The release of Epic Games' latest free game has stirred up some confusion. Earlier leaks hinted that the free game would be ARK: Survival Evolved, building up hopes for an online multiplayer game. Instead of ARK, however, Epic Games released Overcooked. It is certainly an excellent game, but it's clearly much different from ARK. Those still hoping for an online multiplayer game will ultimately be disappointed, however, as Overcooked doesn't come with that feature.
The question, "Does Overcooked have online multiplayer?" has been asked endlessly since the game was originally released. After all, it's a multiplayer game and just seeing a trailer reveals how uproariously fun it is with friends. Unfortunately, Overcooked was built with a relatively limited scope. Team17 focused instead on creating a couch co-op that could be played with no online lag. It was never in the plans for the original game and Team17 has no plans to go back and add the feature.
That doesn't mean that Team17 didn't hear Overcooked fans' criticism, though. Overcooked! 2 was built from the ground up with online multiplayer in mind. For those who are unable to play couch co-op, it's just a matter of purchasing Overcooked! 2 instead of Overcooked. That doesn't help anyone who received Overcooked for free via the Epic Games Store, of course, but it is an option.
There are unofficial ways to play Overcooked online, but they all require a bit of work and some trust in software that creates a virtual LAN online. One example is the third-party software Parsec, another is via GeForce Experience's experimental streaming feature. Unfortunately, both do add some amount of lag to the game, which can be troublesome in such a fast-paced game like Overcooked.
It's likely that Team17 will never make an Overcooked sequel that won't have online multiplayer from here on. The developers clearly understand the value of online multiplayer games. But they also clearly believe that there's more value in working on future games with this feature rather than going back and rebuilding a game built with different sensibilities.
When it comes to Overcooked, though, hopefully those getting the game for free through the Epic Games Store are able to enjoy it as the developers originally intended it to be. That is, played with family or friends in a local setting. Admittedly, that may be a challenge as everyone tries to maintain social distancing in the modern world.
Overcooked is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.