Returnal Ascension brings co-op play and a new survival mode this month

Returnal update 3.0, Ascension, will add campaign co-op and a new survival mode called the Tower of Sisyphus on Tuesday, March 22.

The free update lets protagonist Selene team up with, well, herself, as she fights through the game's brutal campaign. Note that only the campaign sections will be playable with a buddy; the upcoming Tower of Sisyphus, the house story sequences, and the daily challenge levels will still be single player-only. You'll also need a PlayStation Plus subscription to play online.

The Tower of Sisyphus is described as an endless battle, but it seems to be just a really big tower with a ton of stages that have 20 floors apiece. As you'd expect, you've got to clear out all the enemies on each floor to progress, and the difficulty will steadily ratchet up as you ascend the tower. The Ascension trailer shows some new and returning enemies and bosses, so expect some fresh challenges as you channel your inner Sisyphus.

"No matter how high I climb, the challenge begins again, but I fight on through the infinite," Selene says in the trailer, seemingly teasing some new story revelations to come. "Seeking answers. Seeking ascension. My release is within this tower, and I will find it."

Returnal's previous update added a photo mode and a highly requested checkpoint-style save system. Developer Housemarque recently confirmed that Returnal 2 won't be its next game, but it is working on a new console exclusive.

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.