The loot shooter Outriders has received a new update. The update is supposed to fix connection issues in coop sessions, but only on Xbox. Those who hope to play better with friends should think carefully about it.
What kind of update is this? On Tuesday evening, April 6, the developers released some adjustments to the backend of Outriders. These are meant to improve the “multiplayer experience” on Xbox (via Twitter).
However, the developers advise disabling crossplay. Currently, it only works between consoles anyway, but could still lead to issues. So those wanting to play with friends on PlayStation might still encounter problems.
There still seem to be general server issues. At least players on PS4, PS5, and PC continue to complain about disconnections. You can find more about this in our ticker: Outriders has server issues – This is the current status of the server
What was the problem? Xbox players had connection issues to coop lobbies before the update. Apparently, there were long wait times for matchmaking and players could not reliably connect to others.
The problem is supposed to be fixed now – but you should still be cautious if you want to play Outriders in coop right now.
Bug steals loot – Coop might be to blame
Why should I not play in coop? Currently, there is a nasty bug in Outriders that is stealing all the loot and even equipped gear from players. Affected players lose their entire inventory and end up naked.
Where exactly the problem comes from and how it can be fixed has not yet been determined. However, more and more players report that the bug only appears when they want to join a coop lobby.
Apparently, the error is related to joining another game. One player reported that he joined a coop lobby and then was kicked (via reddit). Subsequently, he experienced a crash when he wanted to join a new lobby and lost his inventory in the process.
The developers are already working on a solution and promise to restore the lost loot. Until then, you should avoid multiplayer to protect yourself. You can find more details about the bug in our article: Nasty bug in Outriders steals all your loot – Players show tips for protection
What is actually happening with crossplay? Outriders was supposed to support crossplay from launch, allowing players from different platforms to play together. However, it is currently not working properly – only PC players can play with other PC players, and console players can only play among themselves.
A crossover between PC and Xbox or PlayStation is not yet possible. The developers are working on it, but a fix is tied to the “general patches” that are currently being tested (via Twitter).
If your friends play Outriders on a different platform, you will have to wait for a while before you can play together. In the meantime, you can also explore Outriders solo, though that can be quite difficult, as MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus has found:
Because of Outriders, I screamed at my monitor for the first time in years
