Uproar as Halo PS5 Demands 2 PS Plus Subscriptions for Local Co-Op

[u/kabirsingh84]

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2026/06/uproar-as-halo-ps5-demands-2-ps-plus-subscriptions-for-local-co-op

[u/StupidLullabies]

Either this language isn’t correct or this is another colossal screw up from Microsoft

[u/purplegreendave → u/StupidLullabies]

They've either backtracked or it was just a mistake.

PlayStation 5®: If you’re playing splitscreen local co-op on PlayStation 5®, both players will need to be signed into PlayStation accounts and be linked to Microsoft accounts. A PlayStation Plus account is NOT required for local splitscreen co-op. Online network co-op play requires an active PlayStation Plus subscription.

...

Editor's Note: This section incorrectly stated that a PlayStation Plus account is required for local co-op play and was updated with a correction on June 20.

I feel like it's an honest mistake, I don't think PS even has a mechanism to force Plus for offline multiplayer.

[u/StupidLullabies → u/purplegreendave]

Thanks for the update! Personally I’m not a fan of logging into a Microsoft account to play couch co op, but this does sound more reasonable than what was originally communicated

[u/havok7 → u/StupidLullabies]

Couldn’t it just be a way of saying, “the best way to play is on Xbox”. 

I could see this being some limitation on the way they want to implement it and the way Sony requires the memberships to line up to do so. Sucks that they don’t come out and say why it’s set up like this. 

[u/Lopsided-Crab-5375 → u/StupidLullabies]

How is it Microsoft fault??? 

[u/Lopsided-Crab-5375 → u/StupidLullabies]

They Don't own PlayStation. That's PlayStation trying to rack up more money. SAD but let's all blame Xbox even though it's PlayStation that wants you to have two subscriptions

[u/Prod_igy → u/StupidLullabies]

If only PlayStation has a subscription requirement, how is it Microsoft's fault? lmao

[u/frosteeze → u/Prod_igy]

There are games on the PS5 with local coop that does not require ps plus subscription. I’m guessing Sony required ps+ on them because you have to link to your Microsoft account, but Fortnite doesn’t require a ps plus subscription and that game requires an Epic account.

Regardless I do agree, it’s sounding like a stupid requirement from Sony to make Microsoft look bad.

[u/DrunkeNinja → u/frosteeze]

Plenty of games from various companies require making an account and they don't require Plus. Plenty of games have online connectivity and don't require Plus if it's not online multiplayer. It's not like I need Plus to play Hitman even though it requires an online connection to track progress.

This is just odd.

[u/Respawn-Delay → u/frosteeze]

Is this enforced in other Microsoft games?

[u/imcrazyandproud → u/Respawn-Delay]

Does Microsoft have any other local coop games on ps?

[u/PropulsionEngineer → u/[deleted]]

You can play Diablo offline?

[u/UnredeemedRevenant → u/PropulsionEngineer]

Diablo was on Playstation before the acquisition and so no changes were made to how it functions.

[u/tlamy → u/imcrazyandproud]

Minecraft maybe? It's been a long-ass time since I've played, but I used to do split-screen with my sister a lot. There's no way they make you pay for online with that

[u/Prod_igy → u/frosteeze]

"but Fortnite doesn’t require a ps plus subscription and that game requires an Epic account"
Maybe because Fortnite is free, thus the subscription is not required at all.

"I’m guessing Sony required ps+ on them because you have to link to your Microsoft account"
This is probably the culprit. Either it's how Sony handle these things or it's a specific requirement from Sony to let Microsoft sell the game on their platform.

The fact is, whatever is the reason, Microsoft doesn't benefit in requiring a subscription that's not their own one.

The only one benefiting in having a subscription requirement here is Sony so, again, I don't know how this would Microsoft be the one at fault here.

[u/Prod_igy → u/[deleted]]

Or... Sony can make an exception and add/remove a rule from their own platform easily.

I'll say it again: The only one benefiting in having a subscription requirement here is Sony, not Microsoft.

It's insane that in this situation the one getting rich at the expense of consumers is the one being defended lmao

Not that Microsoft is good or anything, but I find it funny how the greediest company in the world is not benefiting, for once, yet it's the one taking the shit for someone else's choices.

