All hands on deck, crew! Your submarine is about to get a little more crowded. Here at Abylight Barcelona, we’re excited to announce that S.O.N.A.R. – Submarine Operators Not Actually Ready is increasing its crew limit to six players per submarine. You asked for more room to play with friends, and we’ve been listening. Whether your group prefers coordinated teamwork or enthusiastic button pressing, there will soon be space for two more crew members to join the underwater chaos.
For anyone looking for a six player coop game on Steam, this update means more friends can share the same submarine adventure. The expanded player limit supports crews of one to six players in the cooperative campaign and Open World Survival mode. Gather your regular gaming group, invite the friends who previously had to sit out, and decide who gets which station. Just remember: having more people aboard doesn’t automatically mean anyone knows what they’re doing.
A submarine needs teamwork to survive, and a larger crew gives your group more hands to tackle the jobs that keep it running. Someone needs to operate the sonar, someone needs to steer, and someone should probably investigate that suspicious sound coming from the next compartment. When damage starts piling up, those extra friends could make all the difference. Of course, they could also be the reason you need repairs in the first place.
That balance between cooperation and confusion is at the heart of S.O.N.A.R. Our multiplayer submarine simulator puts friends together in a shared vessel where communication matters and mistakes can quickly become everyone’s problem. Expanding the crew size gives more players a chance to experience those moments together: the successful manoeuvre, the urgent repair, the narrowly avoided disaster, and the lengthy discussion about whose fault it all was. Every crew will have its own version of events.
In the cooperative campaign, the increased capacity means you can bring up to five friends along for the mission. Share responsibilities, coordinate your actions, and work together as you take your submarine into dangerous waters. Bigger groups have more people available to help, but clear communication remains essential. Six voices talking at once might feel productive until you realise nobody heard the warning. Pick your roles, keep each other informed, and try to save the celebrations until the immediate danger has passed.
The same one-to-six-player support extends to Open World Survival mode. If your group prefers exploring and surviving together, you can bring the whole crew aboard for that experience too. More friends means more people to share the adventure, handle responsibilities, and react when a situation starts going wrong. Whether you approach each challenge with a careful plan or figure things out as you go, your submarine now has room for a larger team.
Bigger crews also mean bigger submarine battles. S.O.N.A.R.’s Team Deathmatch mode is expanding to six versus six, bringing the maximum match size to twelve players across two submarines. Each vessel can have its own six person crew, turning the encounter into a contest between teams that must manage their own boat while fighting the opposition. Expect more teamwork, more torpedoes, and plenty of urgent conversations about what the other submarine is doing.
The increased player limit is coming to the free S.O.N.A.R. demo on October 22. If you’ve already played with a smaller group, this is a great reason to return and invite more friends to try the submarine together. If you’re discovering the game for the first time during Steam Next Fest, welcome aboard! Round up your crew and see how well your friendships hold up when everyone has an opinion about which button to press.
This change comes directly from community feedback. We heard from players who wanted to bring more friends into the same submarine, and we hope the expanded limit makes organising your next coop session easier. Thank you to everyone who played, shared their experiences, and told us what they wanted from S.O.N.A.R. Your suggestions help us understand how people enjoy the game together and where we can improve that experience.
A quick note for solo captains: the smaller submarine designed for solo players will arrive later. This announcement focuses on increasing the crew limit, so please keep that separate from the upcoming smaller vessel. We know different players want different ways to enjoy the deep blue, and we appreciate your patience while we continue working.
Ready to assemble your crew? Wishlist S.O.N.A.R. – Submarine Operators Not Actually Ready on Steam , try the free demo during Steam Next Fest, and recommend it to your friends. Come back on October 22 to try the increased player limit and bring more of your group aboard. There’s room for six now, so start deciding who you trust with the controls. See you in the deep blue!
