No Split Screen Option for Insurgency: Sandstorm

As an avid Insurgency: Sandstorm player myself, one of the most common questions I see pop up is "can you play co-op split screen with a friend?". The short answer is unfortunately, no. Insurgency: Sandstorm does not currently support any form of two player local split screen multiplayer. But let‘s take a closer look at why this is the case and the options that are available for playing co-op.

Understanding Insurgency‘s Co-Op Game Mode

While a full split screen option is not there, Sandstorm does offer a solid co-op mode that lets you team up with friends against AI enemies. Up to 8 players can join together online to take on various game modes like Checkpoint, Survival, and Hunt.

The gameplay itself shares many similarities with the regular versus modes, with a big focus on tactical shooting mechanics like weapon handling, ammunition management, etc. You‘ll be capturing objectives, securing areas, and fending off dangerous bots as a squad.

Performance-wise, co-op mode runs very smoothly in my experience. Servers have no player caps and handle the PvE action reliably even with a full lobby.

The main catch is that this is still an online-only affair. Players need to join up either over the internet on public/private servers, or use a LAN connection to play on local area networks. No couch-based split screen ability exists even though you are technically playing "cooperatively".

How Other Shooters Handle Split Screen Co-op

Looking at other popular shooters in recent years, split screen co-op is hit and miss. Here‘s a quick comparison:

• Call of Duty Series – All recent entries feature 2 player split screen for co-op and multiplayer. Modern Warfare 2 includes 2 player campaign as well.
• Halo Infinite – Up to 4 player split screen is offered on Xbox Series X/S consoles. 2 player on Xbox One.
• Apex Legends – No split screen support. Online co-op only.
• Valorant – Also online only. No split screen option.
• Overwatch – Strictly online multiplayer. No local co-op abilities.

So in the realm of competitive shooters, having at least 2 player split screen seems to be offered in about half the titles. Games like Halo and Call of Duty lean more heavily into the social side with robust couch co-op support across modes.

Other tactical shooters like Insurgency, Valorant, and Overwatch cater more to online team play.

Why Leave Out Split Screen?

Given Sandstorm‘s focus on intense, hardcore gameplay, I wasn‘t too surprised to see split screen omitted. Running two instances of the game simultaneously takes extra console resources and can impact performance. Maintaining smooth frame rates and visuals likely took priority here.

Insurgency is also built strictly for online play. All progression systems, stats tracking, etc are centralized. No campaign or single player content exists. Allowing split screen would‘ve meant developing local systems for tracking unlocks, levels, etc. Much easier to just focus on polished online systems.

And with mutliplayer shooters now dominated by online team play, developer New World Interactive probably chose to optimize that experience rather than diverting limited resources to accommodate couch co-op.

Getting That Local Co-Op Fix

If you‘re craving local split screen action with a friend, there are a couple options:

• LAN Parties – Using a local area network, you can directly connect 2+ PCs or consoles to play online co-op modes without needing internet. How-to guides are abundant online for setting up LAN parties. Just make sure all players own Sandstorm.

• Remote Play Together – Steam‘s remote play system allows sharing your game with online friends as if they were there on the couch. Great option for playing co-op games like Sandstorm as it streams your screen to them. Does require decent internet speeds however.

• Alternative Shooters – If Insurgency isn‘t scratching that co-op itch, plenty of shooters like Borderlands 3, Call of Duty, and the upcoming Warhammer 40K: Darktide have solid couch multiplayer support.

Insurgency: Sandstorm Player Counts & Engagement

Looking at SteamCharts data, Sandstorm currently averages around 3,400 concurrent players daily. That puts it behind juggernauts like CS:GO and Apex Legends but above niche titles like Hell Let Loose.

Impressively, the game hit new all-time peak players in 2022 – three years after launch. This shows a steadily growing community even without accommodating couch co-op fans.

Focusing efforts on quality online gameplay and continued content updates seems to be working well in terms of maintaining an active user base. Maybe local split screen support will come in a future sequel or expansion.

While the lack of a 2 player split screen for Insurgency: Sandstorm co-op is a letdown for fans like myself, I understand why New World Interactive went with an online-focused approach.

Providing well-optimized, smooth performance for the core competitive and PvE modes took priority. And based on the growing popularity three years post-launch, their decision has worked out nicely so far.

Fans keen on local couch-based play do have options like LAN parties or Steam Remote Play available. And many other shooters like Halo and Call of Duty continue catering heavily to split screen co-op audiences.

But for now in Sandstorm it‘s squad up over the net or miss out on the co-op action. Maybe down the road we‘ll see this feature added into the mix after the game leaves Early Access. Fingers crossed!

Let me know your thoughts on Insurgency‘s lack of split screen in the comments. And for more news and analysis on all things Sandstorm, be sure to subscribe!