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Switch 2 Co-op &
Multiplayer Guide

Last updated: August 11, 2026

Playing Elden Ring with friends — or getting dragged into a fight against them — is a huge part of the experience. If you're new to the franchise, the multiplayer system can feel confusing at first. This guide explains exactly how co-op, Spirit Ashes, NPC summons, and PvP work in Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition on Nintendo Switch 2, plus the straight answer on crossplay and whether you need a subscription.

Everything below about summon signs, Spirit Ashes, and NPC summons comes from the base Elden Ring game and the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, both of which are included in the Tarnished Edition package. None of it is a Switch 2-specific invention — it all carries over to the Switch 2 version.

Multiplayer Overview

Before we get into the details, here is the honest state of multiplayer on Switch 2. A couple of these rows are easy to get wrong, so read the crossplay and subscription lines carefully.

FeatureStatus on Switch 2What it means for you
Co-op SummoningSupportedUp to 2 other players can join your world to help with bosses and areas
Spirit Ashes & NPC SummonsSupportedSolo-friendly help that needs no other human and no internet
PvP InvasionsSupportedRed-phantom invaders can appear while you are playing online
Crossplay (Switch ↔ PS / Xbox / PC)Not supportedSwitch 2 players only match with other Switch 2 players
Nintendo Switch OnlineNot required for co-opAn internet connection is needed, but not an NSO membership, to summon
Password MatchmakingSupportedSet a password so only your friend's sign shows up

How Co-op Summoning Works

Elden Ring's multiplayer is built around summon signs — glowing marks left on the ground. The color tells you what kind of player you are dealing with:

There are two sides to co-op. If you want help, you are the host. If you want to help someone else, you leave your own sign. Three items make this possible:

Furlcalling Finger Remedy

This consumable reveals the summon signs of other players in your area. Use it near a Site of Grace or a boss door and any gold (or red) signs nearby appear on the ground. You craft it from Erdleaf Flowers, so you will rarely run out.

Tarnished's Effigy

Use this to leave your own gold summon sign so another player can pull you into their world as a co-op helper. It lets you answer summons anywhere, not just at designated spots.

Small Golden Effigy

Found early in the game, this drops your sign at the nearest Summoning Pool — a network of shared summoning points tied to specific regions. It is the easiest way to get summoned by strangers who need help.

Step-by-Step: Summon a Friend

The co-op process

  1. Both players need to be in the same region of the game world (roughly the same map area — you don't need to stand on the same pixel).
  2. Host player: Rest at a Site of Grace and make sure multiplayer is active. If you have disabled summons, re-enable them in the menu.
  3. Guest player: Use a Tarnished's Effigy or Small Golden Effigy to leave a gold sign near where the host is.
  4. Both players set the same password in the Multiplayer settings (under "Set Password for Summoning"). This filters signs so only each other's appear.
  5. Host uses a Furlcalling Finger Remedy to reveal signs, then walks over the guest's gold sign and interacts with it.
  6. The guest is pulled in as a golden phantom. You will see each other's name and a shared health bar.
  7. Clear the area or beat the boss — after a boss falls, co-op phantoms are sent home with their runes and rewards.
Talking to phantoms: The game has no built-in voice chat (more on GameChat below), so players communicate with gestures. The Tarnished Edition pre-order bonus includes the "The Ring" and "Ring of Miquella" gestures — and both are also earnable just by playing co-op, so you'll pick them up naturally while helping others.

Password Matchmaking for Friends

The password system is what makes playing with a specific friend reliable instead of random. When a password is set, the game prioritizes matching players who typed the exact same word, bypassing the normal level-range and weapon-level matchmaking rules. That means a brand-new Tarnished and a level-150 veteran can still co-op together as long as the password matches.

This is the mode to use if you and a friend bought the game together and want to progress side by side. Agree on a word, set it on both Switch 2 consoles, and leave signs for each other — no friend lists required.

Spirit Ashes: Your Solo Safety Net

This is the feature every newcomer should know about before touching a boss. Spirit Ashes are summonable allies — ghosts of fallen warriors and beasts — that fight for you. They require no internet, no other player, and no subscription. They are perfect when you are stuck and playing alone.

You unlock them early: after meeting Renna at the Church of Elleh at night, she gives you the Spirit Calling Bell and the Lone Wolf Ashes (often called the "Wolf Pack"). Ring the bell and the wolves charge in to draw enemy fire while you heal or attack.

