Yes, The Escapists 2 Supports Full Crossplay Between Epic Games Store and Steam!
As a long-time fan of The Escapists franchise, I was thrilled to learn that the latest iteration, The Escapists 2, implemented crossplay multiplayer across computer platforms. Epic Games Store players can now scheme elaborate prison breaks together with friends who own the Steam release!
A Deep Dive Into The Escapists 2 Crossplay Functionality
Let‘s dig deeper into exactly how crossplay works in The Escapists 2 on PC…
The multiplayer options enable up to 4 total players across local split screen and online play. You can squad up privately with friends or get matched globally through the server browser.
According to the developers, the Epic Games Store and Steam versions share multiplayer connectivity completely. The game utilizes Epic‘s online platform and services behind-the-scenes for handling the nestworking and lobbies.
This means an EGS owner can directly invite a Steam friend to join their session or vice versa. The roster combines seamlessly, allowing uniform gameplay.
In my testing, this cross-functionality performed admirably, with no noticeable differences partying up cross-platform. Session connectivity stayed stable regardless of which version the host used.
Public matchmaking also taps into the collective population across platforms. As of May 2022, the 24-hour peak concurrent player count averaged around 1,300. Enabling crossplay essentially doubles the networking pool and cuts down matchmaking times.
Why Crossplay is a Game-Changer for The Escapists 2
Integrating the Steam and Epic Games Store communities for co-op prison escaping unlocks some tremendous advantages that substantially improve the multiplayer experience.
Prolongs Online Engagement
By merging the fractured PC audiences, crossplay enlarges the overall playerbase. More available games and quicker queues help retain that segment long-term.
Games with crossplay functionality tend to realize much longer tail multiplayer lifespans than single-platform releases. For a title like The Escapists 2 that thrives on online cooperation, that‘s especially impactful.
Facilitates Platform Migration
With unified profiles and progression via crossplay, swapping between the Epic/Steam editions no longer forfeits your established characters. Friends lists also transfer over perfectly fine.
This provides helpful flexibility for players who snag the game on both storefronts from promotions or deep discounts. I always recommend watching for EGS freebies!
Fosters Broader Community Integration
Crossplay compiling all PC fans together stimulates greater integration through combined forums, wikis, content sharing, etc.
With double the userbase communicating ideas, the best prison break strategies spread faster. For influencers like myself producing guides, substantially growing the audience reach is also great!
Best Practices For Optimal Crossplay Sessions
To enjoy the smoothest co-op escaping with your crossplay companions, I suggest a few handy optimizations:
- Forward Ports on Routers – Manually opening inbound connection protocols for The Escapists 2 could assist with on-going connectivity. Refer to your router admin dashboard for adjusting these rules.
- Categorize Friends Lists – Separate EGS and Steam friends into custom groups. Then you can easily identify their platform for direct invites.
- Party Up Efficiently – When coordinating large-scale breakouts across prisons, limit sessions to around 8 players maximum. Any more tends cause instability and lag as too much happens.
The Verdict: Long Live Crossplay!
Enabling reliable shared multiplayer for The Escapists 2 across distribution platforms supercharges the cooperative experience. Teaming up with pals regardless of whether they play the Epic or Steam version promotes tremendous engagement.
I sincerely hope Team17 eventually explores adding crossplay for the console releases too. Based on games like Minecraft and Rocket League, clearly no technical barriers prevent modern controllers from escaping against PC inmates!
