Better Multiplayer

Full Feature List

Duelist Event Network

True Vanilla Multiplayer

Unlike other co-op mods, Better Multiplayer preserves all vanilla multiplayer systems while improving many:

  • Summoning Signs: Use gold and red summon signs to summon cooperators and duelists.
  • Invasions: Proper invasion mechanics for Bloody Fingers and Recusants.
  • Hunters: Use “White Cipher Ring” to summon Hunters to assist you against invaders.
  • Messages: Leave messages, rate other players’ messages, and receive a heal when your messages are rated.
  • Phantoms: See other players’ phantoms moving through the world, helping the world feel active and lived-in.

This means you experience Elden Ring’s multiplayer as FromSoftware designed it, but improved:

Multiplayer Limits

  • Multiplayer limit fogwalls are disabled, allowing unrestricted exploration and progression during multiplayer sessions.
  • Boss deaths no longer prevent areas from hosting multiplayer sessions.

Better Connection Quality

Since Better Multiplayer disables anti-cheat, we can remove some of the security-related overhead FromSoftware added to their multiplayer networking.

One example is buffering and packet encryption, which can add latency overhead to multiplayer connections. Removing these features improves latency on unreliable or high-ping connections, resulting in a smoother multiplayer experience.

We also use Steam Datagram Relay (SDR), which can improve connection quality for players behind restrictive NATs or firewalls, by routing traffic through Steam’s global network of relay servers.

6-Player Limit

The mod increases the player limit to 6 total (Host + 5 guests), compared to the base game’s limit of 4 total:

  • Solo w/ Rune Arc: Allows 1 invader and 1 Hunter.
  • 1 Cooperator: Allows 1 invader and leaves room for 1 Hunter.
  • 2 Cooperators: Allows 2 invaders, but no Hunters can join.
  • Taunter’s Tongue: Permits up to 3 invaders or 3 cooperators.
  • DEN Maps: Allows up to 5 duelists, no invaders or cooperators.

Co-op

  • Grace Usage: Graces can be activated during cooperative play. All players must rest at the grace to trigger a world reset (enemies respawn, flask and item refills).
  • Torrent Support: Torrent is fully supported and synchronized during cooperative play, but is disabled when invaders are present.
  • Spirit Ashes: Spirit ashes are supported and synchronized during multiplayer. Both cooperators and invaders can summon spirit ashes, but with a twist: if an invader summons spirit ashes, they will be hostile to all players, including the invader who summoned them.
  • Boss Kills: Defeating a boss in co-op no longer sends phantoms back to their worlds.

Invasions

  • Grace Protection: Players within 10 meters of a grace cannot be invaded.
  • Taunter’s Tongue: Once enabled, Taunter’s Tongue cannot be deactivated while invaders are present. This prevents hosts from luring invaders and then closing additional invader slots.
  • Recent Invasion History: Every time invaders search for a host, a recent invasion history is checked to avoid repeatedly invading the same hosts within a short time frame.
  • Additional Taunter’s Tongue Mechanics: When Taunter’s Tongue is active, invaders must kill all cooperators (not just the host) to win. If all invaders are killed, the host will be revived. While dead, the host can spectate their allies (use R1/L1 to switch targets). No additional invaders can enter while the host is dead, but hunters can still be summoned, so it’s better to coordinate kills with your co-invaders and target cooperators first.
  • Faster Matchmaking: Invasion search times are reduced by decreasing delays between connection attempts and increasing the search radius.
  • Invader Cooperation: Invaders can use AoE buffs and heals on each other, but friendly fire remains active.

Dueling, Fight Clubs and Colosseum

  • Dedicated Arenas: Multiple unique locations are added for uninterrupted fight clubs and dueling sessions. Quality-of-life items for auto-summoning, enabling respawns, and disabling consumable loss are available at these locations. Tournaments can be easily hosted on these maps.
  • Item Restoration: Items used during arena matches are tracked and fully restored when “Regressive Grease” is applied, removing the need to restock between fights.
  • Automatic Wondrous Physick: Duel mode automatically triggers “Wondrous Physick” at the start of each match, so neither duelist forgets to pop it.
  • Team Colors: Team match mode displays team colors so players can identify allies and enemies at a glance.
  • Enhanced Colosseum: Team Deathmatch and FFA modes (“United Combat” and “Combat Ordeal”) feature improved respawn mechanics with anti-spawn camping protection in addition to better 2v2 and 3v3 arenas.
  • Custom Colosseum Maps: Vanilla maps are replaced with better-designed DEN Maps. Selection depends on the gamemode:
    • 1v1 Duels:
      • Royal Coliseum -> Dueling Square
      • Limgrave Coliseum -> Crystal Lake
      • Caelid Coliseum -> Seaside Arena
    • 2v2/3v3 Team Match and Deathmatch:
      • Royal Coliseum -> Dueling Square (2v2)
      • Limgrave Coliseum -> Eternal City Courtyard (2v2)

Covenant System

Participating in multiplayer now rewards two new currencies: Jar Coins and Tarnished Severed Fingers. These can be spent at the Roundtable Hold jar shop or traded with White Mask Varré for items useful in multiplayer.

Example earn rates:

  • 1 Jar Coin for defeating a boss alongside cooperators
  • 2 Jar Coins for defeating an invader as a hunter
  • 2 Severed Fingers for killing the hunter as an invader

Quality-of-Life / Compatibility

  • Faster Startup: Game startup time is drastically improved compared to the base game.
  • Improved Performance: Overall game and mod performance is significantly improved across the board.
  • Free-Aim Deadzone: The “Manual Attack Aiming” setting can be used to disable the free-aim deadzone, enabling more precise aiming. This also unlocks proper free-aim for bows, greatbows, and crossbows – behaving similarly to Elden Ring Nightreign. Unfamiliar with free-aim deadzone? Amirah has a great explainer.
  • Enhanced Multiplayer Info: Character level, network latency (ms), and connection quality are displayed alongside character names.
  • Display Options: Toggle between Steam names and character names in the in-game network settings.
  • Performance Settings: Added an option to prioritize performance over visual quality in the settings.
  • Player Count: The number of mod players currently online is displayed in the login message.
  • Linux Support: Compatible with Linux using Steam’s “Non-Steam Game” option with the launcher executable.
  • Localization: Translations available for mod content in numerous languages.

Security

  • Anti-Cheat: The mod detects and penalizes many forms of online cheating. While cheating cannot be entirely prevented, we actively work to maintain fair play. Reports of malicious cheating are accepted through Our Discord server in the #cheater-reports channel.
  • Stat Validation: When a player has invalid (cheated) stats, their calculated level is displayed next to their self-reported level for transparency.