Cross-Platform Multiplayer Games: Pitfalls and Solutions

Multiplayer gaming has become increasingly popular in recent years due to several reasons.

The thing is, multiplayer games aren’t just favored; they rule the roost when it comes to gaming. That could be FPS, battle royales, MOBAs, co-op adventures, and more — players can't get enough. And the numbers prove it:

• 77% of all gamers play multiplayer experiences. That’s more than half the gaming population diving into shared worlds;
• 91% of real-time gamers play cross-platform games multiplayer, and it shows that crossplay is not just a nice-to-have — it’s expected;
• Crossplay extends player longevity on the title, as people will log into more hours when they can play on different devices.

Multiplayer gaming isn’t only about competition—it’s about connection. Games have transformed into digital meeting spaces where players form teams, compete against each other, and create communities. The excitement of an evenly matched battle, the teamwork of co-op missions, and the utter randomization of human foes add uniqueness to each fight. In contrast with single-player experiences, where the AIs play within a scripted plan, multiplayer experiences are alive, evolving, and molded by the innovation and adaptability of real players.

Not only a means of passing the time, multiplayer games have become a long-term investment for many. Players don’t just drop in for a handful of matches; they become dedicated to their growth, gear, and the companionship they foster. It keeps players coming back, whether for loot, new content, or just to experience the competitive high. The biggest magic of multiplayer gaming is not in the mechanics — it’s the people who turn each match into some fresh challenge.

The days of console wars are fading. Gamers don’t care about hardware—they care about playing together. Cross-platform games are reshaping the industry, letting players compete across PC, consoles, and mobile. It’s no longer about what you play on but who you play with.

Whether you need a chill adventure to share with kids, a bloody brawl to strain friendships, or a collaborative experience to deepen ties between partners, the best cross-platform multiplayer games are here. This list has everything from frenetic shooters to cozy co-op experiences. Here are five titles that connect players, regardless of their platform or play style.

Number of players: 1-4
Multiplayer: Local and online co-op
Platform(s): PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC (Windows), macOS
Released: August 7, 2018
Developer(s): Ghost Town Games

Overcooked 2 is the ultimate strategy party game, tailored for families, friends, and couples who love a challenge filled with pandemonium. Up to four players have to chop, cook, and serve dishes in kitchens that always present new challenges — shifting floors, portals, and fiery disasters. Whether you’re sharing the memes in person with local co-op or teaming up online, swift and agile communication is what matters.

Number of players: 1-∞ (varies based on server and mode)
Multiplayer: Online and local co-op, cross-platform support
Platform(s): PC (Windows, macOS, Linux), PlayStation (3, 4, 5), Xbox (360, One, Series X/S), Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
Released: November 18, 2011 (full release)
Developer(s): Mojang Studios

Who doesn’t know Minecraft? This game did not merely become a hit — it became a phenomenon. It is the ultimate sandbox, in which players of all ages mine, craft, and build their worlds, block by block. Whether you're surviving against creepers in Survival Mode, unleashing creativity with unlimited resources in Creative Mode, or exploring community-made mods and servers, the possibilities are endless.

Want to team up with friends? Minecraft’s multiplayer allows you to build castles, fight mobs, or hang out in pixel-perfect landscapes together — on any platform. With a vast, ever-evolving community, infinite ways to play, and so on, it's been no surprise to find Minecraft listed as one of the best-selling games of all time.

Number of players: 1-100 (varies by mode)
Multiplayer: Online, cross-platform
Platform(s): PC (Windows, macOS), PlayStation (4, 5), Xbox (One, Series X/S), Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
Released: July 25, 2017 (Save the World), September 26, 2017 (Battle Royale)
Developer(s): Epic Games

Love it or hate it, Fortnite is everywhere. What started as a battle royale phenomenon has evolved into a full-fledged gaming platform, offering something for everyone.

Jump into Fortnite and experience non-stop action—battle it out in 100-player showdowns, survive zombie swarms in Save the World, build insane structures in Creative Mode, or explore LEGO worlds, high-speed races, and rhythm challenges. One minute, you’re evading bullets, the next, you’re busting out an emote in mid-fight or hitting a trick shot that deserves a slow-mo replay.

More than just a game, Fortnite is a cultural icon. From viral emotes to celebrity-studded events, it’s a game that lives or dies on community, collaboration, and fleeting content. Building, battling, or just hanging out, Fortnite keeps it fresh — and players coming back for more.

