Elden Ring is an RPG built on limitations. Melee combat is limited by stamina, sorcery is limited by mana, and even flasks of health potion have limited uses before they must be replenished at Sites of Grace. The limitations are built into Elden Ring by design, not just to increase difficulty but to encourage creativity. In some areas, however, it's hard not to wonder what Elden Ring would be like without its limitations. One mod seeks to do just that, removing Elden Ring's multiplayer barriers to create a seamless co-op world.
The work-in-progress mod, currently dubbed Elden Ring Seamless Coop, has been showcased in two separate videos from mod developer LukeYui. As the name implies, the mod seeks to create a seamless co-op experience that removes Elden Ring's various frustrating multiplayer limitations. The idea is that a co-op partner could join someone's game and play regularly without any interruptions to the gameplay experience or forced disconnects regardless of what happens.
LukeYui's first video showcases the basic idea behind Elden Ring Seamless Coop. It's a 17-minute video during which one player joins another with no summon symbols required. The two then fight the Tree Sentinel together, with one player dying and being able to respawn without resetting the world or boss fight. They then rejoin the fight with ease. The video also shows both players activating and using a Site of Grace together, both riding their own Torrent mount, and even entering and completing the full Castle Morne dungeon together.
In a second video, LukeYui details some other features in the mod. For example, instead of one player controlling fast travel, both players "vote" by having to select the same location before they are moved together. A section of the video is dedicated to exploring the Roundtable Hold together, with each player able to interact with NPCs separately. Another interesting feature is how death is handled in Evergaols -- or boss fights, in general. Instead of respawning, the dead player will spectate the other. Only if they both die will they respawn.
To help ensure that the new seamless co-op isn't exploited, LukeYui added a new element named Rot Essence. This is a debuff that stacks with death and can only be removed by resting at a bonfire. In other words, dying is still punished in the Elden Ring mod. Death just won't disconnect co-op partners.
The Elden Ring Seamless Coop mod is absolutely exciting. LukeYui appears to be aiming for a way for co-op partners to never be forced to disconnect or reconnect to their partner's game, but they also are working to preserve the full Elden Ring experience as part of it. When the mod eventually releases, it almost certainly requires being played disconnected from FromSoftware's servers lest they be banned, but it should provide an exciting new way to play Elden Ring for pairs of Tarnished wanting a true co-op experience.
Elden Ring is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
