Playing with friends on Elden Ring is a blast, even though its co-op is plagued with curious details.

Elden Ring follows a lot of the Souls formula many From Software fans have experienced before.

Even though Hidetaka Miyazaki opted for an open world for his vision this time around, Elden Ring remains pretty much a Soulslike game.

This statement is true even for the online co-op features in the game. There are many peculiarities of the co-op style in Souls games that Elden Ring has inherited.

Nevertheless, Elden Ring does have a more significant emphasis on cooperation than all previous Souls titles. It also has a distinct approach towards cross-platform and crossplay support.

Elden Ring’s co-op is a unique mixture of the Souls formula with its proper tricks and gimmicks. Here we tell you all about it!

How Does Elden Ring Co-Op Work

Elden Ring has a similar style of co-op to most Souls games. You will need several key and consumable items to make it work.

These are all the types of co-op and competitive multiplayer game styles you can experience in Elden Ring.

How to Offer Help to a Friend in Elden Ring

If you want a smoother experience summoning a friend, both of you can set a Multiplayer or Group password on the Multiplayer settings of the game.

Follow these steps to offer help to a friend:

• You and your friend have to be in the same location in your respective worlds
• You have to use the Tarnished’s Furled Finger to leave a gold summon sign
• Your friend must consume a Furlcalling Finger Remedy to see your sign
• Your friend will see your mark on his world, once they select this mark on the floor, you will be summoned to their world

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How to Summon a Friend in Elden Ring

Follow these steps to summon a friend:

• You and your friend have to be in the same location in your respective worlds
• You must consume a Furlcalling Finger Remedy
• Your friend has to use the Tarnished’s Furled Finger and leave a gold summon sign
• On your world, you will see this mark on the floor, select it to summon your friend

How to Offer Help in Summoning Pools – Offer Help to Random Players

Elden Ring allows you to help random players by sending your gold sign at Summoning Pools.

Here are all the steps required to offer help in summoning pools:

• Go to the menu in Elden Ring
• Go to Multiplayer
• Use the Small Golden Effigy, this will send your gold summon sign to the nearest summoning pool

How to Request Help From Summoning Pools – Random Players

In Elden Ring, you can request help from random players at Summoning Pools.

Follow these steps to request help from a summoning pool:

• Find an Effigy and activate it, these effigys indicate the location of summoning pools and are usually located before bosses or at the beginning of dungeons
• Consume a Furlcalling Finger Remedy
• You will see a vast amount of golden signs on the summoning pool, tap any of these marks to summon a random player to your world

Read More: Can Elden Ring Be Played Offline?

How to Offer Help To Invaded Players in Elden Ring

You can offer help to random invaded players as you continue your journey in The Lands Between.

If you want to offer help to the invaded players of The Lands Between, follow these steps:

• Go to the menu in Elden Ring
• Go to Multiplayer
• Use the Blue Cipher Ring

After using the Blue Cipher Ring, you will enter a ready state to be summoned as a hunter by players who are invaded.

How to Automatically Summon Help When Invaded in Elden Ring

Long gone are the days when you had to face invasions alone! In Elden Ring, players can use an item to summon hunters when invaded automatically.

Also, if you are already tired of being invaded, here is the one way to stop invasions on Elden Ring.

Follow these steps if you want to summon random players for help when you are invaded:

• Go to the menu in Elden Ring
• Select Multiplayer
• Use the White Cipher Ring

This ring allows you to automatically send aid requests to hunters from other worlds whenever you are invaded.

Once the invasion is over, the hunters will return to their respective worlds.

How to Invade a Player in Elden Ring

Just as in all previous Souls games, Elden Ring offers competitive multiplayer.

If you want to play competitively with other players, here is how to leave a red summon sign to invade:

• Go to the menu in Elden Ring
• Select Multiplayer
• Use the Duelist’s Furled Finger

After using this item, you will leave a red summon sign that other players can see in their world and summon you for PvP combat.

How to Invade a Random Player Using Summoning Pools in Elden Ring

In Elden Ring, you can send your invasion red summon sign to the nearest summoning pool! This is great for those who want to try out PvP combat without the need to find a randomly located red sign.

To send your red summon sign to a summoning pool, follow these steps:

• Go to the menu in Elden Ring
• Select Multiplayer
• Use the Small Red Effigy

After using the Small Red Effigy, you can continue playing as usual, and the game will place your red summon sign on the nearest summoning pool.

How to Invade a Random Player in Elden Ring

You can use an item in Elden Ring to attempt invading the world of random players without the need for a red summon sign.

Follow these steps to attempt invading the world of a random player in Elden Ring:

• Go to the menu in Elden Ring
• Select Multiplayer
• Use the Bloody Finger item

After using this item, you can continue playing as usual while waiting for the matchmaking system to transport you as an invader to another world.

How To Summon Random Invaders in Elden Ring

Elden Ring allows players to summon random invaders to their worlds!

If you are eager you play a PvP match, here is how you can summon random invaders to your world:

• Go to the menu in Elden Ring
• Select Multiplayer
• Use the Taunter’s Tongue

Using the Taunter’s Tongue allows invaders to join your world without needing a red summon sign.

How to Send a Summoned Player Back to Their World in Elden Ring

You can get rid of the co-op players you have summoned to your world in Elden Ring.

To do this, follow these steps:

• Go to the menu in Elden Ring
• Select Multiplayer
• Use the Finger Severer
• Select the player you want to send back to their world
• Confirm you want to return this player

Make sure you use this item only when necessary!

The Fingerer Severer item description includes a warning: “This stone blade severs the link formed by a Furled Finger, but the maidens scorn those who revel in overuse.”

Want to pursue a mage build on Elden Ring? If so, you will need to learn what Focus Points (FP) are and how to obtain them!

How to Return to Your World While Summoned in Elden Ring

Sometimes other players summon help but stay in a single area or not move at all. If, for whatever reason, you want to return to your world after being summoned, you can do so.

Follow these steps if you need to return to your world while summoned:

• Go to the menu in Elden Ring
• Select Multiplayer
• Use the Finger Severer
• Confirm that you want to return to your world

After this, you should return to your world safe and sound.

Do not overuse this item. If you offer help, make sure you aid the summoner.

This item does include a warning: “This stone blade severs the link formed by a Furled Finger, but the maidens scorn those who revel in overuse.”

After such a long list of possibilities, these are all the co-op and multiplayer elements in Elden Ring!