It’s strange to be talking about Torchlight 2 again, but I quite enjoy the feeling. The classic ARPG still holds up amongst the likes of Titan Quest and Grim Dawn as a more standalone adventure in a world of live-service action RPGs. In recent times, it’s been getting some fresh polish from current owner and Torchlight Infinite studio XD, although the majority of these improvements are on a new, optional branch so as not to force them on old players. The one thing that did change was its multiplayer integration, and now it’s shifted again.
In September, XD migrated the Torchlight 2 online multiplayer servers to use its own service, TapTap.io. This required anyone taking part in online co-op to register an account there, and then sign in using it while playing. As part of the transition, it also gave Steam keys to any players who were previously using the old version of TL2 on the Arc Games website.
The new setup quickly ran into issues, however. XD acknowledged that users were encountering issues either registering for a TapTap account or logging in with it. In order to resolve the problem, it made the decision to revert to Steam accounts for multiplayer co-op. This was first implemented with the start of the new beta branch in October, but it’s now been brought across to the live game.
The Torchlight 2 multiplayer update is live now for all versions. This means you will no longer need to register or use a TapTap.io account in order to access online multiplayer. If you were previously doing so, you’ll need to re-add any friends via Steam, as they won’t be synced between the two services.
XD adds that this is the only change being brought to the main branch, and the update “does not change any other game content or multiplayer services.” Single-player and local saves should also be unaffected. Should you run into any issues, it points to its recent guide to beta diagnostics and feedback to help the developer implement fixes.
The additional Torchlight 2 quality-of-life update continues to be worked on alongside this. It’s an optional way to play, accessed via the beta branch, with some further modernization and optimization such as controller support, new render scale and anti-alias settings, faster load times, and fewer crashes. Should you wish to take part, you can switch over via the game’s properties menu by right-clicking it in your Steam library. Make sure to back your saves up before doing so, just to be on the safe side.