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Freedom251 › Blog › Co-op gaming

How to Play Ready or Not Co-op With Friends

By Freedom251 Team · · 9 min read

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Ready or Not supports online co-op for up to five players on Steam, the Epic Games Store, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. To play across platforms, every player must enable Cross-Play from the main menu, then one player creates a Friends Only lobby and sends invitations through the platform or in-game friends list.

Linking an Epic account is optional, but it adds cross-platform friend search, invitations, lobby visibility and party management. A PC host must also remove mods before inviting console players.

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What Ready or Not co-op supports

The game is an online tactical first-person shooter with cooperative sessions for up to five players. The Epic Games Store listing describes the experience as supporting up to five players across platforms, while the developer’s cross-play documentation identifies the supported platforms as Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.

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Platform Can join online co-op? Can join cross-platform sessions?
Steam Yes Yes, when Cross-Play is enabled
Epic Games Store Yes Yes, when Cross-Play is enabled
Xbox Series X|S Yes Yes, when Cross-Play is enabled
PlayStation 5 Yes Yes, when Cross-Play is enabled

The cross-play statement applies to these current platform versions; it does not establish support for older console generations or other devices. Cross-play is a session feature, not a guarantee that every account or edition outside those platforms can connect.

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Requirements before you invite anyone

  • Each person needs an online-capable copy of Ready or Not on one of the four supported platforms.
  • Everyone who will participate in a cross-platform lobby must have Cross-Play turned on before joining. The option is available from the main menu, not while a game is already in progress.
  • The host should use a Friends Only lobby when the group is known. This keeps the session limited to invited friends instead of exposing it as a public lobby.
  • A PC host must run the game without mods when Xbox or PlayStation players are joining. Void Interactive states that console players cannot join a modded PC host even when Cross-Play is enabled.
  • The session can contain no more than five players.

Same-platform groups can still use the normal platform or in-game friend list. Cross-platform groups have the same five-player limit, but the account-linking and mod rules become important.

Turn on Cross-Play

Do this before creating or joining the lobby. The setting is global for the player’s game and is not available from inside an active match.

  1. Launch Ready or Not and wait at the Main Menu.
  2. Open Settings.
  3. Select Gameplay Options.
  4. Scroll to the bottom of the options list.
  5. Set Cross-Play to On.
  6. Have every friend who needs to cross platforms repeat these steps on their own system.

If someone tries to accept an invitation while Cross-Play is disabled, the game prompts that player to enable it. They must turn it on before the join can complete; accepting the invitation alone does not override the setting.

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Turning this option on does not force every future lobby to be cross-platform. The lobby creator makes a separate cross-play choice during lobby setup, so check both the global setting and the lobby setting.

Create a Friends Only lobby

  1. Return to the main menu after enabling Cross-Play.
  2. Choose the option to create a multiplayer lobby.
  3. Select Friends Only as the lobby visibility.
  4. Choose whether Cross-Play is enabled for this particular lobby.
  5. Select the desired difficulty while creating the lobby.
  6. Confirm the lobby and wait for the host screen to appear.

The lobby-level Cross-Play choice applies to that session; it does not permanently rewrite the global Cross-Play toggle in Gameplay Options. If you create another lobby later, review its setting again instead of assuming the previous choice carries over.

Friends Only is the appropriate setting for a planned group. A public lobby is a different choice: it allows players outside your invited group to discover or enter the session, so it is not the controlled setup described here.

Invite friends on the same platform

For friends using the same platform, the host can use the platform’s friends interface or the game’s own friend list, depending on which appears in the lobby screen.

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  1. Open the lobby’s invite or friends panel.
  2. Find the friend on the platform or in-game list.
  3. Send the invitation.
  4. Ask the friend to accept through the notification or friends interface they normally use.
  5. Confirm that the player appears in the lobby before starting the operation.

The exact notification location is controlled by the platform, so the wording and overlay appearance can differ between Steam, the Epic Games Store, Xbox and PlayStation 5. The important requirement is that the invitation is sent from the active Ready or Not lobby, not from an unrelated game session.

Invite a friend on another platform

Cross-platform invitations work through the game’s supported friend systems. The most dependable setup for players who use different storefronts or consoles is to link an Epic account, because the Epic Online Services overlay provides cross-platform friend search and invitations.

  1. Make sure Cross-Play is On in Main Menu > Settings > Gameplay Options for both players.
  2. Create a Friends Only lobby and enable Cross-Play in the lobby setup.
  3. Open the lobby’s invite or friend-management panel.
  4. Use the platform or in-game list if the friend already appears there.
  5. If the friend is not listed across platforms, open the Epic Online Services overlay after linking the Epic account and search for the friend’s account.
  6. Send the invitation through the overlay or the game’s party controls.
  7. Wait for the invitee to accept and appear in the lobby before launching the session.

For example, a Steam host inviting a PlayStation 5 friend should first enable Cross-Play on both systems, create a Friends Only cross-play lobby, then use the cross-platform friend tools supplied by the linked Epic account if the friend is not visible through the ordinary Steam list. The same sequence applies when the host is on Xbox Series X|S or the Epic Games Store.

Do you need an Epic account?

No. Void Interactive’s official FAQ says that linking an Epic account is optional for cross-play. You can therefore attempt a cross-platform session with Cross-Play enabled and the normal platform or in-game invitation tools.

