Big Hops, the colourful 3D platformer released earlier this year, is about to become a much bigger social experience. Its upcoming free update will let up to eight players tackle the complete adventure together online.
The update, titled Big Hops Together, arrives on Steam on August 9. According to a Steam post, the multiplayer version retains the base game’s mechanics and features rather than offering a separate, shortened co-op mode.
For more arcade and gaming updates, visit the RETROCADE Arcade Blog.
Eight players, one shared adventure
Developer and director Chris Wade announced the update on social media. The co-op mode supports the full campaign, with players able to interact in ways that could make a carefully planned platforming run considerably more chaotic.
- Play through the entire adventure online with up to eight players.
- Pick up and throw fellow players.
- Use other players for tongue-swinging traversal.
- Take items from one another’s backpacks.
- Share story and collection progress across the group.
Wade’s announcement on Bluesky describes the update as a transformation of the Steam release into Big Hops Together. The announcement was posted on July 30, 2026.
A major rebuild behind the scenes
Multiplayer was not part of the original plan for Big Hops, making the update a substantial technical project rather than a simple online add-on. The development team had to rework player movement, menus, progression tracking, saving, cutscenes and scene loading.
The changes also extend to the game’s interactive systems, including every vegetable, the minecarts and many other elements that were designed around a single-player structure. Wade said the team had never made a multiplayer game before, so it had to learn the relevant systems while solving unfamiliar design problems.
One particularly difficult stage came during the first two months of development. The team was not initially certain that the project would be possible, and spent that time working through the technical and design challenges required to make eight-player co-op function.
How to test the co-op mode early
The multiplayer update can already be tested before its official August 9 release. On Steam, load Big Hops and select the “Together” beta branch to access the co-op build.
At launch, the update is limited to Steam. Wade explained that concentrating on one platform makes the work easier to manage, particularly after some launch bugs were linked to the team spreading its efforts too broadly. Steam also provides simpler playtesting and separate beta branches for trying out new features.
Players planning a dedicated local setup for group gaming can explore RETROCADE’s arcade machines, while compact rooms may suit the bartop arcade range. For anyone considering a custom build, the DIY arcade kits catalogue is another option.
Big Hops gets a new reason to return
Big Hops is available now on Steam. Its 3D platforming, tongue-swinging movement and detailed visuals already make it a notable release, but the free eight-player update could give the adventure a very different character when friends begin throwing, swinging and stealing from one another.
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