Does Black Skylands have Co-op or Multiplayer?

Giant, weapon-packing airships have become a staple element of steampunk fantasy in the last few decades, and rightfully so: they’re unquestionably awesome. It’s like if you combine all the swashbuckling fun of piracy with the mechanical wonderment of modern warfare; what’s not to like about such a concept? Well, there is perhaps one thing: whether or not you can do it with your friends. On that note, does Black Skylands have Co-op or Multiplayer?

Does Black Skylands have Co-op or Multiplayer?

Black Skylands, unfortunately, does not have any multiplayer or co-op functionality; it is a completely offline, single-player experience. While one may assume that having airships as a primary gameplay mechanic would offer opportunities for multiplayer functionality, what with all of the various aspects of a ship that require manning, the way this particular game is designed doesn’t really facilitate that. Your airship in Black Skylands, at least during combat encounters, is more of an extension of how you fight on foot. In both cases, it’s a top-down shooter; it’s just that when you’re in the ship you have more weapons and abilities at your disposal.

As for whether these features could be added later down the line, the game did just launch this month in an Early Access period, so there is plenty of time for new ideas in future development. That said, while the developers have said in the Steam forums that they would love to add in dedicated co-op and versus modes, it’s too early in the game’s development for them to be focusing on anything besides the core gameplay loop. When the game is further along in its Early Access period, or after it’s fully finished, there would likely be a better chance of those options coming to be then. Until those times can be reached, though, you’ll have to settle for flying the skies solo.