Microsoft has released the requirements for Halo Campaign Evolved co-op mode on PS5, and it’s not pretty. Despite being an offline feature, the Halo remake actually requires PlayStation users to have multiple online subscriptions to use it.

Halo Campaign Evolved PS5 Co-Op Requires Two PlayStation Plus Subscriptions

“We incorrectly stated that PlayStation Plus is required for local co-op splitscreen play. Local splitscreen co-op requires a PlayStation account for each player but does not require a PlayStation Plus account.”

Original article below:

As we near the launch of Halo Campaign Evolved PS5 edition on July 28, Microsoft has been opening up about the game’s many features. While the Halo remake does not have multiplayer, it does bring back local split-screen co-op. The only issue is that the feature has some pretty hefty requirements if you want to use it.

According to an official Microsoft Q&A fact sheet, PS5 players will need two active PlayStation Plus subscriptions, as well as a Microsoft account, to use local co-op in Halo Campaign Evolved. “PlayStation 5: If you’re playing split-screen on PS5, both accounts will need to have PlayStation Plus and be linked to a Microsoft account. Having these active PlayStation Plus subscriptions will also provide access to online co-op play.”

Microsoft also confirmed PS5 users will need to sign up for a Microsoft account and create an XBOX Gamertag to play Halo Campaign Evolved, even in solo offline mode. While needing a PlayStation Plus subscription makes sense for online co-op, requiring it for local split-screen is an interesting choice, to say the least.

Players React to Halo Campaign Evolved PS5 Co-Op Requirements

As you can imagine, many PlayStation 5 users weren’t too thrilled with the local co-op requirements costing extra money to use. After all, you are literally just sitting next to a friend on a couch and aren’t using online features. As a result, fans took to social media to vent their frustrations over the Halo Campaign Evolved co-op feature.

“What should be an offline feature needing online and two subs is pretty wild,” a user on Reddit wrote, for example. Another commenter exclaimed, “Another single-player game that forces you to make an account. Screw this crap.” One fan also questioned why Microsoft couldn’t make the local offline feature more accessible. “Can you not just make a guest account for split screen on PS5?”

To be clear, Halo Campaign Evolved needing multiple accounts shouldn’t be too surprising. When Halo: The Master Chief Collection released in 2014, Xbox users also had to have a similar setup for co-op. However, PS5 players are particularly annoyed by what is usually a local offline feature requiring multiple online subscriptions. To be fair, when you read that sentence out loud, it does sound a bit overcomplicated.