No Rest for the Wicked Co-Op Has Friendly Fire for a Very Specific Reason

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Including friendly fire – the ability to accidentally hit your teammates – often draws criticism in video games, particularly those designed for cooperative play. Many players see it as frustrating or a relic of older game designs that modern games tend to avoid. This is exactly what happened with the game No Rest for the Wicked. According to the game’s CEO, Thomas Mahler, players immediately reacted negatively to the decision to include friendly fire. However, like other controversial choices in No Rest for the Wicked, it was a deliberate design decision, and the developers aren’t backing down.

Playing the new co-op update for No Rest for the Wicked with both Mahler and game designer Kevin Jordan recently highlighted how well the game’s friendly fire system fits its overall design. Wicked focuses on deliberate combat, understanding your surroundings, and teamwork – elements that many modern action RPGs sacrifice for faster, easier gameplay. In co-op mode, this extends to how players interact with each other, forcing everyone to be mindful of where they’re attacking. During our time playing with the developers, they shared with TopMob why friendly fire is so important to achieving their vision for the game.

No Rest for the Wicked Is Designed to Punish Carelessness—And That Includes Friendly Fire

I honestly had no idea friendly fire existed in No Rest for the Wicked until I played with Mahler and Jordan. They didn’t tell me—I figured it out when Mahler accidentally hit me with a ranged attack and apologized. That’s when I started to worry I might have been accidentally hurting them the whole time, and I’ve been second-guessing myself ever since. I still don’t know for sure, but I suspect they both realized it was happening.

So, I was getting hit by spells in No Rest for the Wicked, and the developer, Mahler, jokingly called it ‘friendly fire.’ He wasn’t kidding, though – it’s a real issue! I checked the game’s forums and Steam community, and a lot of players were frustrated, saying it’s way too easy to accidentally hit your teammates and that it’s a really annoying mechanic. But surprisingly, tons of other players are defending it! They get why it’s there, and Mahler confirmed they’re right – the friendly fire is intentional and part of what makes the game work.

We really want players to think strategically and avoid just rapidly pressing buttons. Mindless attacks will leave you vulnerable. We aimed for a very different approach with No Rest for the Wicked. I’ve always felt Diablo 3 didn’t quite live up to the potential after Diablo 2. I haven’t seen a lot of innovation in games like Diablo 3, Diablo 4, or Path of Exile 2. The genre has so much room for bold new ideas, but it feels like few risks have been taken.

No Rest for the Wicked is a remarkably daring game, and would be a strong contender for any award recognizing risk-taking in the action RPG genre. While the game’s ‘friendly fire’ feature has proven divisive, it’s just one example of how Wicked distinguishes itself from established titles like Diablo and Path of Exile. According to its creator, those games haven’t pushed the genre forward due to a reluctance to try new things.

A key part of No Rest for the Wicked‘s co-op design is ‘friendly fire,’ and it’s intentional. Moon Studios didn’t want players simply sharing the same space while playing solo; they wanted real interaction, awareness, and even a bit of tension. As designer Kevin Jordan put it, the goal was a truly social experience, where players aren’t just doing their own thing. Friendly fire achieves this in combat by making players think about both enemies and their teammates.

It’s become very clear that the developers of No Rest for the Wicked are intentionally making a game that’s different from typical action RPGs like Diablo and Path of Exile. They aren’t trying to say their approach is better, or that fans of those other games are wrong – they simply want to try new things and push the genre in a different direction. A good example of this is the inclusion of friendly fire, which might annoy players used to cooperative games being completely safe. But this feature, and others like it, demonstrate the team’s commitment to innovation and taking risks, rather than sticking to what’s been done before. As the developer explained:

As a longtime fan of action RPGs, I’ve been thinking a lot about combat systems lately. While I love what Diablo and Path of Exile do with point-and-click, I honestly believe we’re ready for something more immersive. Having worked on No Rest for the Wicked, I’m naturally a bit biased, but I truly think the future lies in combat where you directly control your character. It’s about more than just clicking; it’s about skillful movement, smart positioning, and precise timing. To me, that feels like the natural evolution of the genre.

As someone new to No Rest for the Wicked, I didn’t mind getting hit by my teammates – it’s just an inherent part of the gameplay. Playing with others, like Mahler and Jordan, quickly showed me that the game isn’t designed to shield you from errors or allow reckless attacks. It demands focus and awareness of your surroundings. Friendly fire consistently reminds you of this, whether you appreciate it or not. It might not appeal to all players, but it perfectly complements the design of Wicked, and honestly, after playing for a while, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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2026-02-06 14:06