Shift At Midnight Six-Player Lobbies Update

Since the July 23, 2026 patch, a lobby creator can select a maximum of up to six players. The developer also says Shift At Midnight was designed and marketed around a maximum of three, so four-to-six-player sessions are an optional chaotic setting rather than the intended first-playthrough format.

For: July 23, 2026 Steam patch · Updated: July 28, 2026

Key takeaways

• Create a lobby and use the maximum-player selector.
• The selector now allows a value up to six.
• One to three remains the designed and marketed player range.
• The developer warns that more than three can become too chaotic and does not recommend it for a first playthrough.
• The same patch fixed an issue preventing players in Russia from creating joinable lobbies.

How to create a six-player lobby

1. Start the game on a version that includes the July 23 patch.
2. Choose to create or host a lobby.
3. Find the maximum-player setting in the lobby creation flow.
4. Select a value up to six.
5. Create the lobby and invite the other players.

The patch changes the host's maximum-player selector. It does not turn every existing lobby into a six-player session automatically.

Supported design versus selectable maximum

Use the co-op and crossplay guide for the current platform boundaries. A larger lobby does not remove the launch separation between Steam and the Microsoft ecosystem.

If the six-player option is missing

• Confirm the game has updated past the July 23 patch.
• Re-open the lobby-creation screen after the update.
• Check the latest official Steam announcements for a newer change.
• Do not use an old screenshot or launch article to infer the current selector.

This page does not repeat the temporary network-issues-patch branch steps. Those dated connection instructions remain in the co-op guide, which owns the connection-recovery intent.

Other changes in the same patch

The July 23 first-party patch also reports:

• a fix for players in Russia who could not create joinable lobbies;
• lower Marionette health;
• a louder Jack-in-the-Box cue;
• removal of the profanity filter; and
• other minor fixes.

The announcement says a later patch would aim to address crashes followed by an unresponsive cursor or buttons. That is a plan, not a confirmed recovery method, so this page does not invent one.

Quick answers

Can Shift At Midnight have six players?

The July 23 patch lets a lobby creator select a maximum of up to six.

Is six-player the intended game balance?

No. The developer says the game was designed and marketed for a maximum of three and warns that larger groups may be too chaotic.

Does six-player mean full crossplay is available?

No. Lobby capacity and platform compatibility are separate. Check the co-op guide before inviting players from another storefront or platform.