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To bring a friend into your Elden Ring world for a boss, use this sequence: agree on the same multiplayer password, meet in the same area, have the helper place a gold sign with the Tarnished’s Furled Finger, and have the host use a Furlcalling Finger Remedy to reveal and select that sign. The host must do this before the area’s boss has been defeated. The summoned player is a temporary guest in the host’s world, and a host can have up to two co-op guests.
The complete two-player setup
Elden Ring co-op is organized around two different roles. The host is the player whose world contains the boss. The helper is summoned into that world as a guest. The helper creates the sign; the host consumes a Remedy to make summon signs visible and chooses the friend’s sign.
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- Choose the host. The player who still needs to defeat the boss should normally host, because the boss fight takes place in that player’s world.
- Confirm that the area’s boss is still alive. A host cannot start co-op in an area after its area boss has been defeated.
- Meet in the same area. Agree on a recognizable point near the boss route. A location near the boss door is the most direct arrangement when using a manually placed sign.
- Set one identical multiplayer password. In the game’s Multiplayer menu, both players enter exactly the same password. Password matching is intended to make a friend’s sign easier to find and restricts matching to players using that exact entry.
- Have the helper place a sign. The helper uses the
Tarnished's Furled Fingerto write a gold summon sign at the agreed location. - Have the host reveal signs. The host uses a
Furlcalling Finger Remedy. Once signs are revealed, the host selects the friend’s gold sign to summon the helper. - Enter the boss encounter together. The helper fights as a guest in the host’s world. The session ends when the area boss is defeated, either player dies, the connection is lost, or either player uses the
Finger Severer.
These roles and item functions are described in the official Elden Ring online manual and summarized in Xbox’s multiplayer guide at Xbox Wire.
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| Player | Action | Item | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Host | Reveal available summon signs and choose the friend’s sign | Furlcalling Finger Remedy |
The host can see signs and summon a guest into the host’s world |
| Helper | Write a gold sign at a chosen location | Tarnished's Furled Finger |
A location-specific sign appears for the host |
| Helper | Send a sign to a nearby activated summoning pool instead of one exact spot | Small Golden Effigy |
The sign is distributed to an activated nearby pool; the host still uses a Remedy to reveal it |
| Either player | End the current co-op session | Finger Severer |
The session is terminated |
The sign-placing player does not consume the host’s Remedy. The host is the player who must reveal and select the sign. Confusing these responsibilities is the most common reason a pair waits at a meeting point without completing the summon sequence.
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- Collaborating with George R.R. Martin to create the ELDEN RING mythos has been a genuinely delightful experience and a source of wonderful inspiration. The team is working hard to ensure that the world of ELDEN RING will be a fascinating place for players to explore, filled with peril and wonder from its furthest reaches to its lowest depths. This is a FromSoftware title through and through, rich in fantasy and RPG action. We sincerely hope you look forward to it.
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Set the multiplayer password before placing the sign
Open the game’s Multiplayer menu and enter a password that both players can reproduce exactly. Password matching is separate from the physical location of the sign: the password helps the game match the two friends, while the location determines where the host looks for a manually placed sign.
Use one exact entry
- Both players should enter the same password, including spelling and capitalization where applicable.
- Set the password before the helper writes the sign, so the sign is created under the intended matching rule.
- If the sign does not appear, compare the two password entries character by character before changing locations.
The official manual explains that multiplayer passwords work among players using the same password. Bandai Namco’s explanation of the multiplayer system is available at this official overview.
Choose how the helper’s sign is delivered
There are two documented ways to make the helper’s sign available. Pick one method for a given attempt; both still require the host to use a Furlcalling Finger Remedy.
| Method | Helper’s action | Where the host looks | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specific sign | Use the Tarnished's Furled Finger to write a gold sign at the agreed meeting point |
At that exact location, usually near the boss door | When two friends want a precise, easy-to-identify meeting point |
| Summoning-pool route | Use the Small Golden Effigy to send the sign to a nearby summoning pool that has been activated |
At the relevant activated summoning pool’s sign area | When the pair prefers the game’s nearby pool network instead of one exact sign location |
The direct sign is location-specific, so both players should stand in the same area and agree where it will be written. The Small Golden Effigy is different: it sends the helper’s sign to a nearby activated summoning pool rather than leaving it at one chosen point. The host’s reveal step does not change.
Host walkthrough: summon help into your world
1. Verify the boss condition first
Before asking a friend to place a sign, make sure the area’s boss has not already been defeated in the host’s world. The official manual states that co-op cannot be started by the host in an area where its area boss has been defeated. If the boss is already dead, a missing sign is a rule of the area rather than a password or item error.
2. Agree on the meeting point and password
Tell the helper which area to enter and where to place or look for the sign. For a manually placed sign, a spot near the boss door is practical because it keeps the sign and the intended encounter together. Set the same password in the Multiplayer menu before the helper places the sign.
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3. Use the Furlcalling Finger Remedy
After the helper has written the gold sign, the host uses a Furlcalling Finger Remedy to reveal available summon signs. The host then inspects the signs that appear and selects the friend’s sign. The host is not placing a sign in this sequence; the host is revealing and selecting one.
