PowerWash Simulator co-op update adds multiplayer for the first time

PowerWash Simulator just enabled online co-op for the first time, letting you clean the hell out of grimy stuff with up to five of your friends.

The new update to the surprise hit Steam Early Access game went live today, enabling two-player co-op for the standard Career Mode and six-player co-op for Free Play. To invite a pal in to help with your career as a cleaner, all you need to do is start a job and enable hosting via the toggle in the top left corner of the tablet menu. Note that your co-op assistant won't earn any cash or other progression for their trouble, and their equipment will be limited to what you own.

Developer FuturLab says this is "just the first rollout of multiplayer" for PowerWash Simulator in early access, with future features to include voice chat, matchmaking, and a full-on PvP mode, among others. What does competitive power washing look like? Frankly, we can't wait to find out.

"Online co-op is a big step toward the vision we have for this game and is one of our most requested community features, so we can't wait to see the reaction," FuturLab creative director James Marsden said in a press release. "Co-op brings people together, allowing players to enjoy the game with their friends, in a relaxing non-competitive environment."

FuturLab is also working on a "high-intensity" spiritual successor to its cult-favorite Velocity series.

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and was formerly a staff writer at GamesRadar.