Number of players: 1-6 (varies by mode)
Multiplayer: Online co-op and PvP
Platform(s): PC (Windows), PlayStation (4, 5), Xbox (One, Series X/S)
Released: September 6, 2017
Developer(s): Bungie

Step into the shoes of a Guardian and protect man’s final safe city in a universe where myth and science fiction meet. Destiny 2 delivers a massive shared-world multiplayer experience, blending PvE and PvP gameplay with deep role-playing elements. Players take on six-player raids, challenge themselves in three-player strikes, and explore vast destinations filled with hidden secrets. The game constantly evolves with expansions and seasonal content, keeping the universe fresh and unpredictable.

Since its launch, Destiny 2 has transformed into a sprawling, ever-changing universe. Guardians use the Light and Darkness to fight alien forces and discover the intricacies behind an epic sci-fi saga. Expansions such as Forsaken, The Witch Queen, and The Final Shape have introduced new stories, locations, and challenges. There is also a free-to-play version, Destiny 2: New Light, where new players can explore the game’s world while veterans march through expanding content.

Number of players: MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online)
Multiplayer: Online co-op, PvP
Platform(s): PC (Windows, macOS), PlayStation (4, 5), Xbox Series X/S
Released: August 27, 2013 (A Realm Reborn)
Developer(s): Square Enix

Some games launch strong. Others trip and never get up. And then there’s Final Fantasy XIV, a game that transformed disaster into one of the greatest turnaround stories in game history. It started as a failed MMORPG in 2010 and was rebuilt entirely and re-released in 2013 as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, a reinvention that turned it into one of the most popular and loved online games ever.

Set in the afflicted land of Eorzea, the game charts the ascension of the Warrior of Light, a player-created hero destined to fend off invaders, battle ancient gods, and learn the world's deep-shaking secrets. Unlike most MMORPGs, Final Fantasy XIV offers a mix of deep storytelling, cinematic cutscenes, and an ever-expanding world, with massive expansions like Heavensward, Shadowbringers, and Endwalker shaping its ongoing saga.

But the real center of FFXIV is its multiplayer experience. Players take on epic PvE challenges, from casual dungeon runs to massive 24-player raids, while PvP fans can dive into action with Crystalline Conflict and Frontlines. Whether you’re a lone wolf or a member of a dedicated Free Company (essentially a guild), the game has a flexible class system, a deep in-game economy, and player housing—which means there’s always some goal to work toward.

Final Fantasy XIV, bolstered by millions of players and an active community, continues to grow, demonstrating how great storytelling and engaging gameplay can make even the biggest misfires into the stuff of legend.

To overcome the challenges of a multiplayer game, game developers need to plan and execute their processes carefully, utilizing best practices and seeking expert guidance when necessary.

Developing a multiplayer game involves balancing the distribution of business logic between the client and server backends to ensure optimal client performance and minimize cheating. Game developers must carefully consider which logic should be handled by the client and which by the server. Implementing measures such as server-side validation and periodic integrity checks can help prevent cheating.

Developing multiplayer cross-platform games presents its own challenges. Connecting players is only part of the equation; game performance, anti-cheat, and experience consistency across devices must also be considered. A title that performs beautifully on a high-end gaming rig doesn’t just transfer to mobile without some serious work. Every platform will need optimized graphics and controls for a seamless experience.

Another challenge is ensuring a seamless multiplayer experience, which is fundamental to retaining players and ensuring long-term success. Strong net code is a key component of achieving this, as it must be capable of handling the demands of a multiplayer environment. The net code must also be fast, reliable, and have minimal latency to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience for players.

What brings you to a connected moment is the required hardware load. To support multiple players, a game requires servers that can manage numerous connections simultaneously, and the hardware must be scalable as the number of players grows. Expertise with cloud platforms such as AWS is essential to making the game accessible from anywhere worldwide. Such platforms enable quick and easy scalability, ensuring seamless game access for players worldwide.

Multiplayer development isn’t one-size-fits-all. A small, laid-back game needs a different setup than a high-stakes competitive battleground packed with players worldwide.

Pre-built solutions can be great for getting a multiplayer game up and running quickly, handling essentials like basic functionality or simple matchmaking. But when it comes to fine-tuning your game’s unique mechanics, these ready-made tools often fall short. Adapting them to fit your needs can be a headache—especially if you're wrestling with rigid legacy code.

And while these solutions may seem convenient at first, they don’t always scale well. What works for a prototype might crumble under the weight of a larger, more ambitious project. If the tools don’t support your game’s mechanics or player load, they can drag down performance and hurt the overall experience.

