The maximum number of online co-op players in a standard Goblin Company mining contract is four. While you can gather with more goblins in the social hub, the core missions that have you diving deep for treasure and glory are balanced for a tight-knit squad of up to four. This guide breaks down everything you need to know about assembling your crew, from the lobby setup and invitation process to how loot, progression, and difficulty scale with your team size.
What's the Official Player Count?
While the answer is simple on the surface, there are a few nuances to how Goblin Company handles player counts across its different modes. The hard limit for core gameplay is four players per session.
This four-goblin limit applies to all standard Contract types, whether you're on a simple Glimmerstone extraction, a complex Egg Hunt, or a harrowing Salvage Operation. The developers have balanced the game's resource distribution, enemy spawns, and map complexity around this number. A full four-person team allows for distinct role fulfillment without making the caverns feel overly crowded or the action unintelligible.
However, there is one exception: the Union Hall. This is the game's persistent social hub, where you can show off cosmetics, modify your gear, and accept new assignments. The Union Hall can host up to 16 players at a time, allowing you to mingle with other crews before forming your own four-person team and dropping into a mission.
Why a Four-Player Limit?
The design choice for a four-player squad is deliberate. It hits a sweet spot that encourages teamwork and strategic specialization. With four distinct classes—the Driller, Engineer, Scout, and Gunner—a full team can cover all its bases. One player can light the way and grab hard-to-reach minerals while another lays down defensive turrets, a third drills direct paths to objectives, and the fourth provides heavy covering fire. This intricate dance becomes the key to surviving the game's highest Hazard Levels.
How to Start a Co-op Session and Invite Friends
Getting your crew together for a mining run is a straightforward process. The game offers private, friends-only, and public lobbies, giving you full control over who you play with. Follow these steps to get started.
A four-panel comic showing how to start a co-op lobby and invite friends in Goblin Company.
Hosting Your Own Lobby
To be the host of the session, you'll create the lobby and choose the mission parameters. The game will run on your machine (or console), so a stable internet connection is crucial for a smooth experience for everyone.
- From the Main Menu: Select the "Start Contract" option.
- Access the Mission Terminal: This will bring you to the mission selection map.
- Choose Your Contract: Select the Biome and Mission Type you wish to play.
- Select "Host Private Session": Before confirming the mission, you'll see options for matchmaking. Choose "Host Private" or "Friends Only." The former ensures only players you directly invite can join, while the latter allows anyone on your platform's friends list to join without an invite.
- Launch the Mission: Once selected, you will load into the Mining Pod, which serves as the pre-mission lobby where your friends will appear as they join.
Inviting Your Crew
Once you're in the Mining Pod lobby, there are two primary ways to get your friends into the game.
- Platform Invites (Recommended): The most reliable method is to use your system's built-in overlay. On PC, this is the Steam Overlay (Shift+Tab by default). Right-click a friend's name and select "Invite to Game." They will receive a notification to join your session directly.
- Lobby Code: If you're playing with someone not on your friends list or facilitating a cross-platform session (where applicable), you can generate a temporary Lobby Code from the in-game menu. Your friend can then go to the "Join Contract" screen and enter the code to connect to your lobby.
How Loot and Progression Work in Co-op
One of the most common questions for any co-op game revolves around loot. Does the host get everything? Is it a free-for-all? Goblin Company uses a hybrid system that rewards both teamwork and individual contribution, ensuring no one feels left out.
Infographic comparing shared team loot versus personal finds in Goblin Company.
Shared Resources vs. Personal Finds
The game cleverly divides loot into two categories. This system is designed to encourage players to call out valuable resources for the whole team while still rewarding sharp-eyed individuals.
| Loot Category | Type | Distribution Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Shared | Mission Resources (Glimmerstone, Cog-Iron) | Added to a team-wide pool. Everyone gets the full amount at mission end. |
| Shared | Mission Credits | Awarded to all players equally upon successful contract completion. |
| Personal | Rare Gems (Jadiz, Bittergem) | Each player gets a personal copy and credit when deposited. |
| Personal | Cosmetic Blueprints | Found in special containers. Instanced for each player to collect once. |
| Personal | Performance Bonus XP | Awarded at the end of the mission for achievements like "Most Mined." |
Essentially, the materials you need to complete the mission and earn money are fully shared. When one player deposits 50 Glimmerstone, the entire team's objective counter goes up by 50. The rare, valuable items that are used for upgrades and cosmetics are instanced, so when you see a glowing Jadiz crystal, you can mine it knowing your teammates will get their own credit for it as well.
Experience and Promotions
Experience Points (XP) for completing mission objectives are awarded equally to all surviving players. However, the game also tracks individual performance metrics. At the end of a round, special XP bonuses are given for things like "Most Kills," "Most Revives," and "Fewest Downs." This adds a fun, competitive layer to the cooperative experience. All character progression, promotions, and gear unlocks are tied to your personal account and are carried with you no matter whose lobby you join.
How Difficulty Scales with More Players
Goblin Company is not a static experience. The game's "Director AI" actively adjusts the challenge based on the number of goblins in the session. A four-player team will face a significantly greater threat than a solo player on the very same mission and Hazard Level.
Diagram showing how game difficulty scales for a 4-player team in Goblin Company.
Here’s what changes as more players join your crew:
- Enemy Spawn Rates: The number of basic enemies that spawn in a swarm is dramatically increased. A swarm that might feature 20 creatures for a solo player could have 50 or more for a four-player squad.
- Enemy Composition: The game will spawn more elite and special enemy variants. You'll encounter far more high-threat targets like the Armored Cave Lurker or the explosive Detonator when running with a full team.
- Resource Availability: To compensate for the increased ammo and resource consumption of a larger team, the quantity of mineral veins like Nitra (for resupplies) and the primary objective mineral is slightly increased.
This scaling is most noticeable when jumping between different Hazard Levels. A mission on Hazard 3 with two players might feel manageable, but that same mission on Hazard 5 with a full four-player squad is a chaotic, non-stop fight for survival that demands perfect coordination and role execution.
FAQ: Your Goblin Company Co-op Questions
Here are quick answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Goblin Company's multiplayer.
Does Goblin Company have dedicated servers? No, the game uses a peer-to-peer (P2P) hosting model. This means one player acts as the host for the session. For the best experience, the player with the most stable and fastest internet connection should host the game.
Is there crossplay in Goblin Company? Crossplay is currently supported between Steam and the PC Game Pass version. However, there is no cross-platform play between PC and console versions at this time.
Can you join a mission that's already in progress? Yes, as long as the host's lobby is set to "Public" and there is an open slot on the team. You can use the "Join Public Contract" option from the server browser to find and drop into active games.
Do you need four players to succeed? Absolutely not. The game is designed to be fully playable solo, and the difficulty scaling ensures that it's just as viable with a duo or trio. However, the highest Hazard Levels are balanced with a full, coordinated four-person team in mind.
The Final Drop
Goblin Company is fundamentally a game about teamwork. While it can be enjoyed solo, the experience truly comes alive with a full four-goblin crew. The chaos of a massive swarm, the triumph of a perfectly executed strategy, and the shared laughter when a plan goes horribly wrong are what make it special. The four-player limit isn't a restriction; it's the foundation for a tightly balanced and endlessly replayable cooperative adventure. So grab your friends, pick your class, and get ready to mine.