Elden Ring Multiplayer & Co-Op Guide

Image: FromSoftware Inc, Bandai Namco Entertainment via HGG / Koby Gibson Ross

Human Made

My name is Gibson Vasela. I am a freelance writer who has been playing video games for almost 20 years now. I play all kinds of games, but I especially love immersive sims and RPGs.

Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

Elden Ring is one of the best action RPGs released in years. Its open world is beautiful and expansive, and its combat is satisfying and challenging. Additionally, there’s Elden Ring multiplayer online elements for even more ways to play the game, be it with friends or with strangers.

But just how exactly does the online components work? How do you start multiplayer? What are all of the different ways you can play online with other people? We’ll be covering all of this information and more in this article about how multiplayer and co-op works in Elden Ring.

How Elden Ring Multiplayer & Co-op Works

Let’s get right into the guide!

Summon Signs & Furlcalling Finger Remedies

Let’s kick things off by explaining exactly how you can get started in multiplayer. If you open your menu, you’ll see a list of options, including equipment selection and stats. Scroll down far enough and you’ll see an option titled “Multiplayer.” Select this, and you’ll go to a menu that looks like an inventory with different items inside.

This is how you access Elden Ring’s various multiplayer functions. The system is based around something called “summon signs.” These are interactable objects that can be used to call another player to join your session. These signs are naturally invisible, and can only be seen using Furlcalling Finger Remedies, a consumable item that will reveal nearby signs when used by the player.

There are two basic types of summon signs — gold for cooperative multiplayer, and red for competitive multiplayer. You can place down these at your feet from the multiplayer menu. They will then appear in another player’s world and can be activated by them to summon you to their game.

Effigies & Joining a Game

Also in the multiplayer menu, there are items called Effigies, with both a gold and red one. When used, they automatically place your respective summon sign at all of the nearby Summoning Pools you have interacted with, which allows other players to invite you to their game.

Summoning Pools are small statues found around the land, typically near boss fights. Activating them unlocks that Summoning Pool as a place you can potentially travel to when using one of the two Effigies mentioned earlier. Players who use their Finger Remedies near these statues have a chance of seeing your summon sign appear if you’re trying to join another player’s game.

Another way you can join a game is by using a Festering Bloody Finger. This is another consumable item from the multiplayer menu that will put you in a competitive game mode called “Invasions.”

Elden Ring Multiplayer: Online Modes & Options

Now that we’ve given a brief overview, let’s cover how multiplayer and co-op works in Elden Ring by discussing all the different things you can do online.

First up is competitive multiplayer. While you’re playing cooperatively with another player outside of a boss fight, you have a chance to be invaded by a random player. The invader’s goal is to kill the host of the game, who in turn must defend themselves. The invader will not be attacked by any of the NPC enemies in the game, but the NPCs will still attack the host and their cooperative partner.

Next is something called duels, which is a 1v1 deathmatch. You can get started by either finding and activating a red summoning sign, or by placing your own and waiting for it to be used by another player. The most popular location to find red summon signs for PVP is at the Raya Lucaria Academy in the Liurnia of the Lakes region, specifically at the front gate (see image above).

You can also join up with other players to fight difficult bosses. If you use your Furlcalling Finger Remedy near a summoning pool, there’s a chance a gold cooperative summoning sign will be there. If you’re interested in helping another player fight a boss, you can use the gold Effigy I mentioned earlier. It will always send you to a boss located in the region you are currently standing in.

Join the High Ground!

We hope you enjoyed this article explaining how multiplayer and co-op works in Elden Ring! Do you have any questions? Let us know down below, and make sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter for more content. We offer more guides on all your favorite games, including more Elden Ring.

Happy gaming!

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