11.3 GB
The superhero MMO that was switched off in 2012, running again — free, and with seven more years of content than it died with.
Last updated
City of Heroes: Homecoming is a free mmo game released under Free to play — community-run revival, officially licensed by NCSoft, no subscription and no cash shop. It runs on Windows, needs about 11.3 GB of disk space, and requires no account, payment or trial. On a computer, the fastest route is the PlayBound Launcher. On a phone or tablet, use the official store or site instead.
Choose how to install
Install with PlayBound or download from the official source without the launcher.
Windows
Register a free forum account at https://forums.homecomingservers.com, then create a game account in the Game Account Center — you cannot log in without a game account.
Windows
Press Install in PlayBound. It downloads the official Homecoming Launcher installer (hcinstall.exe) and runs it; pick an install folder (not a legacy Tequila folder).
Windows
Open the Homecoming Launcher and let it patch the full game client. The installer is small, but the client downloads through the launcher and the on-disk size grows to well over 10 GB, so leave at least 15–20 GB free.
Windows
Sign in with your game account, pick a server, and create a hero. PlayBound detects the installed launcher and lists the game in your library.
macOS
Homecoming does not officially support macOS, but the community LaunchCat launcher (linked from the Getting Started page) runs the same client. Extract the ZIP, run the Mac Installer, open Launch CoH, and wait for the client to download.
Linux
There is no official Linux build. Systems below the published minimum may have trouble starting the client; most Linux players run the Windows launcher through a compatibility layer, which is unsupported.
Recommended first-time setup and configuration steps when launching City of Heroes: Homecoming.
Spend time in the costume creator first — it is half the game. You can change your look later at a tailor.
Pick an archetype and two power sets. Read the Homecoming wiki's beginner pages before level 10; respecs are free but the early choices set your playstyle.
Join the starting zone's chat channel and ask for a team; groups form in minutes and scale to your level.
How to join and navigate multiplayer lobbies and servers in City of Heroes: Homecoming.
City of Heroes is an MMO. Everyone shares persistent servers: log in and the game's team finder, global chat and zone chat put you in a team.
PlayBound does not host these servers. Use a PlayBound party to coordinate with friends on the same server and character plan.
Minimum
Windows (32-bit: XP SP2, Vista, 7–10; 64-bit: 8.1 or 10) · low-end Intel Celeron/Pentium or AMD A/E-series CPU · 2 GB RAM on 32-bit XP, 4 GB on 32-bit Vista and later · Intel UHD Graphics or AMD Radeon HD integrated graphics · platter HDD (SATA I–II) · always-on broadband (3 Mbps symmetrical) · keyboard and mouse. VRAM and DirectX are not published. macOS runs the same client through the community LaunchCat launcher (macOS Catalina or later use the 64-bit client); it is not officially supported.
Recommended
Windows 10 (32- or 64-bit) · Intel Core i-series, AMD Ryzen or Apple Silicon · 4 GB RAM on 32-bit, 8 GB on 64-bit · Intel Xe/Iris Xe, AMD Vega/Navi or an NVIDIA GTX / AMD R5-R9/RX card from 2012–2013 onward · SATA III storage · broadband. Ultra Mode asks for Windows 10 64-bit or Windows 11, 16 GB RAM, an NVIDIA RTX / Radeon RX 5000+ / Intel Arc A700 GPU and NVMe storage. VRAM and API figures are not published.
Yes — NCSoft granted Homecoming Servers, LLC an official license to run City of Heroes in January 2024. It is not a rogue fan server.
No. It's fully playable from scratch, and Homecoming's tutorial and early content are set up for new players.
Correct — it's entirely free to play, funded by volunteer effort and donations, with no paywalled power or convenience items.
The game login is tied to a free forum account at forums.homecomingservers.com, created before your first login — a one-time step, not a recurring requirement.
Yes. City of Heroes: Homecoming supports up to 8 players. Its multiplayer runs through the game's own online service or menus, so PlayBound Connect parties and PlayBound dedicated servers are not available for it. It also supports co-op play. There is no subscription and no paid multiplayer tier.
Yes. Homecoming supports XInput gamepads and other controllers through Raw Input. Open Options > Controls > Game Controller, choose your device, and configure power bindings. Keep a keyboard and mouse available for chat and menus. PlayBound preserves your bindings rather than installing an untested layout. Source: https://wiki.homecomingservers.com/wiki/Issue_26_Page_2
The installer is small, but the launcher then downloads the full client. Expect well over 10 GB on disk; a third-party spec sheet puts it near 15 GB, and we recommend 15–20 GB free.
Minimum is a low-end Intel Celeron/Pentium or AMD A/E-series CPU, 4 GB of RAM on modern Windows and integrated graphics. Recommended is Windows 10, a modern Intel Core or Ryzen CPU, 8 GB (64-bit) and a recent integrated or discrete GPU. See the system-requirements section for Ultra Mode and platform notes.