Multiplayer and Co-op

3:26 Enshrouded is a co-op game for up to 16 players on PC and 8 players on PlayStation 5, who share one world hosted either from inside the game or on a dedicated server; PC and PS5 players cannot play together at launch, there is no split screen, and there is no PvP. Groups mix levels well. In Keen's beginner tips of Feb 7, 2024, the narrator explains that the attribute bonuses from upgrading the Flame are global, so "even if your friends are at a lower level" they get them, which "makes it easier for your pals to jump into the action and join your adventures". Enshrouded can also be played alone and offline (Keen FAQ).

Quick facts

How many players can play Enshrouded?

The PC version takes up to 16 players in one world and the PS5 version up to 8, as Keen's 1.0 press release of Oct 14, 2026 states. The PlayStation Store lists online play for up to 8 players, with PS Plus required (PlayStation Store, read Oct 20, 2026). Keen's own FAQ suggests bringing "a friend or three (and up to 16!)" (Keen FAQ). Xbox Series X|S is planned for spring 2027 and its player count is not announced.

Hosting from the game

5:54 Every session of Enshrouded, even single player, runs a server in the background; Keen's developers said so in a Spring 2024 recap of their Reddit AMA, explaining why the game cannot simply be paused. Hosting from the game opens that server to others while you play. It lasts only while the host is in the game; a dedicated server keeps the world up when nobody is.

At 1.0 Keen "unified the flow for starting a game" and simplified the hosting menu "into easily selectable modes that allow additional configurations if needed" (1.0 changelog). The hosting menu is also where a world can be uploaded to Adventure Sharing.

Roles and passwords

2:04 Roles tied to passwords came with Melodies of the Mire on Jun 5, 2024. Keen's highlights video said their first purpose was "to protect player bases and chests from unwanted interference", with permissions for taking items from containers, building and removing blocks, terraforming, placing and upgrading Flame Altars, and kicking or banning players.

A host playing from the game picks from four presets (Server Roles Configuration, read Oct 20, 2026):

What changed at 1.0: "Hosts now define the default permission level for every joining player with a single password. Afterwards, each player character can be promoted or demoted individually", and the role is remembered when that player rejoins. Hosts and admins see in chat who joined and with what permission (1.0 changelog). Dedicated servers keep their password-per-group setup, without promoting or demoting in play.

Joining a game

Join in the main menu lists friends' sessions, player-hosted games and dedicated servers; Keen's server browser sorts favorites first, then friends' sessions, then dedicated servers, then peer-to-peer games, and can filter by password, friends, empty servers and free slots (Keen).

2:02 Hollow Halls (Mar 26, 2024), the first update, added a ping on the world map ("no more shouting at Steve for going in a completely opposite direction", Keen's video jokes) and server search by IP address. Since 1.0 the compass shows where the other players are, while custom map markers remain visible only to the player who placed them (1.0 changelog).

4:00 There is no looking-for-group feature or lobby. Asked in Spring 2024, Keen said other multiplayer systems came first and pointed players to the official Discord to find groups.

What your character keeps and what stays with the world

Characters are saved on each player's PC and move between worlds and servers. Keen's FAQ lists what goes along: equipment and inventory, levels and skills, map memory, personal crafting recipes, Shroud Roots already destroyed ("you cannot farm Shroud roots by making new worlds"), lore found and towers found yourself. What stays behind: "The majority of crafting recipes" and the survivors, which "gotta liberate them in the new world, too!" (Keen FAQ). The Survivors page says where they are found.

The early access owners' three decorative props work across worlds too: they can be placed by an early access player in someone else's world, and the owner can remove them but not place them (Launch FAQ).

Personal and world quests

At the early access launch, quest progress was mostly shared by the world. Keen explained on Feb 9, 2024 that it had wanted a new player to "join a long-running server and jump into the same action as their friends", then promised an option to complete every quest personally (Keen).

1:10 Melodies of the Mire delivered it: "each character tracks which quest they participate in while playing with others on any server", and quests you missed appear in the journal under a missed-quest mode, Keen's video explains. Since 1.0, the journal also marks each quest as personal or world (1.0 changelog).

Enemies, loot and bosses in a group

"Enemy strength also scales with group size", and "playing in a group increases the chances that chests and bosses will contain bonus loot" (Keen, Feb 9, 2024). 1.0 added an "Automatic" setting for the number of enemies per encounter, which scales it to the party, counting only players "actively playing in the vicinity". It also made defeated enemies recover their health slowly instead of instantly, which "makes a big difference when reattempting a boss after the whole party has been defeated" (1.0 changelog). Keen recommends friends for the Hollow Halls: solo runs are possible "but it might be a very challenging experience" (Keen).

