To play with friends in RELOADIAN, one player must first craft and deploy a 'Chronosync Beacon' within their personal Haven. Once the beacon is active, you can use the Nexus Terminal to invite up to three other players into your session, forming a four-person Fireteam. This guide breaks down every step of the process, from gathering the rare materials to troubleshooting common connection issues.
There is no drop-in/drop-out public matchmaking in the traditional sense; RELOADIAN's co-op is a deliberate system built around inviting players from your friends list. This ensures you're always teamed up with people you trust when facing the Scourge in the desolate ruins of the Ashfall District.
Before You Connect: The Co-op Checklist
Before you can form a Fireteam, there are a few prerequisites every player in the group must meet. The most important is that every player, including the host and all invitees, must have completed the solo prologue mission, "The Awakening." This mission serves as the game's tutorial and unlocks the Haven, your personal base of operations where co-op sessions are initiated.
Here are the key things to confirm before you start:
- Host & Client Model: RELOADIAN uses a host-based system. The player who sends the invites is the host, and the session's progress is tied to their world state. If the host leaves, the session is disbanded.
- Platform Friends: You must be friends with the people you want to invite on the underlying platform (e.g., Steam, Xbox Live, PlayStation Network). The game's social menu pulls directly from your platform's friends list.
- Cross-Play Status: As of the latest patch (3.4.1), cross-play is enabled between PC (Steam) and Xbox Series X|S. PlayStation 5 cross-play is currently in a separate pool but is planned for integration later this year. Ensure your friends are on a compatible platform.
Step 1: Crafting Your Chronosync Beacon
The heart of RELOADIAN's co-op system is the Chronosync Beacon. This complex device is a piece of pre-Collapse technology that, according to in-game lore, stabilizes a pocket of reality, allowing multiple timelines (i.e., other players) to safely merge. You cannot host a game without one. It is a permanent fixture in your Haven once placed, so you only need to craft it once.
Required Materials
Gathering the components for the beacon is your first major collaborative goal, even if you have to do it solo initially. The materials are deliberately scattered to encourage exploration of different game mechanics.
| Material | Quantity | Common Location(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scrap Composite | 50 | Found on nearly all Scourge enemies and in basic loot caches. | The easiest material to acquire. Just play normally. |
| Nano-circuits | 15 | Harvested from defunct robotic sentinels in Sector Veles. | Requires a 'Tech Scavenger' tool mod to extract. |
| Quantum Filament | 3 | Rare drop from Scourge Behemoths in the Rust Canals. | Has a ~20% drop rate. You'll likely need to hunt a few. |
| Cryo-Coolant | 1 | Found in sealed medical containers inside underground bunkers. | These bunkers require a keycard, often found on Scourge Warden enemies. |
The Crafting Process
Once you have all the materials, head to the Fabricator station in your Haven (it's the large workbench next to your stash). Access the Fabricator menu, navigate to the 'Haven Upgrades' tab, and select the 'Chronosync Beacon' schematic. The crafting process takes 90 seconds of real time, during which you must remain near the Fabricator. Do not leave your Haven or log out while it's crafting, or the process will fail and you will lose the materials.
RELOADIAN in-game screenshot
Step 2: Setting Up Your Session and Inviting Friends
With your Chronosync Beacon crafted, you need to deploy it and configure your session. This is all handled through in-game terminals within your Haven.
First, pick up the beacon from the Fabricator's output slot. It will appear in your inventory under 'Haven Equipment'. Find the large, circular, powered plate in the center of your Haven's main floor—this is the Beacon Hardpoint. Interact with it to permanently install your Chronosync Beacon. A short cutscene will play as it powers up, and from now on, your Haven will be capable of hosting other players.
Using the Nexus Terminal
Now, walk over to the Nexus Terminal, the computer console near the Haven's exit. This is your hub for all social and session management.
- Interact with the terminal to open the main interface.
- Navigate to the 'Fireteam' tab at the top of the screen.
- Here, you'll see your own player card and three empty slots.
- On the right-hand side, find the 'Session Privacy' setting. You have two options for co-op:
- Friends Only: Anyone on your friends list can see your session and join freely without an invite.
