Tears of Metal Co-op Not Working: Lobby and Desync Fixes

When Tears of Metal co-op is not working, check the tutorial, game branch, and host connection before changing firewall or router settings. Most current failures fall into one of three groups: multiplayer has not unlocked yet, the players are on incompatible builds, or the session has desynced.

Fastest co-op fix order

1. Finish the tutorial on every account and reach the village.
2. Close and reopen the game on every PC.
3. Confirm that everyone is running the same game version.
4. If Steam is connecting to Xbox on PC or PC Game Pass, put the Steam copy on the Crossplay beta branch.
5. Create a new lobby from the village instead of reusing an old listing.
6. Have the player with the most stable connection host.
7. If the problem continues, update the game and verify its installed files.

Invite does nothing

Friend invites are not fully available at the opening menu. Complete the tutorial and reach the village first, then send the invite from the game’s multiplayer menu.

If everyone has completed the tutorial:

1. Cancel the current lobby.
2. Restart Tears of Metal on both PCs.
3. Ask the host to create a fresh lobby from the village.
4. Send a new in-game invite.
5. Keep the game open and in focus while the joining player connects.

Do not rely on an invite that was accepted before the joining player finished the tutorial.

Steam cannot join PC Game Pass

The standard Steam build and the cross-store build are temporarily separated. On Steam:

1. Open Tears of Metal → Properties → Betas.
2. Select the Crossplay branch.
3. Wait for Steam to finish installing that version.
4. Restart the game and create a new lobby.

Do not switch only one of several Steam players. Everyone joining the cross-store session from Steam should use the compatible branch. The full steps and tradeoffs are in the crossplay status guide.

Public lobby is visible but will not join

A launch-day hotfix stopped already-started campaigns from remaining in the public lobby list, but a room can still begin between the moment you refresh the list and the moment you select it.

Refresh the list once, choose a newly created lobby, and avoid repeatedly joining the same failed entry. If no room works, create a private session to determine whether the problem is the public listing or the connection itself.

Players desync during a campaign

Paper Cult has identified multiplayer desync as an active problem. The studio says players routed through distant relay servers are more likely to desync, and the networking changes were still being tested when version 0.11.57863 shipped.

Try these steps:

1. Use the most stable connection in the group as host.
2. Prefer a host near the other players rather than one on another continent.
3. Pause downloads, cloud backups, game streaming, and high-bandwidth video.
4. Use a wired connection where practical.
5. Disable a VPN for the session unless it is required for basic connectivity.
6. Recreate the lobby after a desync; do not continue if players see different enemies, health, or objectives.

These steps reduce connection pressure, but they cannot repair a networking bug in the current game build.

Co-op freezes or crashes

The current patch includes several crash fixes and performance improvements for Acts 1 and 2, while Act 3 optimization is still ongoing. Update first, then test one short solo session.

• If solo play is stable but co-op freezes, treat it as a multiplayer or host-connection problem.
• If solo play also crashes, use the crashing and launch fixes.
• If only one player crashes, have another member host the next test lobby.

Collect logs before reporting the problem

Paper Cult asks players to include Player.log and Player-prev.log with bug reports. On Windows, open:

C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\AppData\LocalLow\Paper Cult\Tears of Metal

On Steam Deck or Steam Machine, the developer gives this location:

/home/deck/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/1913120/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/LocalLow/Paper Cult/Tears of Metal

Copy the logs immediately after the failed session, before repeatedly relaunching the game. Include which player hosted, every storefront involved, the game version, and the point at which the connection failed.

Frequently asked questions

Why can I not invite friends from the main menu?

Complete the tutorial and reach the village. Paper Cult identifies the village as the point where in-game invites become available.

Why can Steam and PC Game Pass not see each other?

The Steam player likely needs the optional Crossplay beta branch while crossplay remains disabled on the standard version.

Is multiplayer desync a known problem?

Yes. Paper Cult is working on networking optimization, but the planned networking changes are not included in version 0.11.57863.

Can I recover a run after the host crashes?

Do not depend on recovery in the current Early Access build. Mid-run saving is still in development.

Last updated August 2, 2026