4. Summon and proceed to the boss
Once the friend’s sign is selected, the helper enters the host’s world as a co-op guest. The pair can then move to the boss and attempt the fight. A host can summon up to two co-op guests at a time, so a host may bring in one helper or fill both available co-op guest places.
5. Know what ends the session
- The area boss is defeated.
- The host or a co-op guest dies.
- The connection is lost.
- Either player uses the
Finger Severer.
Defeating the boss completes the co-op objective for the host’s world and ends that session. It does not establish that the helper’s own world has also completed the boss; the documented arrangement is temporary assistance in the host’s world.
Helper walkthrough: place or send the gold sign
Option A: place a sign at a precise point
- Enter the same area the host identified.
- Confirm that the same multiplayer password is set on both sides.
- Stand at the agreed meeting point, such as a location near the boss door.
- Use the
Tarnished's Furled Fingerto write a gold summon sign. - Wait while the host uses a
Furlcalling Finger Remedyand selects the sign.
This method gives the host a specific place to check. If the host is looking elsewhere, even a correctly passworded sign may not be found at the expected time because the sign was written at the agreed point.
Option B: use an activated summoning pool
- Make sure the intended nearby summoning pool has been activated.
- Use the
Small Golden Effigyto send the sign to that nearby pool. - Tell the host which pool route you are using, rather than asking the host to search for a sign at an unrelated door.
- Have the host use a
Furlcalling Finger Remedyand select the available sign.
The pool route distributes the sign to an activated nearby pool instead of one manually selected spot. It is therefore less about standing at one exact door and more about using the pool associated with the area.
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After being summoned
The helper is a guest in the host’s world, not the owner of the session. Follow the host’s route to the boss and remember that the co-op objective belongs to the host’s current world. The session ends under the same conditions listed above, including boss defeat, death, disconnection, or use of the Finger Severer.
Why a friend’s sign may not appear
Check the documented conditions in this order. Each one corresponds to a required part of the setup rather than an optional optimization.
The area’s boss is already defeated
This is the decisive restriction. The host cannot begin co-op in an area after that area’s boss has been defeated. Move the attempt to an eligible area or use the host’s world before defeating its boss; the defeated area itself cannot accept this co-op setup.
The password entries differ
Reopen the Multiplayer menu on both systems and compare the entries exactly. A near match is not the same password. The matching rule is based on players using the same password.
The players are not checking the same place
For a Tarnished's Furled Finger sign, return to the precise location the helper used. If the helper used a Small Golden Effigy, check the relevant activated summoning pool instead. Do not have the host search at a boss door while the helper is sending the sign through a pool, or reverse those instructions.
The host has not used a Remedy
The host must use a Furlcalling Finger Remedy to reveal summon signs. The helper placing a gold sign does not by itself make that sign selectable by the host.
The helper used the wrong sign method
Confirm whether the helper used the Tarnished's Furled Finger for a specific location or the Small Golden Effigy for an activated pool. Each method tells the host where to look, and the two players need to follow the same plan.
Best Value
- ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware Inc. and produced by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG and FromSoftware's largest game to date, set within a world full of mystery and peril
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The session ended before the boss was reached
If either player died, the connection was lost, or someone used the Finger Severer, the current co-op session is over. Start the sequence again: verify the boss is still eligible, confirm the password, place or send the sign, and have the host use a new Remedy to reveal it.
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What co-op changes—and what it does not
It changes the host’s current encounter
The helper enters the host’s world temporarily to assist with the boss. The host remains the player whose area and boss determine the objective, and the co-op session is bounded by the boss fight and the listed ending conditions.
It does not promise progress in the helper’s world
The documented setup describes the helper as a guest and the boss defeat as the objective that ends the session. Do not treat a successful assist as proof that the same boss has been defeated in the helper’s separate world.
It is limited to two co-op guests
The host can summon up to two co-op guests at a time. Decide in advance whether one friend is enough or whether the host will use both available guest places; each additional guest still follows the same sign, password, and Remedy process.
A fast pre-boss checklist
- Host chosen: the player whose world needs the boss defeated is hosting.
- Boss eligible: the area’s boss has not already been defeated in that world.
- Same area: both players know the intended location or summoning pool.
- Same password: both Multiplayer menus contain the exact same password.
- Correct helper item:
Tarnished's Furled Fingerfor a specific sign, orSmall Golden Effigyfor an activated nearby pool. - Host item ready: the host has a
Furlcalling Finger Remedyto reveal signs. - Guest limit understood: no more than two co-op guests are summoned at once.
- Session understood: boss defeat, death, disconnection, or the
Finger Severerends the attempt.
Following that checklist keeps the responsibilities clear: the helper makes the gold sign available, and the host reveals and selects it before entering the boss encounter.
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Official references
- FromSoftware: Elden Ring Online Manual — Network Play 2
- Xbox Wire: How to Play Co-op and Multiplayer in Elden Ring
- Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe: Elden Ring — Introduction to the Multiplayer System
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