3:22 Since Wake of the Water (Nov 10, 2025), a group can leave in the middle of a Hollow Halls run "and continue at the last visited safe point at a later time", Keen's video says.

Chat, voice and emotes

Pact of the Flame, on Jan 28, 2025, added text chat, voice chat (proximity or global, server-wide) and an emote wheel, which also took over sitting. Hosts and admins turn both chats on; on dedicated servers they are off by default. A Social menu lists the players in the world with mute and volume controls, their permissions, and their position on the map. Melodies of the Mire had already put character names, rather than Steam names, over players' heads and on their tombstones.

3:13 Keen's video sells the tombstone names "so you know exactly who to blame". The same update raised the range for gifting items to another player to 50 meters.

PvP and base raids

There is no PvP. Keen's FAQ: "As of yet there is not PvP mode in the game or any PvP mode planned", because "experiencing the game together is more fun compared to fighting against each other" (Keen FAQ). Enemies attack players, not bases.

3:05 Base invasions by enemies are a popular request. In Spring 2024 Keen said "we like the idea but we do need to think more about it", and in September 2026 creative director Antony Christoulakis told CGMagazine they were "not off the table" (CGMagazine, Sep 13, 2026). Neither is in the game at 1.0.

Cross-play, split screen and platforms

"Enshrouded will not be cross-platform at launch ... We are working on bringing cross-platform play to Enshrouded, but have no current estimate on how much time it will take us" (Keen's Launch FAQ, Oct 13, 2026). No cross-progression between PC and PS5 has been announced either. Steam lists Online Co-op but no shared or split-screen feature (Steam), and Keen has never announced local co-op. The PS5 Version page covers PlayStation multiplayer.

Frequently asked questions

How many players can play Enshrouded together? Enshrouded supports up to 16 players in one world on PC and up to 8 on PS5, where online play needs PS Plus. The 16-player cap applies to dedicated servers too.

Is Enshrouded cross-platform? No. Enshrouded has no cross-play between PC and PS5 at launch; Keen said on Oct 13, 2026 that it is working on cross-play but has no estimate.

Does Enshrouded have split screen? No. Enshrouded is online co-op only; Steam lists no split-screen or shared-screen feature and Keen has not announced one.

Is there PvP in Enshrouded? No. Enshrouded is a co-op game with no PvP mode, and Keen's FAQ says none is planned.

How do I play Enshrouded with friends? In Enshrouded, one player hosts a world from the main menu and sets a password, or the group joins a dedicated server; friends then pick it in the Join menu. The host's world, survivors and bases stay in that world, while each friend's character keeps its own gear and levels.

Do quests progress for everyone in Enshrouded multiplayer? World quests progress for the whole world, but since Jun 5, 2024 Enshrouded also tracks each character's own quest participation, and missed quests can be replayed.

Can I play Enshrouded solo? Yes. Enshrouded can be played alone and offline, and the Relaxed preset and custom world settings make solo play easier.

Sources

• Enshrouded Emerges into 1.0 on PC and PlayStation 5, Keen Games press release, Oct 14, 2026
• Release trailer, changelog... everything you need to wait for tomorrow!, Keen Games on Steam, Oct 14, 2026
• Enshrouded Launch FAQ: Early Access reward, world, Keen Games on Steam, Oct 13, 2026
• Frequently Asked Questions, Server Roles Configuration and Dedicated Server FAQ, Keen Games support, read Oct 20, 2026
• On Quest Progression, Keen Games on Steam, Feb 9, 2024
• Hollow Halls patch notes, Keen Games on Steam, Mar 26, 2024
• Melodies of the Mire patch notes, Keen Games on Steam, Jun 5, 2024
• Pact of the Flame patch notes, Keen Games on Steam, Jan 28, 2025
• Enshrouded store data (app 1203620), Valve, read Oct 20, 2026
• Enshrouded on PlayStation Store, Sony Interactive Entertainment, read Oct 20, 2026
• Gamescom 2026: Enshrouded interview, CGMagazine, Sep 13, 2026
• Enshrouded Beginner Tips, Enshrouded, Feb 7, 2024 (video)
• Enshrouded developers answer your questions!, Enshrouded, Spring 2024 (video)
• Enshrouded - Melodies of the Mire | Update 2 Highlights, Enshrouded, Jun 5, 2024 (video)
• Enshrouded - Hollow Halls | Update 1 Highlights, Enshrouded, Mar 26, 2024 (video)
• Enshrouded - Wake of the Water | Update 7 Highlights, Enshrouded, Nov 10, 2025 (video)