Elden Ring co-op lets you bring up to two friends into your world, so you can explore as a group of three. You need two items, a shared password and the same platform, because the game has no crossplay between PC, PlayStation and Xbox. Below you’ll find the step-by-step setup, what changes during co-op, how invasions work and what the community Seamless Co-op mod is. Everything here applies as of 20 October 2026 and patch 1.17.
How multiplayer works in Elden Ring
According to Bandai Namco’s official guide, the game has three forms of multiplayer: co-op, PvP (invasions and duels) and rescue, where you take on the role of a hunter. You can have at most two co-op guests in your world, so you play in a group of up to three. A single session holds up to four players in total, and that number includes invaders.
The player who summons the others is the host. It’s the host’s world you play in and the host’s progress that counts, while the guests help out.
What you need before you start
- An internet connection. On console you also need a subscription: PS Plus on PlayStation, and Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate on Xbox.
- The latest update. Online play requires the current version, which is patch 1.17 as of 20 October 2026.
- Furlcalling Finger Remedy for the host. You find it in the world, get it as a multiplayer reward, and craft it with the Crafting Kit sold by the merchant Kalé in Church of Elleh.
- Tarnished’s Furled Finger for the player joining. This is the item that places your golden summon sign.
- The same platform. PC plays with PC, PlayStation with PlayStation, Xbox with Xbox.
If you’re not sure where Church of Elleh is or how to find your feet in the first hours, start with our beginner’s guide.
How to play with a friend, step by step
- Both of you set the same Multiplayer Password in the game settings. It’s case-sensitive.
- Head to the same area, ideally the same Site of Grace.
- Your friend uses Tarnished’s Furled Finger to place a golden sign on the ground.
- The host uses Furlcalling Finger Remedy to make the sign visible.
- The host walks up to the sign and summons the friend into their world.
- Repeat the process for a second friend.
To send someone back out of your game, use the Finger Severer. If you want to join your friend’s world instead, just swap roles: they host, you place the sign.
Friend passwords and Group Passwords
When you and your friends use the same password, you’ll only see each other’s signs and strangers won’t show up in the mix. The password has to match exactly, including upper and lower case.
One catch: a password doesn’t protect you from invasions. When you summon a friend, a random invader can still break into your world.
On top of the regular password there are Group Passwords. According to GameSpot, you can set up to five. A Group Password prioritises players who share it, both as co-op guests and as invaders. It’s handy for a community or a regular group that mostly wants to run into each other.
What changes in co-op
Playing with guests comes with a few rules worth knowing in advance:
- The host can’t ride Torrent or fast travel while guests are in the world.
- The host and the guests get half of their flasks (rounded down). If you carry three Flasks of Crimson Tears, you only have one in co-op.
- You can’t summon Spirit Ashes during multiplayer.
- The session ends when the area boss or mini-boss falls, when the host dies, or when the host removes a guest with the Finger Severer.
So co-op in the base game isn’t a free roam of the open world. It works best for a specific stretch or boss, and after the fight you summon your friend again.
Summoning Pools: help from random players
Near tough enemies and bosses you’ll often find a small stone crucifix. That’s a Summoning Pool, a spot where players leave their signs. With a Small Golden Effigy you offer yourself for co-op, with a Small Red Effigy for a duel.
Use Furlcalling Finger Remedy near one of these and you’ll see random players’ signs, so you can summon someone to help. Helping out pays off too: a helper earns runes, a Rune Arc and a Furlcalling Finger Remedy when they and the host defeat a boss or an invader.
Invasions: what to expect
When you’re online and playing with guests, another player can invade you. Because a session holds four players, an invader can end up facing the host and two guests at once. A friend password won’t stop invasions, so expect someone to drop into your game uninvited.
Does Elden Ring have crossplay?
No. PC, PlayStation and Xbox don’t play together, and FromSoftware has never announced crossplay. Only cross-generation play within one console family works: PS4 with PS5, and Xbox One with Xbox Series X|S. A friend on PS5 can play with you on PS4, but not with you on PC.
The same goes for the standalone game Nightreign, which was built for three-player co-op from the start. It has no crossplay either, as explained in our Nightreign guide.
Seamless Co-op: a community mod for PC
On PC there’s a mod called Seamless Co-op, made by LukeYui. It lets you play through the whole game with friends without interruptions, including riding Torrent. The mod isn’t official, though, and it comes with trade-offs:
- It runs through its own launcher without Easy Anti-Cheat and uses its own save files.
- It doesn’t connect you with regular players or invasions, so you play separately from the official servers.
- With Easy Anti-Cheat turned off, the official online features don’t work.
- If you go into regular online play with a modified character, you risk a ban. Both PC Gamer and GamesRadar+ warn about this.
You won’t find installation steps here. Why modding and online play don’t mix is explained in our article on cheats and bans. There are no mods on consoles.
Co-op on Nintendo Switch 2
The Tarnished Edition for Switch 2 has online play as well. In its official starter guide for this version, Bandai Namco says that once you’re connected to the internet you can read other players’ messages and adventure with friends or with players you’ve never met.
Join our Discord to find co-op partners and invasion buddies on your platform. Here’s the invite: GamersTogether Discord.
FAQ
You can bring up to two guests into your world, so you play as a group of up to three. A single session holds four players in total if you count an invader.
Set the same password, go to the same Site of Grace, have your friend place a sign with Tarnished’s Furled Finger, then use Furlcalling Finger Remedy to see the sign and summon them.
No. PC, PlayStation and Xbox don’t play together. Only cross-generation play works, meaning PS4 with PS5 and Xbox One with Xbox Series X|S.
No. A password only makes sure you see your friends’ signs. A random invader can still break into your world.
No. While guests are in your world, you can’t summon Torrent or fast travel. Playing the whole game together with your horse is only possible with the unofficial Seamless Co-op mod for PC, which runs outside the official servers.
Information verified on 20 October 2026. More guides are waiting in our Elden Ring guides.