Playing zombie games with your friends can be a blast, but nothing kills the fun faster than multiplayer issues. Dead Island Definitive Edition is an amazing co-op zombie slayer, yet many players struggle to get the online multiplayer working properly.
If you and your crew want to team up and take on the zombie hordes together, this guide will help you troubleshoot and fix the most common Dead Island Definitive Edition multiplayer problems. Let’s chop down these issues and get to co-op slaying!
Check Your Internet Connection and NAT Type
The first thing to check is that all players have a stable, fast internet connection. Multiplayer gaming requires more bandwidth than streaming video, so you want to make sure there’s no issues on the ISP side.
It’s also vital that everyone has an open NAT type on their router. NAT stands for Network Address Translation and controls how your Xbox communicates with other players online. An open NAT provides the best connectivity.
To check your NAT status, go to the Xbox Network settings and it will show you whether your NAT type is open, moderate, or strict. If it’s not open, you’ll need to configure port forwarding on your router to open the NAT. This requires logging into your router’s admin page, going to the port forwarding section, and entering your Xbox’s IP address along with the standard Xbox gaming ports. Consult your router manufacturer’s port forwarding guide for exact steps. Once port forwarding is set up properly, your NAT type should show as open.
Once all players have an open NAT and solid internet speed, you’ve eliminated the most common networking hurdles that can prevent successful connections.
Verify Game Files or Reinstall
Sometimes there are corrupted files that cause the game itself to bug out when playing online. Before throwing in the towel, try verifying the integrity of the game files.
On Xbox you can do this by going to My Games & Apps > Dead Island Definitive Edition > Manage Game & Add-ons > Updates. Then select “Verify installation” and let it scan the files to make sure they aren’t corrupted.
If any files fail verification, your best bet is to try uninstalling the game completely and then redownloading and reinstalling it. This fresh install of the game files often fixes elusive bugs that prevent multiplayer from working correctly.
Adjust Firewall and Antivirus Software Settings
Third party security software like antivirus programs or Windows Firewall can sometimes block games from communicating properly through the network.
Go into your antivirus and firewall settings and look for options to add exceptions or exclusions for Dead Island Definitive Edition. This will make sure the security software doesn’t interfere with or block the game’s network traffic. Temporarily disabling the firewalls can also help determine if they are the culprit.
Reset Network Hardware and Xbox Consoles
Before pulling your hair out, try the simple but effective fix of resetting your network hardware. Unplug your modem, router, and Xbox console from power for 30 seconds. This clears any stuck cache or temporary memory that could be causing the issues.
Once they’re plugged back in and rebooted, try connecting to multiplayer again. The networking equivalent of “turn it off and back on again” fixes more problems than you might expect!
Attempt Joining from Friends List Instead of In-Game
Sometimes using the in-game matchmaking and lobby system bugs out, while joining a friend directly from the Xbox friends list works fine.
Have the session host load up a multiplayer game as normal. Then instead of using the join game option in Dead Island’s menus, have the friends bring up the Xbox friends list, find the host’s profile, and select “Join game” from there.
Set Sessions to Private to Avoid Random Players Joining
If all players are connecting directly from the Xbox friends list, the host can set their multiplayer session to private, with the maximum number of players set to the size of your group.
This prevents random online players outside your friend group from trying to join your game, which can sometimes interfere with getting all your actual friends connected.
Attempt a Hard Reset of the Xbox Console
When you’re pulling your hair out and nothing seems to work, try holding down the Xbox power button until the console fully shuts down.
Wait 30 seconds and then restart it. This hard reset can jolt things back into place and fix problems, similar to the resetting of network hardware mentioned earlier.
Have Patience – Dead Island Multiplayer is Temperamental
As you’re no doubt realizing, the Dead Island games have always been a bit temperamental when it comes to reliable co-op connections. This was true even back in the LAN party days with the original Dead Island!
Sometimes getting a multiplayer session up and running requires patience as you work through different troubleshooting steps. Don’t give up hope – keep trying combinations of the above fixes until it works. The zombies aren’t going anywhere.
Consider Trying Dying Light for Better Co-Op
If you absolutely cannot get Dead Island DE multiplayer working after thorough troubleshooting, all hope is not lost. Consider checking out Dying Light, another great first person zombie slaying game with a bigger emphasis on parkour movement.
Most players report Dying Light’s online co-op connectivity to be much more stable and consistent. The gameplay and missions are also designed more with co-op in mind than Dead Island’s single player focus.
While not exactly the same, Dying Light might be the better option if multiplayer is your top priority and Dead Island just refuses to cooperate.
Keep Chopping Away at the Multiplayer Problem
Dead Island Definitive Edition is a blast of a zombie game, but temperamental multiplayer can put a damper on playing with friends. With patience and methodically trying the troubleshooting tips in this guide, you should hopefully be able to chop down whatever issues are plaguing your co-op connections.
Multiplayer problems can be frustrating, but take it step by step. Before you know it, you and your crew will be slaying zombie hordes together on the beaches of Dead Island!
