Gang Beasts is a hectic and uproarious party game that has garnered a well-deserved following of dedicated fans. It's also coming to Xbox Game Pass later this week, and developers Boneloaf recently confirmed that it would have crossplay enabled once it joins the service. However, all is not quite well in Beef City, and the game's crossplay functionality isn't going to be as all-encompassing as most fans would hope.
Responding to fans on Twitter in the wake of the announcement, Gang Beasts' official account revealed that while crossplay would be enabled for PC and Xbox users, PlayStation crossplay was "[not] feasible at the moment." That means that any Sony aficionados who want to test their skills at the chaotic party game against players on other platforms are out of luck for the time being.
This is obviously a huge blow to any hoping for true crossplay shenanigans, but will perhaps come as little surprise to those familiar with Sony's approach to the system. Back in May, leaked legal documents in the Apple vs Epic lawsuit provided the shocking reveal that Sony requires developers to pay extra for crossplay support on its PlayStation consoles. In stark contrast to its competitors and an undeniable commitment to the idea of a "console exclusive," Sony has been recalcitrant in the intervening months and shows no signs of changing its position any time soon.
It seems clear, then, that it's Sony's unforgiving take on the very idea of crossplay that's preventing Boneloaf from implementing it to its full extent in Gang Beasts, and it's far from the first casualty. Late last month, Gearbox Software's Randy Pitchford revealed that, similarly, the long-awaited introduction of crossplay to Borderlands 3 would not extend to PlayStation consoles either.
The disappointment that many Gang Beasts fans will feel at the lack of true, full crossplay is certainly understandable, and offers a microcosm of the sort of problems that Sony's intransigence with regards to crossplay presents to the community at large. The company is undoubtedly carving out a sizeable niche for itself as a purveyor of strong, single-player stories and operators of a robust online network, but some of its fans are asking for more.
Many are questioning whether Sony can continue dodging the fact that many fans of online multiplayer now want access to crossplay, in order to play with their friends on other consoles. If it keeps its back turned on that demographic, it could risk seeing players siphoned off to other platforms where fans can actually all play nicely together.
Gang Beasts is available now for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.