Editorial: Moon Studios Hits 1 Million Sales as "Together" Update Solves the Co-op Puzzle

Moon Studios just hit the 1 million sales milestone for No Rest for the Wicked, proving that their pivot from 2D platformers to high-stakes ARPGs was the right call despite a rocky Early Access launch. But the real news for veterans of the Realm is the January 22nd "Together" update. We believe this isn't just a standard content patch; it’s a fundamental rework of the game’s social loop that addresses the biggest friction point in the current build: the isolation of the endgame grind.

Friction-Free Co-op: The End of the "Host-Tether"

Our analysis of the "Together" update reveals a massive QoL shift in how Moon Studios handles multiplayer. Unlike traditional Soulslikes that rely on clunky summoning signs or ARPGs that tether you to a host’s session, Wicked is moving toward a persistent Realm model. Up to four players can share a world without a specific host being online.

This is a game-changer for groups who want to min-max their builds at different times of day. You can hop in, farm resources, or upgrade the town's housing while your party members are offline, and the progress stays put. This effectively turns the game into a "lite" private server experience, removing the headache of coordinating schedules just to make a dent in the campaign.

Scaling the "Soulslike" Challenge

The biggest risk with co-op in any game featuring "meaty" combat is trivializing the encounter design. We’ve seen it happen in Elden Ring and Lords of the Fallen—bring a friend, and the boss AI simply breaks. Moon Studios claims they’ve reworked enemy AI to "react naturally (and desperately)" when outnumbered.

What this means for the meta:

• Crowd Control is King: With enemies reacting to being cornered, builds focusing on stagger and AOE will likely become the backbone of any 4-man squad.
• New Enemy Placements: The "hand-picked" enemy locations suggest that veterans can't rely on muscle memory. Expect ganks and traps designed specifically to punish over-confident groups.
• Social Stability: The addition of a voting system for world changes is a necessary guardrail to prevent "chaos" (griefing) in shared Realms.

The Verdict on 1 Million Sales

Hitting 1 million sales with a 79% positive rating shows that the core "weighty" combat loop has successfully found its audience. While the launch was plagued by performance complaints, the fact that the game maintains Proton Platinum and Steam Deck Verified status has been its saving grace for the handheld community.

Our take? This update is the "make or break" moment for the game's longevity. If the persistent Realms work without desync issues, No Rest for the Wicked will move from a niche Soulslike experiment into a top-tier ARPG contender. We’ll be on the ground on January 22nd to see if the netcode can actually handle the heat.