After 13 years, roguelike icon The Binding of Isaac is finally getting online multiplayer just in time for Rebirth's anniversary

The Binding of Isaac art showing a crying cartoon-like hand-drawn-esque figure lying on the ground, surrounded by others of various sizes and colors
(Image credit: Edmund McMillen)

The Binding of Isaac is finally getting its long-awaited online multiplayer mode this year, and its arrival is just a few months away now - apparently set to come right around Rebirth's 10th anniversary.

Edmund McMillen, the mastermind indie developer behind The Binding of Isaac and Super Meat Boy, hosted a Q&A session on Reddit yesterday in which fans could ask him anything. As the genius behind one of the best roguelikes of all time, it's no surprise that hundreds of questions quickly poured in for McMillen to respond to - including one about how progress on Isaac's online multiplayer mode is going behind the scenes so far.

Replying to the fan's question regarding multiplayer, McMillen says development is actually "going great" and the mode's release date is just around the corner. "Isaac Online (co-op multiplayer) is going great and should be releasing by Rebirth's 10-year [anniversary]," writes the dev. "In early [November]." The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, the remake that came a few years after McMillen's iconic 2011 original, launched on November 4 in 2014.

Going by what the dev's comment says in the recent Q&A, the roguelike's online multiplayer mode should then drop sometime around that date this year - more specifically, sometime before November 4 to line up with his assertion that it'll release "by" the anniversary rather than after it. Regardless, it's an exciting revelation for longtime fans of the hit indie. Local co-op has been around for quite a while, but online functionality is a game-changer.

Browse through these upcoming indie games for more to look forward to.

Anna Koselke
Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.