Xbox's co-op brawler Towerborne drops free-to-play and monetization plans for 1.0, but crossplay is bizarrely gone too

The Towerborne 1.0 update is something I'd love to shout about. Seamlessly blending side-scrolling beat-em-ups with the loot-driven progression of action RPGs, it won my heart in early access with its combo-driven combat and flashy visual design. Now, a year and a half on from its initial launch, the full release is upon us, and there's lots of upgrades to shout about. It's even dropped its live-service monetization plans, although the transition away from a planned free-to-play offering will be disappointing to some. What's bugging me most, however, is the stripping back of crossplay and online matchmaking in a game so lovingly designed for co-op.

Towerborne was a pretty sharp turn for developer Stoic after The Banner Saga, but the studio brought in fighting game experts such as Injustice and Killer Instinct veteran Isaac Torres to ensure it could deliver a rewarding combat system. It didn't take long to feel the effects, and I found myself regularly returning to action even despite the relatively light smattering of gear there was to grind for in its initial early access phase. Since then, Stoic has been listening to community feedback, gradually upgrading what's on offer, and it's made some pretty dramatic changes for the 1.0 launch.

The most obvious up-front transition is that Towerborne still costs money - $25 / £22, to be exact. While joining early access required the purchase of a founder's pack (at the same price point), Stoic had long promised that the game would become free to play when it reached 1.0, with plans to support it with a live-service monetization model. That's now gone, and Towerborne has been rebranded as a "standalone premium experience," with those microtransaction plans stripped out.

"After listening to our community during early access and game preview, we learned players wanted a complete, polished experience without ongoing monetization mechanics," Stoic explains. "Moving to a premium model lets us deliver the full game up front - no live-service grind, no pay-to-win systems - just the best version of Towerborne." As someone who was already bought in, that works for me, but it does make pitching the co-op game to friends a more difficult prospect than if they could start playing for nothing.

Offline play is now supported, which is good if you're more interested in tackling its new-look campaign solo and want to take it on your Steam Deck. Rather disappointingly, however, crossplay and cross-progression have been removed and there's no longer any online matchmaking, only the opportunity to directly invite friends to join you. Head to the game's Steam reviews and you'll already see a number of people frustrated that they can no longer play with the same squad they have been teaming with through early access.

If those disappointments aren't a turn-off for you, there are lots of reasons to look forward to what Towerborne 1.0 is offering. The old hex-based map has been removed, and while you can still grind out randomly generated Frontier ventures or pick up optional bounties if you want, the focus has been placed more squarely on its upgraded main campaign, promising "a 15+ hour story spanning more than 50 missions." Upon reaching the endgame, you can return to the bounty board "for truly nasty work."

Stoic says it was well aware of how repetitive Towerborne could feel, and that progression throughout early access was "slow and grinding, sometimes hopeless," and it hopes that this tighter focus resolves those concerns. Drop rates have been reworked and there are new crafting, refining, and reforging options to help that you can find the gear you want more reliably, and hone 'almost there' items into the perfect match for your build. The removal of microtransactions also means all cosmetics can be earned simply by playing.

Finally, the gameplay has been honed, with "every single combat action tweaked to some capacity, for both players and enemies." There are new class skills, more aspects and perks including ones that can further expand your moveset, additional Umbra companions, and universal abilities that unlock across all classes once earned. Stoic has even refined co-op play, making it easier to perform team juggle combos and introducing NPC allies that can join you. It's a nice addition, I just wish we hadn't lost the ability to pull pals in on other platforms.

Towerborne 1.0 is out now on Steam and the Xbox app, priced at $24.99 / £21.99. Head here if you're interested by the satisfying action it brings to the table and aren't impacted by the loss of crossplay and online matchmaking.