The solitary experience of digging and defending in Dome Keeper is evolving into a social affair. On April 13, developers Bippinbits and Raw Fury will launch the Dome Keeper multiplayer update, transitioning the roguelike action mining game from a lonely subterranean struggle into a cooperative and competitive experience.
The update arrives as a free addition for all owners of the base game and will be available across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Play Anywhere and via Xbox Game Pass. The expansion represents a significant pivot for a title that spent five years as a PC-only experience before its December launch on Xbox consoles, a move that helped the community grow by more than 200,000 players.
By introducing both cooperative and competitive modes, the developers are addressing the most requested feature from their player base. The update allows for a flexible range of playstyles, supporting local splitscreen for up to four players and online multiplayer for up to eight. In a nod to traditional couch co-op, the game also supports hybrid sessions, where local players on a single machine can team up with remote friends online.
Cooperative Defense and Competitive Sabotage
The multiplayer update splits the experience into two distinct paths: working together to survive or competing to see whose dome is superior. In cooperative mode, up to eight players share a single map, coordinating their efforts to dig for resources, expand the dome, and repel alien monster waves. To accommodate the larger team, the developers have added a second weapon station, allowing two keepers to engage in combat simultaneously.
For those seeking a more adversarial experience, the versus mode pits two teams against each other, each managing their own dome. Victory is determined by one of two conditions: being the first team to complete a large resource delivery or being the last dome standing. Unlike the cooperative mode, the versus experience encourages active interference.
Players can sabotage rivals by stealing resources although they are being transported or by purchasing specific upgrades that increase the difficulty of the monster waves facing the opposing team. Unearthing “corrupt relics” can provide buffs to the enemies attacking the rival dome, adding a layer of strategic aggression to the mining loop.
To track performance across these new modes, the developers are implementing a dedicated multiplayer leaderboard. Players can also apply various modifiers before starting a versus run to adjust the difficulty to their preference.
Comparing Multiplayer Modes
| Feature | Cooperative Mode | Versus Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Player Limit | Up to 8 players | Up to 8 players (2 teams) |
| Primary Goal | Shared survival and expansion | Last dome standing or first delivery |
| Combat | Two keepers can fight at once | Team-based defense and sabotage |
| Interaction | Collaborative resource gathering | Resource stealing and wave buffing |
Expanding the Roster with The Lost Keepers
Alongside the free multiplayer update, Bippinbits and Raw Fury are releasing a paid DLC titled The Lost Keepers on April 13. This expansion introduces two new playable characters, each bringing a distinct mechanical approach to the mining and traversal process.
The Infiltrator is designed for agility, utilizing a rope and enhanced jumping capabilities to move quickly through the procedurally generated mines. Conversely, The Beast Master focuses on arcane abilities, using tentacles for traversal and commanding “catgoblin minions” to assist in the depths.
The addition of these characters coincides with the multiplayer launch, allowing teams to mix and match playstyles to optimize their digging and defending strategies.
Looking ahead, the developers have indicated that this update is the start of a broader expansion of the Dome Keeper universe. Future plans include continued content updates and the organization of multiplayer tournaments via the official Discord server.
Do you prefer the chaos of competitive sabotage or the stability of a coordinated team? Let us know in the comments.
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