REANIMAL’s Patch 1.5 Is Live in a Steam Beta — but There’s a Big Multiplayer Catch

Why REANIMAL’s Steam beta matters right now

Tarsier Studios has pushed patch 1.5 for REANIMAL into a Steam beta branch while the console builds finish certification – and that split release is the whole story. The beta gives Steam players immediate access to fixes for several progression softlocks and an AMD-related crash workaround, but it comes with hard limits: no crossplay with consoles or users on the default Steam build, and Friend’s Pass co-op is disabled on the beta. If you care about stability and unbroken runs, the beta is tempting; if you need to play across platforms or use the free Friend’s Pass to bring in a buddy, you should probably wait until next week’s full rollout.

• Immediate fixes: softlock and AMD crash fixes are available now on Steam dev branch.
• Multiplayer limitations: crossplay and Friend’s Pass don’t work on the beta; both players must own REANIMAL on Steam and opt into the beta to play together.
• Save warning: the beta can read default-branch saves, but progress made on the beta may be lost if you return to the default build.
• Full rollout: the final 1.5 will be pushed to all platforms next week once certification completes.

What’s in the beta – the fixes you actually get

The studio published the core fixes in the beta patch notes. The highlights are concrete and very player-facing: several progression softlocks across the late game (Opera House tank sequence, Forest Village triggers, the Bunker puzzle, the Barn and Orphanage rooms) are targeted, plus a partial fix for a black screen that could occur transitioning to the final Sheep Beast scene. There’s also an AMD workaround aimed at crashes tied to specific GPU/driver setups.

• Opera House (Tank Section): blocking volumes fixed so reloading won’t brick progression.
• Tank → Final Sheep Beast: black screen transition fixed (partial; rare cases may persist).
• Forest Village, Bunker Puzzle, Barn (single-player), Orphanage: multiple softlocks addressed so players are less likely to get stuck.
• AMD Stability: implemented a workaround to stop crashes on certain AMD hardware/driver combinations.

The multiplayer and save trade-offs – spelled out

The beta is explicitly restrictive. Multiplayer in the dev branch only works if both players own REANIMAL on Steam and both opt into the beta. That means any Steam player on the beta cannot join anyone on consoles, Epic, GOG, or even a Steam friend who stayed on the default branch. The Friend’s Pass — the free join option Tarsier and publisher THQ Nordic promoted at launch — is disabled on the beta, which matters because that feature is a big part of the game’s coop hook.

Save compatibility is asymmetric: the beta will read your default-branch save so you can pick up where you left off, but any progress you make on the beta may not transfer back to the default branch. Practically, that means beta play is fine for troubleshooting and short runs, but you shouldn’t treat the dev branch as a place to advance a long-term shared save unless everyone in your group is using the beta.

Who should opt into the beta (and who should wait)

This beta is for two clear groups. First: single players or Steam-only co-op partners who are running into the specific softlocks or AMD crashes listed — they’ll benefit immediately. Second: players who want to verify fixes and provide feedback to the devs ahead of the wide rollout. The beta is not for anyone relying on crossplay, console co-op, or Friend’s Pass pickup games; those players should wait for the full 1.5 push next week.

Given early reviews praised REANIMAL’s atmosphere and co-op focus, while also calling out occasional bugs and online lag, these fixes are welcome. Sources in our background pack noted the Friend’s Pass is a major selling point at launch, so disabling it even temporarily is a real inconvenience for players who bought the game to bring friends in for free.

How to opt into the Steam beta

• Close REANIMAL if it’s running.
• In Steam, right‑click the game in your library and select Properties.
• Go to Game versions or Betas and choose the “beta” option from the dropdown.
• Let Steam update your client to the dev branch and then launch.

Why the staggered rollout makes sense (and why it’s annoying)

Consoles are waiting on certification, a common bottleneck that prevents simultaneous pushes. Opening a Steam beta is a pragmatic compromise: it gets fixes into hands fast while the console pipeline clears. It’s the right move for minimizing player frustration from hard softlocks, but it’s also messy because REANIMAL’s co-op identity depends on easy crossplay and Friend’s Pass accessibility. Tarsier gave Steam users fast relief at the cost of splitting the player base for a few days.

TL;DR

Patch 1.5 is available now on a Steam beta branch to fix progression softlocks and some AMD crashes. The trade-off: no crossplay, no Friend’s Pass, and possible loss of beta progress if you return to the default build. If you’re stuck on a bug listed in the notes or you only play on Steam, opt in; if you rely on cross-platform co-op or friend invites, wait for the full rollout next week.