10 AAA Games That Deserve a Multiplayer Mode But Never Got One

Some games are so good that finishing them leaves you wishing you could share the experience with a friend in real time. Not every game needs multiplayer and plenty are better without it, but there are certain titles where the world, the mechanics, or the sheer scale of the experience makes you wonder what a proper co-op or competitive mode could have looked like. Here are ten games that deserved a multiplayer mode and never got one.

10 Games That Deserved Multiplayer

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Sekiro is the one FromSoftware game that made the deliberate choice to strip out every multiplayer element entirely and focus purely on a solo experience. No summons, no invasions, no messages on the ground. Just you and whatever is trying to kill you. The posture system and the precise back-and-forth rhythm of sword combat in Sekiro would translate into one of the most skill-based and satisfying PvP dueling modes ever seen in an action game. Two players reading each other, deflecting attacks, waiting for the right moment to break posture and land the deathblow, it almost plays out like a fighting game at its core.

The Last of Us Part II

The Last of Us Part I had Factions, a fan favourite multiplayer mode that built a dedicated community around it. Naughty Dog famously scrapped the standalone Factions project for Part II after years of development and it remains one of the most disappointing cancellations in recent memory. The stealth mechanics, the brutal close quarters combat, and the tense resource management of Part II would have translated beautifully into a multiplayer setting. The community has never stopped asking for it and probably never will.

God of War Ragnarok

The entire God of War reboot series is built around the relationship between Kratos and Atreus and that dynamic would translate perfectly into a co-op experience. One player controlling Kratos with his heavy brutal playstyle and another playing as Atreus with his faster ranged approach would create a genuinely complementary co-op system that mirrors what the single player already does mechanically.

Cyberpunk 2077

Night City is one of the most densely detailed open-world environments ever created, and exploring it alone is already overwhelming in the best possible way. A co-op mode where two players could take on gigs together, plan heists, or just cruise through the neon-lit streets would have been an incredible addition.

The Witcher 3

The Witcher 3 is one of the greatest RPGs ever made, with a world so rich and full of life that it still holds up over a decade later. Playing through it with a friend, taking on contracts together, exploring Skellige or Toussaint as a duo, and making story choices that affect both players would have added a completely new dimension to an already extraordinary game. The monster hunting loop in particular feels tailor made for cooperative play and it is hard not to imagine how satisfying that could have been.

Batman Arkham Knight

Arkham Knight already had a dual play system where you could switch between Batman and Robin, Nightwing, or Catwoman in certain sections. That mechanic was one of the highlights of the game and it immediately raised the question of why it was not expanded into a full co-op mode. A proper two player experience where one person controls Batman and the other plays as one of the Bat-family members throughout the entire campaign would have been one of the most exciting superhero co-op games ever made.

Hollow Knight

Hollow Knight is a smaller scale game compared to the others on this list but the depth of its world and the precision of its combat make it a fascinating co-op prospect. Hallownest is enormous and full of secrets that reward careful exploration, and tackling its harder boss fights with a friend would have been a completely different and arguably more exciting experience. The game's quiet melancholy tone might seem like an odd fit for co-op but there are plenty of examples of atmospheric games that work beautifully when shared with another player.

Horizon Zero Dawn

Hunting massive mechanical creatures across a post-apocalyptic open world is already one of the most satisfying gameplay loops in recent memory. Doing it with a friend would have elevated the experience significantly. Coordinating takedowns on a Thunderjaw, setting up traps together, or splitting roles between crowd control and high damage output are all things the combat system would naturally support in a co-op setting.

Alan Wake 2

Alan Wake 2 is one of the most creatively ambitious games in recent memory, constantly blurring the line between reality and fiction across two completely distinct but interconnected storylines. Playing as both Alan trapped in the Dark Place and Saga investigating the murders in Bright Falls gives the game a natural two player structure that practically writes itself. One player navigating the psychological horror of the Dark Place while another works through the grounded detective thriller in the real world, with both stories converging and affecting each other, would have been one of the most unique co-op experiences ever attempted.

Hades

Hades is one of the best roguelikes ever made and the combat is fast, fluid, and endlessly satisfying. A co-op mode where two players fight through the chambers of the Underworld together, combining different boons and builds to create powerful synergies, would have been an incredible addition to an already excellent game. The natural chaos of two players managing different abilities and navigating the same room simultaneously fits perfectly with how hectic and rewarding the combat already feels.

Every game on this list is excellent on its own terms and none of them needed multiplayer to be great. But the worlds, mechanics, and systems these developers built feel like they had more to offer than a single player experience alone could provide.