War in the North Legacy Edition — co-op & multiplayer

Yes, it has 3-player online co-op, and it's the main reason most people are buying this. The good news: the connectivity problems that made the 2011 original's co-op a running joke are reportedly fixed.

Is the co-op actually fixed?

The original War in the North launched in 2011 with famously broken multiplayer — connection drops, lost progress, the works. It's the first thing old players ask about, and the early reports on the Legacy Edition are good. A r/xbox post from Aug 14: "FYI they fixed the coop in the legacy edition of LoTR war in the north. The game is pure fun. I know many of the reviews state coop was broken" — then goes on to say it's been smooth for them.

One caveat from the r/lotr discussion of the re-release: multiplayer works "differently" compared to the old version, and a few features got removed in the transition (the what changed page has the details people have pieced together so far). If you're coming in expecting the exact 2011 multiplayer experience, it's close but not identical.

How it works

• Three players max — one per hero. There's no four-player mode and no PvP.
• Online only: co-op is over the network, not local split-screen.
• Progress carries: your hero keeps their level and gear in your own campaign and in co-op sessions.
• Crossplay: not confirmed between platforms as of Aug 17, 2026 — assume you need the same platform as your friends.

If your plan is "two friends + one campaign," this is the game for it — it's still the only LOTR game built around that exact setup. Just make sure everyone's on the same platform and, ideally, not all on base PS5s.