Resident Evil 2 Can Now Be Played in Local Co-Op Thanks to a PC Mod

Capcom’s 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2 was built as a strictly solo survival horror experience. A new PC mod changes that completely: it drops a second fully controllable character into Raccoon City, so you can finally walk the RPD hallways with someone sitting next to you on the couch.

What the mod actually does

The Local Couch Co-op mod from Nexus Mods creator Shopcreeper01 – previously known as HUNK’y Friend – doesn’t just bolt an NPC follower onto the campaign. Player 2 takes control of HUNK or one of several other characters and gets a proper independent setup:

• separate aiming, inventory and weapons
• their own pickups, HUD elements and flashlight
• the ability to be attacked like any other character
• trading supplies between both players
• reviving each other after being downed

If both characters go down at the same time, the run ends for good – so the second player is a real asset and a real liability at once. You can grab the Local Couch Co-op mod on Nexus Mods.

Modes and requirements

Right now the mod supports shared-screen and split-screen play, plus an AI companion mode if you’d rather keep playing alone but want backup. There’s also an experimental mode inspired by Pragmata, where one player handles movement while the other handles aiming and shooting.

One important caveat: the package needs the Steam PC version of the game and REFramework to run properly. Console players are out of luck here. If you want to see which platforms Capcom itself has been expanding onto, we covered the Switch 2 ports separately.

Why this changes the game’s feel

The 2019 remake drew much of its tension from forcing Leon or Claire to make uncomfortable calls on their own: conserving ammo, squeezing past a zombie instead of fighting it, or hearing Mr. X’s footsteps while already low on health. A second gun obviously makes some of those encounters easier.

On the other hand, another player is another person who can get grabbed, burn through supplies, or go down at exactly the wrong moment. Shopcreeper01 originally started the companion concept partly so his wife could get help with games that scared her, which makes the jump to full co-op feel like a natural next step.

Co-op has deep roots in the series

Cooperative play is nothing new for Resident Evil. The cult-classic Outbreak games let up to four ordinary survivors try to escape Raccoon City, Resident Evil 5 built its whole campaign around Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar, Resident Evil 6 pushed even harder into co-op action, and Revelations 2 paired its characters around complementary abilities.

What makes this mod stand out is the target. Modern Resident Evil remakes have leaned into slower, more claustrophobic survival horror, so adding a partner to RE2 feels like transplanting Resident Evil 5’s core idea into one of Capcom’s most deliberately isolating games. That comparison lands at an interesting moment, with fans still wondering whether Resident Evil 5 will ever get a remake of its own – no such project has been officially announced, and co-op would be one of the biggest design questions if Chris and Sheva’s adventure ever got the RE2 or RE4 treatment.

Where to read more

For everything else happening around the series, browse our Resident Evil news. We’ve also written about the rumored timing of Resident Evil Veronica and the platform split behind Resident Evil Requiem sales.

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