Elden Ring multiplayer details: Co-op, PvP and crossplay explained

That's where co-op comes in.

While they do level up against more than one of you, it is still a welcoming idea that you can rope a friend into jumping in and helping you on your quest.

Co-op's in, nice, but what about crossplay? Is there any kind of PvP mode?

We're here to let you know all the answers to all these questions. Read on to have Elden Ring multiplayer, co-op, PvP and crossplay features explained.

Elden Ring multiplayer details

Does Elden Ring have multiplayer? Yes it does, much like the Dark Souls games that FromSoftware made before. How does Elden Ring multiplayer work? Read on to find out!

These are the main Elden Ring multiplayer details you need to know: the game has an online co-op experience where you can team up with other players against powerful enemies (PvE), and it also has an online player-versus-player experience (PvP), but the game does not feature any local/offline types of multiplayer gameplay.

You will unlock the ability to access Elden Ring's online multiplayer very early on in the game (as soon as you've finished the brief tutorial, basically). Assuming you're online and connected to the game's server, you should be able to select 'Multiplayer' from the in-game menu and pick from a range of options. You'll need items to unlock certain multiplayer methods, though.

How does Elden Ring co-op work?

The co-op side of Elden Ring allows you to summon other players into your game using summoning signs, similar to what you might have experienced in the Dark Souls series. In Elden Ring, you can assemble teams of up to three players. A fourth player can join, but they won't be friendly.

You can summon players into your game using an item known as the Furlcalling Finger Remedy. When you use this item in the multiplayer menu, you'll see summoning signs on the floor – these represent other players who are willing to connect with you online.

If you would like to enter another player's world yourself, you'll need to use the Tarnished Furled Finger item. When you select this from the multiplayer menu, your own summoning sign will be placed on the floor, and a player that uses a Furlcalling Finger Remedy in their own game should see that you're ready and willing to jump in.

If it's worked correctly, you will see a note on the screen if you're about to be summoned into another player's game — this is a great way to get the lay of the land and see what's ahead, without the risk of losing all your own runes.

Note: if you want to attempt a specific boss fight in a multiplayer way, there are little statuettes located near boss arenas, and you need to interact with them to turn them on. If you've done this right, you will see a note on the screen telling you that the 'summoning pool' is open for business. You should now be able to see any and all summoning signs that have been placed in the area recently.

It is also possible to password-protect your game, so you can only be summoned by your mates instead of random strangers. This option can be found in the multiplayer tab of the pause menu. Select 'Multiplayer Password' and you can enter any word you like. Get your mates to enter the same password, and you should then be able to spot each other's summoning signs instead of anyone else's.

You might need co-op help in Elden Ring's boss battles.

There was a seamless co-op mod, too, which has stopped working since the release of Shadow of the Erdtree. Fingers crossed the modding scene gets it back up and running once more.

How does Elden Ring PvP work?

The PvP side of Elden Ring allows you to turn on your fellow players, instead of helping them, and there are two items that let you do this.

The Duelist's Furled Finger item allows you to leave a red sign on the floor that other plays can see. You've basically offered to take part in a PvP duel, and any other player could take you up on the offer of a fight to the death.

Or you could use the Bloody Finger, which will allow you to pick a player whose game you want to invade. When you do this, you're basically picking on someone and heading into their game unannounced to try and kill them. What fun.

Elden Ring Colosseum

You can take part in PvP Colosseum battles, too, with one-versus-one, free-for-alls, and team fights with up to six players all included.

Elden Ring multiplayer items and where to find them

Just to recap what all those Elden Ring multiplayer items are for, and where you can find them, here's a quick list! Once you've got these items, you should be able to spot them in the game's multiplayer menu (which is found on the pause menu).

Furlcalling Finger Remedy:

• What does it do? Reveals summoning signs that other players have placed, allowing you to summon one of those players into your game.
• Where do you get it? You can get the Furlcalling Finger Remedy by crafting it with two Erdleaf Flowers — you'll need the Crafting Kit, which you can buy from Merchant Kale at the Church of Elleh.

Tarnished Furled Finger:

• What does it do? Lets you place a gold summoning sign, so another player can pull you into their game for co-op.
• Where do you get it? The Tarnished Furled Finger is found on a skeleton in the cave where you start the game.

Duelist's Furled Finger:

• What does it do? Places a red summoning sign on the floor, challenging other players to PvP duels.
• Where do you get it? You get the Duelist's Furled Finger by pillaging it from a burnt corpse, to the north-east of the Stormhill Shack Site of Grace in Limgrave.

Bloody Finger:

• What does it do? Allows you to pick a vulnerable player whose game you'd like to invade for PvP plundering.
• Where do you get it? In Liurnia of the Lakes (the area north-east of Limgrave), head to Rose Church and complete a series of invasions for an NPC named White-Faced Varre. Completing this quest chain will get you a Bloody Finger to keep forever.

Is Elden Ring cross-platform?

Elden Ring does not have full cross-platform support - if you're playing on PlayStation, you won't be able to link up with players on Xbox or PC, and vice versa. Bad luck if you wanted a friend on another platform to help you beat a big bad boss.

However, Elden Ring does offer cross-gen support. This means that you can link up with pals that are in the same family of consoles, even if you haven't all upgraded to the latest generation of machine.

For example, PS4 and PS5 players can play the game together. Or if you're on Xbox One, you'll be able to play with people that have Xbox Series X or S.

Crossplay has not been added with the release of Shadow of the Erdtree, either.

All in all, then, there are plentiful options when it comes to Elden Ring multiplayer. Certainly, we'll need some co-op help if we're ever going to finish Elden Ring!

Read more on Elden Ring:

• Elden Ring review - our final verdict
• Elden Ring multiplayer - how does it work?
• Elden Ring PC requirements - minimum & recommended specs
• Elden Ring classes - what's the best starter?
• Elden Ring demo - network test recap
• Elden Ring bosses - top tips on facing them
• Elden Ring difficulty - how hard is it?
• Elden Ring length - how many hours do you need?
• Elden Ring trophies & achievements - the full list to unlock
• Elden Ring weapons - best early weapons
• Elden Ring keepsake - which starter gift to pick
• Elden Ring server status - error message explained
• Elden Ring map - everything you need to know
• Elden Ring runes - how to get rich quick
• Elden Ring smithing stones - where to find them
• Elden Ring staff - the best staffs in the game
• Elden Ring armour - where to find the best armour
• Elden Ring Ashes of War - how to get the best upgrades
• Elden Ring Ranni quest - how to find it and finish it

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