'Elden Ring': How To Play Co-Op With Friends

There’s no better way to beat the many difficult challenges in “Elden Ring” than with the help of a friend or two. Just like the older “Souls” games, “Elden Ring” has a co-op mode that blends seamlessly with the normal online singleplayer experience, allowing players to summon friends or strangers if they find themselves in a bind.

Multiplayer in “Souls”-like games works differently than other modern titles. Instead of having a separate menu to find lobbies or matchmake with others, players will need to use in-game items to connect their world to others.

Hosting and Joining Sessions

To host a co-op session, players need to make use of golden Summon Signs. They are used by a host player to call in other players to their world as friendly phantoms. The host needs to consume one Furlcalling Finger Remedy before they can see and interact with the signs.

To host a co-op session with friends only, players have to set a password by going to the Multiplayer menu on the Options screen. Only those who have the same password will be able to see each other’s signs, essentially creating a private multiplayer lobby.

To join someone else’s game, use the Tarnished’s Furled Finger item to place a Summon Sign at a location. Other people will then be able to use the sign and bring the player in as a phantom in their world.

Co-Op Limitations

Once co-op is engaged, players will not be able to use their Spectral Steed. This means that co-op is best used to explore dungeons or fight bosses instead of exploring the map. In addition, players won’t be able to enter dungeons if they are summoned in the open world.

Golden phantoms have a few limitations. For one, they won’t be able to loot anything from the host’s world. They also have less maximum HP and fewer flask charges available. Lastly, friendly cooperators will have their overall level scaled down to match the host. Non-passworded games will always try to match players with those of similar levels, while private lobbies will always scale a cooperator’s level down if they are significantly stronger than the host.