Returnal is getting co-op and a survival mode in a free ‘Ascension’ update

Returnal is getting cooperative multiplayer and a new survival mode (dubbed “The Tower of Sisyphus”) in its upcoming 3.0 “Ascension” update, developer Housemarque announced at Sony’s latest State of Play livestream.

The update marks the first significant addition of new content to the challenging sci-fi roguelike. A previous 2.0 update from last year focused instead of adding major quality of life additions, like the much-requested ability to suspend a run without losing your progress and a photo mode.

Co-op mode is online only, with no split-screen option available, which means that you’ll need internet and a PlayStation Plus subscription to team up with a friend to try and survive the murderous mysteries of Atropos. Players also won’t be able to play cooperatively in the new Tower of Sisyphus area, the game’s first-person “House” sequences, and in challenge mode.

The Tower of Sisyphus, meanwhile, will offer players a series of 20 floors of increasingly difficultly that they’ll be able to battle their way through — presumably, with some new mysteries to uncover along the way.