Elden Ring Nightreignis designed primarily around multiplayer, but matchmaking and playing with friends still isn’t as straightforward as many other games.Nightreignis designed for teams of three, and rather than the summons and invasions that have defined FromSoftware action RPG multiplayer sinceDemon’s Soulsin 2009, the spin-off takes a more traditional approach to session-based co-op. There’s no PvP at all, in fact, since opposing players cannot enter a game, andNightreignis intended to be a fast-paced PvE experience.
Since the idiosyncratic matchmaking was first laid down inDemon’s Souls, FromSoftware games have had obtusemultiplayer mechanics, which many would argue are needlessly so. Specific items are usually required to engage in multiplayer in various ways, whether that be PvP, co-op, or more specific avenues of both via certain covenants in theDark Soulstrilogy.Elden Ringcontinued that tradition with mixed results due to its novel open-world nature, butElden Ring Nightreignhas drifted toward a more commonplace matchmaking system, even if it’s not entirely straightforward.
How To Matchmake In Elden Ring Nightreign
Use The Table Of Lost Grace
Like many modern multiplayer games,Elden Ring Nightreignmakes use of a hub area which acts as a sort of explorable menu. Like a Helldiver’s Super Destroyer or the Space Rig inDeep Rock Galactic, most ofNightreign’s functions can be found by interacting with certain things in the Roundtable Hold, though it does have a different appearance than that found inElden Ring. To start matchmaking,all you have to do is interact with the Table of Lost Grace. It’s the large, round table in the middle of the main room, with weapons sticking out of its surface and a bright golden aura hanging above it.
The Roundtable Hold is a great place to try out all ofNightreign’s weapons. Head out into the courtyard and look for training dummies; equipment can be changed nearby.
Interacting with the Table of Lost Grace brings up a matchmaking menu from which there are a few different options. In order to start a game,select a Target, then choose to start matchmaking. The Target is essentially the run’s final boss, should you make it all the way through to the third day. InNightreign’s Closed Network Test, there is only one Target to choose from; in the full game, there will be many more options, conceivably more difficult as players progress through the game.
How To Play Elden Ring Nightreign With Friends
Set A Matchmaking Password
DespiteElden Ring Nightreignhaving a matchmaking menu, a big quality-of-life step overElden Ring, there still isn’t a way to invite your friends to a session. You’ll have to coordinate with your squad andset a matchmaking password, the option for which can be found in the same menu when interacting with the Table of Lost Grace. What this does is essentially limit your matchmaking pool, making it so you’ll only connect to other players using the same password. It’s not an ideal solution, but should be effective enough.
Despite the novelty of FromSoftware’s multiplayer systems, the studio has long been criticized for how cumbersome they can be, especially of late, whenElden Ringco-op modsbecame incredibly popular on PC for their removal of the vanilla game’s limitations. Such lengths to play with friends would be understandable if crossplay were the reason, but just like its predecessor,Elden Ring Nightreignseemingly doesn’t feature cross-platform matchmaking, keeping sessions locked to console families. For instance, a PS5 player can play with someone on PS4, but not with a person using an Xbox Series X.
