The Epic Games Store is currently allowing players to download Borderlands: The Handsome Collection for free, which is leading to some renewed interest in Borderlands 2. Indeed, many new players are now dipping their toes into this acclaimed looter shooter, and some of them are looking to enjoy the title with their friends. However, not every player will know if multiplayer across the Epic Games Store and Steam is possible with BL2, and this guide is here to shine some light on the matter.
To put things simply, players that have downloaded Borderlands 2 through the Epic Games Store can absolutely play with their friends that have purchased the game through Steam. While it might be a stretch to call this true cross-play, since these are simply two different launchers on the same platform, not every title allows fans to play together across the EGS and Steam. As such, the news that BL2 supports this type of play is sure to excite many players.
With respect to how fans can go about setting up Borderlands 2 co-op between the Epic Games Store and Steam, all that is required is that the participating parties have linked Shift accounts. These are obtained through Gearbox Software's Shift website, and they allow players using different launchers to locate one another and link up in-game.
To note, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, which is included in The Handsome Collection as well, also supports multiplayer regardless of the launcher that players are using to access it. Again this is facilitated by Shift accounts, and friends should find it quite easy to connect in-game even if they did not purchase the title through the same storefront.
One final thing to say is that neither BL2 nor The Pre-Sequel allow for cross-play with consoles, and thus players that have just picked these games up through the Epic Games Store will not be able to co-op with their PS4 and Xbox One friends. This may be slightly disappointing to some fans, though it is certainly not highly-unusual. Indeed, players will need to be content with only being able to play Borderlands: The Handsome Collection across PC storefronts for the time being.
Borderlands 2 is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.