Cross-play is a concept that seemed foreign only one generation ago. The thought of Xbox, Nintendo, and PlayStation users playing together seemed like blasphemy, a pipe-dream that would never come to fruition.
It wasn’t until Epic Games “accidentally” enabled cross-play for Fortnite back in 2017 that gamers realized how easily the possibility of playing with console opposites could be.
Cross-play is no longer a request from players, it is a demand.
Currently, there are only three titles that offer full cross-play support: Fortnite, Rocket League, and the newly released Dauntless. In a world where power discrepancy in consoles is less apparent than ever, the ball is left in the court of console manufacturers to come together and find a solution.
However, as the movement continues to expand and more players are tweeting at Microsoft and Sony to get this done, we ask ourselves, what games need cross-play now more than ever?
Here are six games that need cross-play ASAP.
Destiny 2
Being a title that is played by millions across PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC makes Destiny 2 a perfect candidate for cross-play functionality.
Destiny 2 is known for being one of the most engaging games on the market with its constant stream of new content and quests for players to enjoy. There are new seasons and expansions always on the horizon, allowing Guardians to expand their vault of gear with new and exciting weapons, armor and abilities.
With the release of Shadowkeep right around the corner, there is no better time for Destiny 2 to enable cross-functionality. And with the announcement of the base game going F2P in September, cross-play would allow those new players to matchmake more easily when playing older content.
In their latest live stream heading into E3, Bungie announced that they will also be bringing cross-save support in Destiny 2 later this year, potentially setting the stage for cross-play when the time comes.
Destiny 2 would be one of the biggest beneficiaries of cross-play because it would allow Bungie to bring more players together for their multiplayer events like raids and strikes.
By allowing players on any platform to pair up, queue times for the lesser-played modes like Gambit and Crucible would also be cut dramatically due to its newly expanded player base.
If Bungie is able to pull some strings and allow players on any platform to team up, it will breathe new life into the game and potentially bring lapsed players back into the world of Destiny.
Apex Legends
Respawn has mentioned that cross-play is coming, but with no ETA on the horizon, players of Respawn’s Battle Royale game are waiting patiently for their chance to play with friends across all platforms.
Released in early 2019, Apex Legends became an instant success. Despite the crowded field of games within the Battle Royale genre, Respawn and EA were able to find their own space and capitalized on their niche of three-man squads and unique hero abilities.
Although Respawn is taking the proactive approach by working to get cross-play implemented, they have unfortunately stated in an interview with Eurogamer that cross-progression would not happen.
Cross-play without cross-progression is still a step in the right direction, but it remains disappointing for those that want full cross-functionality.
By not allowing players to transfer progress from console to console, it limits their ability to enjoy the game freely and ensures that players will stick to one platform over others.
Regardless of that setback, as long as people can play with anyone, cross-play is still a vital addition that needs to be made in order for Apex Legends to continue its upward momentum.
Rainbow Six Siege
One of the darkest horses in video game history, Rainbow Six Siege has grown an audience that has made it one of the most popular games to date.
Although it was met with mixed reactions initially, Ubisoft made quick updates, listened to their fans, and added new content that kept players coming back, and in the process, attracted even more people to their game.
Rainbow Six Siege is a tactical-based team shooter played across Xbox One, PS4, and PC, making it an ultimate candidate for cross-play.
In a game where communication and teamwork is a key component to victory, Siege would fully benefit from cross-play by giving players more options on who to team with, regardless of where they choose to play.
Earlier this year, gaming and entertainment site Stevior interviewed Executive Producer Xavier Marquis about the potential for cross-play within Siege and if they were planning on implementing it in the future.
“Today we are not really working on it. We are thinking about it, but nothing is planned,” Marquis told Stevior.
Ubisoft is open to the idea of allowing players to connect across platforms, but with no concrete plans, Rainbow Six Siege players are left playing the waiting game until an announcement comes.
Although there may be hesitation from some players when it comes to pairing console players versus PC players, games such as Fortnite have found unique ways to combat the issue by making the option of cross-play an opt-in feature.
If Ubisoft is able to enable cross-functionality and implement an opt-in option for pairing with PC players, Rainbow Six Siege will continue to grow as one of the most highly praised games of this generation.
Warframe
Digital Extreme’s F2P Ninja Looter Shooter, Warframe, has been a game that has lasted the test of time and cultivated a loyal fan base. Given its 2013 release date, the game has not only survived but thrived as time has passed.