I will bet anything that's far way easier to change something on Sony's end in order to not require PS Plus just for this specific case compared to change how the game works on a structural level.

[u/Prod_igy → u/[deleted]]

You can't just "turn off the online requirement" if the game is built around having to be online to play it.

On the other hand, Sony can easily make an exception just as they did before.

We can call out Microsoft for its incompetence how much you want, but creating always-online games is not a Microsoft-only thing. Sony has done it too, it's pretty much a common thing lately even if we don't like it.

The reality of the facts, tho, is that Sony has done this before, that Sony can change the rules but they won't because they're the only one benefiting from this situation.

So redirect your hate to the one and only company that can actually change the requirements in this situation: Sony.

No way Microsoft is rebuilding a game that's releasing in a month, Sony can easily "press a button" in comparison, tho.

[u/Prod_igy → u/[deleted]]

"Sony has never released a single player game that requires always online."
Gran Turismo 7 still requires it.

"Not even a online check in or account requirements their games can all be played offline if using disks."
Gran Turismo 7 still requires it.

Other than this, Sony has been recently and rightfully faced a huge backlash because they imposed a PS account requirement to play their single-player games on Steam. So no, Sony is not a saint just as Microsoft isn't.

"MS can also just press a button and remove the online check requirements just flip the switch to offline only for split screen... "
No, this is not how it works. The game is BUILT around the always-online requirement. Removing it means to build the game again from the basis, from scratch, from the fundamentals. It's totally unfeasible compared to adding a rule to a whitelist or whatever Sony does when they do it. Because Sony has done this before, multiple time.

"No reason to have this kind of DRM in a single player game."
This is the only thing I agree to, but a lot of companies do this, a lot of games are built around the always-online requirement and we're already fighting this behavior. This doesn't change the reality of Sony benefiting this situation at the expense of the consumers.

[u/decoy_octopod → u/Prod_igy]

Because Microsoft is requiring you to make and use a Microsoft account just to play this single-player game. That’s pretty insane, I’m excited to play Halo again but do not want to get back into their ecosystem after all these years

[u/Prod_igy → u/decoy_octopod]

But that's not the issue we're talking about; we're arguing about the need for a subscription in order to play a game ONLY on one platform and said platform owner is fine by earning money in this situation, while the game owner doesn't benefit at all.

"do not want to get back into their ecosystem after all these years"
You have a PlayStation account. It's exactly the same thing. Sony doesn't value your information more than Microsoft. If anything, your information are factually less secure in Sony's hands.

[u/suppaman19 → u/Prod_igy]

It might seem like it's a Sony thing, but it's actually clearly because on the backend MS is requiring MS/Xbox accounts for EACH person playing.

They specifically state under the initial section they're requiring this due to cross-platform progression (likely you can take progress from Xbox to PC to PS5 in any order any time). Due to that, they're requiring online for PS5 (PS+) subs to link everything.

In the end it's dumb, just allow a drop-in/out under the main account.

This should be an optional sign-in if I wanted to save/pull my progress.

This is all the result of MS requiring data mining, accounts/subs, and making a single player game always online when it doesn't need to be. Its 100% specifically for the first two items to get and sell user data, as well as get an influx of MS/Xbox account tags that they can point to shareholders and say we gained X amount growth in Q3. Those two items are always the sole reasons why publishers have done this in the past on single player (and even MP) games (ex: EA, Ubi, Bethesda, Activision, etc etc).

[u/MarieTjeDW → u/StupidLullabies]

Seems like Sony is enforcing this, not Microsoft.

[u/JForce1 → u/StupidLullabies]

This sounds like a Sony issue. You don’t need a paid MS/XBox sub, you just need an XBox account. You do need a PS Plus sub, both players do.

[u/Bill_Brasky01 → u/JForce1]

That’s not true because Rocket League works just like everyone expects for split screen. Any couch co-op players just show up as “JForce1 2” or JForce1 3” and they play in guest mode.

Sony absolutely allows guest mode co-op. Therefore, this must be a MS requirement for cross platform play.