Can You Play Far Cry 5‘s Story Mode with 3 Players?

No – Far Cry 5‘s story campaign only supports up to 2 players in co-op. You cannot play through the main plot alongside two friends, unfortunately.

I know that might come as disappointing news to fans eager to squad up with their buddies. Especially if you fondly remember gathering a four player team in older series entries like Far Cry 3.

In this guide, we‘ll break down FC5‘s co-op situation in depth:

How Far Cry 5 Co-op Works

Let‘s start by outlining some basics around FC5‘s multiplayer offering:

• Supports up to two players in co-op for story and open world
• Friends can join your game via direct invite at any time
• Requires a constant internet connection
• Unlocks after Act 1 (about 2 hours in)

So while the opportunities to team up are there, you won‘t be taking on Joseph Seed‘s cult with more than one other freedom fighter.

Sessions themselves are handled through direct invites via the platform‘s friends list and UI. For example, pulling up the PS or Xbox menu overlay to send an invite out. No lobbies or server browsers to speak of.

And I‘ll stress it again – no splitscreen either. One buddy per couch, unfortunately.

It‘s Still Decently Fun with Two Players

That said, the co-op experience FC5 does offer is still a total blast:

• Tackle story missions, outposts, and open world together
• Drive and fly vehicles as a squad
• Take on Prepper Stashes and other side activities
• Mess around with the physics and emergent gameplay
• Experience the story from both perspectives

Roaming Hope County dispensing righteous justice with a friend by my side was a great time. The world lends itself perfectly to cooperative chaos.

So while you can‘t quite get the squad of three you may have wanted, the two player ride-along is still worthwhile.

Far Cry 5 vs Other Series Entries

Looking back through the franchise, Far Cry 5 marks a change in terms of supported co-op squad size:

As we can see above, FC5 joins FC4 and FC New Dawn in limiting the party to two. Previous entries either lacked multiplayer outright, or allowed up to four in the case of 2012‘s Far Cry 3.

So why walk back the squad size after having four friends available to band together in older titles? Let‘s speculate on some possible reasons:

Narrative Focus

Far Cry 5 puts more emphasis on story and characters than prior games. While still an open world shooter at heart, the plot plays a bigger role.

Cutscenes and key story beats just don‘t play as smoothly with four people in tow. It introduces more opportunities for trolling and disruption that undermine narrative tension or drama.

By keeping the co-op squad small, they reduce the chances of some goober griefing during important story moments!

Technical Limitations

There are almost certainly technical factors as well. Maintaining a synchronous state across four connected players introduces significant network complexity. Bandwidth, physics simulation, AI, synchronization – supporting four players instead of two likely imposes a substantial additional performance cost.

Given Far Cry 5‘s expansive open world full of elaborate scripted systems, the engineering effort may have simply become prohibitive. Keeping the size capped at twoplayers helped optimize.

Accessibility

A smaller multiplayer party also lowers barriers to entry and makes playing with friends easier across the board.

Managing four schedules is tricky – finding one reliable co-op buddy is far simpler logistically. Minimizing friction to engage in cooperative play helps encourage more users give it a try.

In aggregate the above factors likely led Ubisoft to keep the latest Far Cry games to a strict two player affair in campaign modes. But what about workarounds for those hoping to squeeze in one additional freedom fighter?

Potential "3 Player" Far Cry 5 Workarounds

Unfortunately, as shipped there are no supported means to mod or hack three player co-op sessions on console platforms like Xbox or PlayStation. They strictly cap at two.

However – there are some possibilities available to PC players:

Multiplayer Mods

Infamous modder Miax has released custom DLL files that can enable up to five players in co-op sessions by modifying default multiplayer parameters. They‘ve pulled off similar feats across games like Dying Light, Dead Island, and Saints Row.

• {Link to DLL mod files}
• Does require some technical savoir-faire to install properly

So for tech savvy users on PC, you can push beyond the built-in two person restriction through creative augmentation!

Pass the Controller

Alternatively, you could take turns passing the reins between three friends in tighter couch co-op sessions. While not simultaneous three player action, letting each player tackle certain missions or activities in sequence could capture some of that feel.

Think of it as asynchronous cooperative play!

Wait for Far Cry 7?

Barring mods or unorthodox sessions, three player co-op remains unlikely in authentic FC5 without unofficial patching.

At this point our best bet is to provide Ubisoft feedback explaining the desire for expanded multiplayer squad options to perhaps see it materialize in Far Cry 7 or beyond.

The Co-Op Verdict?

While Far Cry 5 unfortunately doesn‘t allow fans to unite in a three player coalition for the main campaign, the two person ride along still delivers fantastic fun. Roaming Hope County dispensing explosions and mayhem with a friend by my side made for an absolute blast of a playthrough even if I would have welcomed one more squadmate.

And for the bold and intrepid modder willing to tinker, expanding the horizons to support an additional freedom fighter appears possible on PC through ingenious augmentation.

So for those seeking trio teams – try modding, pass the controller, or stay tuned for future franchise entries. In the meantime partner up with a pal and wreak havoc across Montana against Eden‘s Gate. I promise you won‘t be disappointed!

Let me know what you think of FC5‘s co-op offering below. Should Ubisoft expand it in future titles? How was your experience? Sound off!