- Invite Only: Your session is hidden. Only players who receive a direct invite from you can join. This is the recommended setting to avoid unwanted drop-ins.
RELOADIAN in-game screenshot
Sending the Invite
Once your privacy is set, you can start inviting. In the 'Fireteam' tab, click on one of the empty slots designated with a [+] symbol. This will bring up your platform friends list, showing who is online and also playing RELOADIAN. Select the friend you want to invite and confirm. They will receive a pop-up invitation on their end, which they can accept to begin loading into your Haven. You can send up to three invites to fill your Fireteam.
What Happens When You Join a Friend's Game?
Joining another player's session has a few implications for progression and loot that are crucial to understand. The game is designed to be rewarding for everyone, but the host always has final say.
World progression, including main story quests and active side missions, is tied entirely to the host. If a friend who is further in the story joins your game, they can help you with your earlier missions, but they won't make progress on their own quests. Conversely, if you join a friend who is ahead of you, you can experience later-game content, but you won't get credit for completing the prerequisite story missions yourself.
Loot, however, is more forgiving. Here's how it's split:
- Instanced Loot: All ammo, healing items, and currency dropped by enemies are instanced. This means each player sees and can pick up their own version of these drops.
- Shared Loot: Weapons, armor, and mods dropped by enemies or found in world containers are shared. The first person to pick it up gets it. This is where communication is key. Call out valuable finds so the team can decide who it benefits most.
- Mission Rewards: Major rewards for completing quests are given to all players in the Fireteam, regardless of who picked them up. If the host completes a mission that rewards a unique rifle, everyone in the party gets that rifle.
Finally, the game's difficulty scales with the size of your Fireteam. Adding a second player increases enemy health by 50% and their damage by 25%. Three and four players see further, more aggressive increases. Be prepared for a tougher fight.
Best Practices for a Successful Fireteam
Simply connecting is only the first step. Thriving as a team in RELOADIAN requires strategy and coordination, especially on higher difficulties.
A balanced team composition can make a huge difference. While you can succeed with any combination of character builds, having designated roles helps streamline combat. A common effective setup includes:
- A Breacher: Focused on heavy armor and close-quarters weapons like shotguns and machine guns to draw enemy fire.
- A Spectre: Built for stealth and long-range precision, using sniper rifles and suppressors to eliminate high-value targets.
- A Technician: A support role specializing in hacking enemy robotics, deploying turrets, and using gear that buffs the team's defenses or ammo generation.
Clear communication is non-negotiable. Use the in-game voice chat or a third-party app like Discord to call out enemy positions, coordinate attacks, and share resources. Since high-tier loot is shared, establish a system for distributing it fairly. A Spectre build doesn't need the new legendary shotgun, but your Breacher definitely does.
RELOADIAN in-game screenshot
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why can't my friend see my invite?
This is the most common issue. Check these three things first: 1) Ensure you are actually friends on the platform (Steam, Xbox, etc.). 2) Make sure your friend has also completed the "The Awakening" prologue mission. 3) Double-check your Session Privacy at the Nexus Terminal; if you sent an invite, it should be set to 'Invite Only'.
Can I have more than one Chronosync Beacon?
No, you can only craft and install one beacon per character. It's a permanent Haven upgrade and does not need to be replaced.
Do we share resources like Scrap Composite?
Yes, all crafting materials are shared loot. The first player to pick up a bundle of Scrap or a Nano-circuit gets it for themselves. It's good practice to have one player designated as the resource collector who can distribute materials to the team as needed.
What happens if I get disconnected from the host?
If you disconnect, you will be returned to your own Haven's main menu. You will keep all the instanced loot (ammo, currency) and any shared items (weapons, armor) that were in your inventory when you disconnected. You can rejoin the session as long as the host is still playing and sends another invite.
Can we trade items with each other?
RELOADIAN does not have a formal player-to-player trading system. However, you can drop weapons, armor, and consumables from your inventory for a friend to pick up. Be careful doing this in unsecured areas, as other players in some future PvP zones could potentially steal the dropped items.