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Linking becomes useful when the people in your group are not already visible through a shared platform list. According to the Epic account-linking information, the linked account adds:

  • Cross-platform friend search
  • Cross-platform invitations
  • Lobby visibility across supported platforms
  • Party-management functions

Account linking does not remove the other requirements. Every player still needs Cross-Play enabled, the host still needs to select the appropriate lobby option, and a PC host still cannot bring console players into a modded session.

Account setup Cross-play status Useful when
Epic account unlinked Cross-play remains possible according to the official FAQ Your friends are already reachable through the platform or in-game list
Epic account linked Cross-play remains available with additional account tools You need cross-platform search, invitations, lobby visibility or party management

Keep the PC host unmodded for console players

Mods are the most important compatibility restriction in a mixed PC-and-console group. Void Interactive’s developer guide, published July 15, 2025, states: “Mods are allowed on PC but not on consoles. If a PC host uses mods, console players cannot join, even if cross-play is enabled.”

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That rule applies to the host. If an Xbox or PlayStation 5 player is expected to join, start the PC host without installed or active mods, then create the Friends Only lobby. Enabling Cross-Play cannot bypass the mod restriction.

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Recommended mod check

  1. Exit Ready or Not on the PC.
  2. Disable or remove the mods used by the host.
  3. Restart the game in its unmodded state.
  4. Verify Cross-Play under Main Menu > Settings > Gameplay Options.
  5. Create a new Friends Only lobby with Cross-Play enabled.
  6. Invite the console players again.

A PC-only group can use mods on the PC host, but that setup should not be used when Xbox Series X|S or PlayStation 5 players need to join. The documented restriction concerns console participation; it does not say that every PC player must use identical modifications.

Global Cross-Play versus the lobby setting

These are two separate controls, and confusing them is a common reason an invitation fails.

Control Where to change it What it affects
Global Cross-Play toggle Main Menu > Settings > Gameplay Options, at the bottom Whether that player is configured to participate in cross-platform sessions; it cannot be changed mid-game
Lobby Cross-Play choice During lobby creation Whether the specific lobby accepts cross-platform participants; it does not permanently change the global toggle

For a cross-platform party, set the global toggle to On for every player and select Cross-Play when the host creates the lobby. Checking only one of those locations is insufficient.

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Troubleshooting invitations and failed joins

The Cross-Play option is missing

Leave the current session and return to the main menu. The documented path is Settings > Gameplay Options; scroll to the bottom of that page. The setting is not exposed while you are already in a game.

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An invited friend is asked to enable Cross-Play

That friend’s toggle is still Off. Have them return to the main menu, enable Cross-Play in Gameplay Options, and then accept the invitation again. The host cannot enable the setting on another player’s behalf.

The lobby was created, but a cross-platform friend cannot see or join it

  • Confirm that Cross-Play is On for both accounts.
  • Check the lobby’s own Cross-Play choice; the global setting does not automatically prove that this lobby accepts cross-platform players.
  • Use Friends Only and send a fresh invitation from the active lobby.
  • If the friend is not found through the ordinary list, link an Epic account and use the Epic Online Services overlay for cross-platform search and invitations.

A console player cannot join a PC host

Check the host for mods first. Console players cannot join a modded PC host, even with Cross-Play enabled. Close the game, run the PC installation unmodded, create a new lobby and invite the console player again.

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The group has more than five people

Ready or Not’s documented co-op capacity is five players. A sixth player cannot be added to the same co-op session; the group must divide into separate sessions.

The friend is on a platform outside the documented list

The developer documentation names Steam, the Epic Games Store, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. Cross-play instructions here do not establish support for any other platform or an older console generation.

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Choosing the right setup for your group

Group situation Recommended setup Reason
Everyone uses the same platform Friends Only lobby; invite through the platform or in-game list Cross-platform account tools are unnecessary when everyone shares one friend network
Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox and PlayStation players together Cross-Play On for every player; Friends Only lobby with Cross-Play selected Both the player setting and the lobby setting must permit the mixed-platform session
Cross-platform friends cannot find one another Link an Epic account and use the Epic Online Services overlay It supplies cross-platform search and invitation tools
PC players using mods Keep the party PC-only Console players cannot join a modded PC host
Private planned group Friends Only Only invited friends should enter the session

A repeatable five-player setup

Use this checklist each time you organize a mixed-platform session:

  1. Confirm that every participant is using Steam, the Epic Games Store, Xbox Series X|S or PlayStation 5.
  2. Ask each participant to enable Cross-Play from the main menu.
  3. If anyone cannot find a friend on another platform, link an Epic account and open the Epic Online Services overlay.
  4. Choose one host and, if consoles are involved, make sure that host’s PC installation is unmodded.
  5. Create a Friends Only lobby.
  6. Select Cross-Play for that lobby and choose the difficulty.
  7. Invite up to four other players.
  8. Resolve any Cross-Play prompt or mod conflict before starting.

This sequence separates account discovery, player-level settings, lobby-level settings and host compatibility. That makes it easier to identify which condition is blocking a join instead of repeatedly resending the same invitation.

What the official statements establish

Void Interactive’s developer guide, published July 15, 2025, defines cross-play as allowing players on different platforms to play together in the same game session. The Epic Games Store listing identifies a five-player cooperative experience on all supported platforms, and Steam lists the game as Online Co-op. Together, these statements support the five-player, four-platform setup described above.

They do not establish a larger party size, support for additional platforms, console mod support, or a requirement that every player link an Epic account. Those assumptions should not be used when diagnosing a lobby problem.

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