Custom development gives game creators full control over multiplayer design, allowing them to build solutions tailored to their game’s specific needs. For projects with complex mechanics or large-scale ambitions, it’s often the only viable option. Unlike off-the-shelf tools, a custom-built system ensures seamless scalability, top-tier performance, and a multiplayer experience that isn’t limited by pre-made constraints.

While custom development requires more time and resources upfront, it can pay off in the long run. A well-planned system is built to evolve, making future updates and expansions easier without costly workarounds.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to multiplayer. Pre-built solutions work for simple projects or adding basic multiplayer to an existing game, but for larger, more complex experiences, a custom solution is often the smarter choice. Understanding your game’s vision is key to finding the right path forward.

With many options available, game developers must choose a server that provides the necessary performance, reliability, and scalability to meet their players' needs without breaking the bank.

Microsoft’s Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS) lead the server market. While performance and reliability are significant advantages, they can also be expensive, particularly for smaller multiplayer games. Nonetheless, some less popular alternatives offer a more budget-friendly option.

When choosing the server for cross-platform multiplayer games, developers should consider their budget, game mechanics, and number of concurrent players since all these factors affect the server's cost.

Azure is a suitable option for game developers familiar with the Microsoft ecosystem. It offers a range of tools and services for deploying, scaling, and managing online multiplayer games. However, its pay-as-you-go pricing model can make it expensive for smaller game studios.

AWS is another option with comparable functionality to Azure. That said, AWS (Amazon Web Services) is widely seen as more complicated to configure and maintain, making it a more attractive option for larger studios with the resources to deploy and manage infrastructure.

For smaller studios, there are several lesser-known alternatives to consider, such as Digital Ocean and Vultr. These cloud hosting providers offer scalable and affordable solutions for hosting game servers. They provide virtual private servers (VPS) that can be customized to meet the game's requirements, including CPU, RAM, storage, and bandwidth.

Both providers offer easy-to-use interfaces and APIs for managing and scaling the infrastructure, as well as a variety of pre-built images and templates for quickly deploying game servers. Additionally, they offer competitive pricing suitable for small- to medium-sized game studios.

Out of the other providers, Alibaba Cloud and Oracle Corporation would be suitable for multiplayer game development due to their extensive cloud computing services and infrastructure. Both companies offer scalable solutions with high-performance capabilities, crucial for hosting and managing multiplayer games requiring many concurrent players. Additionally, Alibaba Cloud and Oracle Corporation have experience working with game developers and offer services specifically designed for gaming, such as game hosting and management tools.

Game developers must consider the game mechanics required when choosing a server. Physics calculations and collisions require a lot of CPU while rendering — and streaming audio — requires a lot of GPU. In server cost optimization, game developers have to decide which functions will execute on the client side and which will run on the server side to balance the server- and client-side processing.

Building a great multiplayer game isn’t just about cool mechanics or flashy visuals—it takes serious expertise, adaptability, and a deep understanding of ever-evolving tech and player expectations. That’s why having the right team matters.

Multiplayer development is a whole different beast compared to single-player games. It’s not just about crafting fun gameplay—it involves network programming, server infrastructure, and real-time synchronization. A team experienced in single-player projects might not have the skills needed to tackle these challenges, making multiplayer development a unique and demanding discipline.

Argentics’s portfolio – an action-driven futuristic MOBA

Experienced multiplayer developers stay current on the latest tools and technology, allowing them to craft innovative and efficient solutions. They also know how to optimize games across platforms—whether mobile, PC, or console—ensuring a seamless experience for all players.

Bringing in seasoned multiplayer specialists can give your game a serious competitive edge. That’s why partnering with a reliable outsourcing studio with a strong track record is key to turning your vision into reality.

Multiplayer games are far more complex than single-player experiences, requiring expertise in network programming, server infrastructure, and real-time synchronization. Developers must ensure smooth gameplay across different locations and internet conditions while also tackling challenges like balancing mechanics and preventing cheating—often relying on cloud services to make it all work.

Given these complexities, outsourcing to an experienced studio can be a game-changer. A skilled team can seamlessly integrate multiplayer functionality with the rest of the game, ensuring that everything—from matchmaking to real-time interactions—works flawlessly across platforms.

With multiplayer gaming more popular than ever, success depends on deep technical expertise and a seamless player experience. Partnering with a seasoned studio can help bring ambitious multiplayer projects to life while delivering the polished, engaging gameplay that players expect.