Most games start to lose their player count as the game grows older, that has not been the case for Warframe.
With its recent release on the Nintendo Switch, Warframe now has more than 50 million registered users across all platforms (PC, Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4).
However, as the game has expanded to more consoles than ever, Warframe’s most loyal fans are clamoring for cross-play and cross-progression.
The ability to play on PC, then alternate to a more on-the-go console like the Switch would make grinding for new Warframes and crafting materials far more approachable.
Although the developers would love to enable cross-play, the ability to implement it may be hampered by the game’s version differences across platforms.
Due to the slower certification processes on consoles and the Nintendo Switch version being considerably behind the rest, Digital Extreme believes that implementing cross-play might not be possible.
Because of this version discrepancy, cross-progression also becomes difficult to implement. Allowing players to move between PC and Switch, all while handling the version differences on the back end has presented challenges to the development team that they may not be able to overcome.
Although Digital Extreme hasn’t officially ruled it out yet, Warframe remains a perfect example of a game that would benefit mightily from cross-functionality. Given its availability on all platforms, Warframe’s growing success will only exacerbate the need for cross-functionality.
Mortal Kombat 11
You might be asking yourself, “Why Mortal Kombat 11 and not any other fighting game?”
The answer is simple: Mortal Kombat 11 is one of the few games on our list that is available across all four major platforms.
However, unlike Warframe, Mortal Kombat 11 is updated in sync across all platforms, making version mismatch a non-factor for NetherRealm’s latest fighting game.
Mortal Kombat 11’s release earlier this year was the most successful launch of any Mortal Kombat in history. The fighting game launched simultaneously across PC, Xbox, PlayStation and even the Nintendo Switch.
Although Mortal Kombat’s numbers are impressive, as with any fighting game, the cream rises to the top. This typically forces the new or less experienced players to face off against higher skilled players rather than someone at their level.
This is not an issue that only plagues Mortal Kombat, players that come late to fighting games are usually not met with a very welcoming progression curve online.
Cross-play is something that may not alleviate the problem entirely, but it would expand the audience to include more people of all skill levels.
Cross-play is a system that can give games an expanded life span, make them feel more inclusive, and offer players of all skill levels someone to fairly play against.
The other unfortunate truth is that out of the nine games that NetherRealm Studios has developed since 2011, none of them have ever had cross-play.
However, despite that fact, NetherRealm has said that they are open to the idea of implementing cross-play in future updates if possible.
Although history isn’t kind to cross-play when it comes to NetherRealm’s latest games, Mortal Kombat has the opportunity to set a precedent for all future fighting games if they are able to implement it successfully.
Monster Hunter: World
The latest Monster Hunter game to come out of Capcom was a smashing success worldwide, proving to not only be their most successful Monster Hunter game, but their highest selling game of all time.
With such a massive audience, Monster Hunter: World is a perfect title for this list.
Monster Hunter is a franchise that allows you team up with three other players to take down ginormous monsters. Being that the game is so team-focused, allowing players on any console to pair up would help enrich the experience and add more options to the player pool.
When new players come to Monster Hunter: World, it is often difficult to find a group of three other players to team up with to play older content.
Due to the natural progression of the game, Hunters often don’t find themselves slaying Jagras and hunting for Kulu-Ya-Kus. Cross-play would help open the doors of cooperative play to new players by expanding the matchmaking audience across systems.
However, unlike most games where the PC version is usually updated ahead of consoles, Monster Hunter: World’s PC version lags behind the rest.
Due to the PC version’s release date trailing the console’s, the version differences make it difficult for Capcom to pair players up accordingly.
With Monster Hunter: World’s next big expansion, Iceborne, releasing on consoles in September, there is still no official release date for when the expansion will hit PC. Players know that it will be Winter 2019, but nothing more.
Capcom as a whole has been receptive to the idea of allowing players to play across platforms, even enabling it between PC and PS4 with their flagship fighting game Street Fighter V.
However, Street Fighter V did not suffer from version misalignment across platforms, making implementation far simpler.
Until Capcom is able to get the PC version of Monster Hunter World caught up with consoles, Monster Hunter World will, unfortunately, lack any type of cross-play or cross-progression for the time being.
As we head into the next generation of consoles and the talk around cross-functionality grows, the ball will remain in the court of Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo to come together for a solution for the future.
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