From there you collect many more — tanky knights, archers, jellyfish, and even allies drawn from the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. The key point for a beginner: there is no shame in using them. Many bosses go from brutal to manageable once you have a distraction soaking up aggression. They cost FP (focus points) to summon, so keep an eye on your blue bar.

Beginner tip: Spirit Ashes are the single best tool for solo players. If a boss is walling you, summon your wolves or whichever ash you have found, then learn the fight's rhythm while they tie up the enemy. You can re-summon them after they fall as long as you rest at a Site of Grace.

NPC Summons at Boss Fights

Beyond other players and Spirit Ashes, the game itself sometimes offers NPC summons — named characters who can join you for a specific boss. These appear as gold signs right outside certain boss arenas and are written into the story.

A famous early example: Nepheli Loux can be summoned for the Godrick the Grafted fight if you have progressed her questline. She trades blows with Godrick so you are not alone for one of the game's first real walls. Other allies appear at later bosses, and some Shadow of the Erdtree bosses also have NPC helpers available.

The catch: NPC summons only appear if you have met and helped that character beforehand. If you rushed past them, the sign will not be there. When in doubt, explore the area around a boss door — if a gold sign is glowing, an ally is offering a hand.

PvP and Invasions

Not every red sign is friendly. Elden Ring's invasion system means that while you are playing online, another player can be pulled into your world as a red phantom whose goal is to kill you (or your co-op partners). This can happen when you are in co-op, or when you have used certain online items.

If invasions aren't your thing, you have options:

Opting out

  • Play offline: The cleanest fix. Turn on airplane mode or launch without an internet connection and you will never be invaded — but you also lose co-op and online help.
  • White Cipher Ring: This auto-summons a blue phantom defender to help fight off invaders when you are invaded. It doesn't stop invasions, it just gives you backup.
  • Avoid invasion-inviting items: If you skip the Taunter's Tongue and aren't in co-op, random invasions are far less common.
PvP has a steep learning curve and human opponents are nothing like bosses. Expect to lose your first invasions and ambushes — that's normal. Learn the PvE combat first, then dip into PvP once your reflexes are sharp.

Crossplay: The Honest Answer

Here is the part a lot of newcomers get hopeful about, so let's be clear:

Elden Ring does NOT support crossplay.

Neither the original game nor the Tarnished Edition lets Switch 2 players summon or fight players on PlayStation, Xbox, or PC. The franchise has never had cross-platform multiplayer, and nothing about the Switch 2 version changes that. If your friends are on other systems, you won't be able to co-op with them through the in-game system.

What this means in practice: the Switch 2 player pool only matches with other Switch 2 players. That is a smaller group than PC or PlayStation, but for a game this popular it is still plenty active at launch. If you want to play with a specific friend, make sure you are both on Switch 2.

Internet and Nintendo Switch Online

A common point of confusion: do you need to pay for Nintendo Switch Online to summon helpers? No. Elden Ring's co-op and multiplayer work as long as your Switch 2 has an active internet connection. A Nintendo Switch Online membership is not required to see signs, leave your own, or summon a friend.

Where NSO helps is general online stability — a paid membership can make connectivity smoother and is required for some other Nintendo online features — but for basic co-op summoning in Elden Ring you just need to be online. Note that GameChat, the Switch 2's built-in voice chat triggered by the C button, is a separate system from the game's multiplayer. The game itself has no voice chat; if you and a friend want to talk while co-oping, GameChat (or a phone call) is how you would do it.

Connection Tips for Switch 2

FAQ

Can I play the whole game in co-op?
Mostly. The open world and the vast majority of bosses fully support co-op. A few legacy dungeons and certain story moments are solo-only, and cutscenes play for the host only. But you can absolutely progression-blitz the game with a friend via password matchmaking.
Do we both keep loot from co-op sessions?
The host keeps items found in their own world. Guests keep the runes they earn from kills and any completion rewards, but not items picked up in the host's world. Equipment you brought in stays with you either way.
How do I stop getting invaded?
The simplest method is to play offline (airplane mode or no internet connection). You lose co-op and online help, but you get zero invasions. The White Cipher Ring is the middle ground — it summons a blue defender when you are invaded instead of preventing it.
Do the pre-order gesture bonuses matter for multiplayer?
Not mechanically — they are cosmetic emotes. But gestures are how you "talk" to co-op phantoms since there is no in-game voice chat, and the "The Ring" and "Ring of Miquella" gestures from the pre-order can also be earned just by playing co-op, so you won't miss out if you skip the pre-order.

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