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The Binding of Isaac's free online co-op mode finally has a release date

Arriving with "considerable" balance patch.

Cute, flesh-coloured artwork showing The Binding of Isaac's titular protagonist jumping energetically with tiny angel wings while monsters give chase behind him.
Image credit: Edmund McMillen

Somehow, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth celebrates its tenth anniversary this week, and, to mark the occasion, developer Edmund McMillen has announced the poop-obsessed roguelike's long-awaited online co-op mode is getting its full release on 18th November.

Online co-op for The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (that's the 2014 remake of McMillen's 2011 original, if you're unfamiliar), was initially announced in September last year. Since then, a number of beta sessions have been held for owners of Isaac's Repentance expansion.

But now, a little over a year since online co-op was confirmed, McMillen has announced the mode will fully launch for everyone on 18th November. It'll support 2-4 players online, with its own completion markers, and arrives for free as part of a "considerable" balance update.

The Binding of Isaac's Repentence expansion launches in 2021.Watch on YouTube

According to McMillen, this update "heavily focuses on buffing items [players] believe are lacklustre/bad." And while no additional details have been shared as yet, McMillen has posted some old Isaac-related design documents - including ending storyboards, boss designs, and enemy treatments - beneath his social media announcement.

But if that's still not enough to get you into the celebratory spirit for The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth's tenth anniversary, the game and all its expansions are currently discounted on Steam until 11th November. There's 50 percent off the base game, and 41 percent off the Complete Bundle, which you'll need to get if you want the DLC.

As for what's next for McMillen, his long-in-the-works cat-breeding roguelike adventure Mewgenics (initially announced all the way back in 2013) is expected to arrive next year.

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