public build.
Co-op Replication Improvements (In Development)
A June 12, 2026 development update improved how co-op sessions stay in sync, work that is in development and not yet in the public build. Worn gear now shows on other players and stays on, equipment changes refresh on clients, and muzzle flashes are visible to everyone in the session.
Every inventory gesture, including equip, unequip, moving items between pockets and the bag, splitting, merging, dropping, and consuming, is now handled as a server-side transaction. Routing these actions through the server keeps every player's view of the shared world consistent. These replication changes are confirmed development direction.