Before the second player joins
Use an Xbox Series X|S and one controller per player. The supported local campaign limit is two people. PC players should arrange online campaign co-op instead.
This workflow follows a launch-period joining guide. It has not been tested on a console by this site.
Join the campaign
- Connect the second controller to the console.
- Sign it into the second player’s separate Xbox profile.
- Start E-Day and open Campaign.
- Have the second player follow the join prompt on the current screen.
- Check that the display splits and both players can control their own characters.
Use the button displayed by your control layout; there is no verified universal join button to substitute here. If both controllers are still attached to one profile, correct that before trying again.
If player two is signed out after resuming
Check for a game update. The October 5 patch addressed the Bilefrog-Kalona error, where a split-screen player could be signed out after suspending and resuming the game.
After updating, leave the old session, restart the game and join again with both profiles. This rebuilds the session but is not a guarantee that every account problem has the same cause.
If it still fails, record the exact error, console, game version and second profile’s sign-in state for official support.
Boundaries to keep in mind
The official online multiplayer subscription requirement should not be turned into a claim that every purely local player needs a separate subscription. Guest profiles, first launch without internet, two local plus two remote players, and local split-screen in Horde or Versus are outside this verified setup.