In October, the Commonwealth Online team announced the first public beta of version 2.0 for Fallout 4. The developers have rebuilt the mod's networking foundation and are developing multiplayer through dedicated servers, Steam and local networks.
What's changing in Commonwealth Online 2.0
The update is described as a substantial reworking of the earlier mod. The published 2.0.0 changelog lists a C++ server using Valve GameNetworkingSockets, sessions for up to 16 players and the ability to invite friends through Steam. Dedicated servers, LAN play and direct address connections are also available.
The team's goal goes beyond making another player appear beside your character. The developers are gradually synchronising world state, NPC actions and items between clients so that everyone can interact with the same Commonwealth. However, playing through the entire campaign together remains a development goal.
- Server settings for player count, passwords and world options.
- Joining friends through Steam, LAN play and direct address connections.
- Shared time, weather, doors and other interactions with the world.
- Initial quest synchronisation and further work on NPCs and combat.
- An experimental way to bring a defeated player back into the fight.
- Support for mod sets so that client files match the server's.
- New menus and fixes for freezes and reconnecting.
🔥 Here's what matters for you: Fallout 4 is getting another way to explore the Commonwealth with friends. I'd treat this beta as a chance to try multiplayer and help test it, rather than a finished substitute for a normal playthrough. Quest, companion and combat synchronisation still need work.
Settlement building has long been one of the reasons to return to Fallout 4; I explored that side of the game in my selection of RPGs with base building. For Commonwealth Online, the next difficult step is making sure that changes to settlements, items and quests are saved consistently for everyone. For another attempt at co-op in this series, see how the New Vegas decompilation is helping multiplayer projects.
Which Fallout 4 versions are supported?
The developers list three versions: 1.10.163 (Old-Gen), 1.10.984 (Next-Gen) and 1.11.240 (Anniversary Edition). The mod page lists F4SE, Address Library and Prisma UI as mandatory dependencies. You'll need versions of those components that match your game build; the team also asks you to back up your saves before testing.
The announcement specifically warns about possible desynchronisation affecting animations, shooting, NPCs and companions. Shared looting, building and VATS shouldn't be treated as finished systems either. The changelog already describes individual inventory and workshop operations, but full settlement synchronisation remains in development.
The team openly reports using AI for research, coding and finding bugs. According to the developers, project members still make the technical decisions, review changes and carry out testing.
What's next: story co-op or free roam?
The developers are working in two directions: Story Co-op for playing through the story together, and Free Roam for exploring a shared world. Stability, NPCs, animations and combat are the current priorities. The Commonwealth Online website has project links and tester application forms; I'll cover the next major changes in the modding news section.
