Elden Ring Nightreign How Many Players
Image Credits: FromSoftware, Inc., Elden Ring Nightreign
Elden Ring Nightreign supports solo play and three-player co-op, but not two-player teams. If you try to queue up with just one friend, the game forces a third random player into your party.
There is no current way to lock it to just two.
That’s not a bug or an oversight in the matchmaking settings... it’s a design miss that FromSoft openly admitted.
What Player Modes Are Supported?
Solo Mode
You can play the entire game alone, even offline. When you do, enemy behavior adjusts to be less aggressive, and you also get access to a self-revive system to help you get back up since you don’t have teammates.
The game’s balance shifts slightly when soloing, and it’s intended to be tougher but still fair. FromSoft put effort into making this a fully supported mode.
Three-Player Co-op
This is the mode Nightreign was clearly built around. Teams of three explore maps, grind XP, fight through multi-phase bosses, and survive across three full nights.
The final challenge is a boss called the Nightlord, which is balanced around trio coordination.
This is the core gameplay loop. FromSoft even mentioned that Nightreign’s difficulty and class interactions were designed specifically for three people.
Why Not Two-Player Mode?
In a now-infamous comment, the game’s director Junya Ishizaki explained that two-player mode just... slipped through the cracks.
They focused on making a balanced solo option and a strong three-player co-op experience. Duo support was simply not accounted for, and there’s no setting to remove a third when queuing as a pair.
That means duos must either:
Queue with a random third
Play solo instead
Wait and hope for a future patch
While this seems like an obvious mode to include, FromSoft said they are considering adding it later, but it's not confirmed yet.
Final Blurb
Right now, Elden Ring Nightreign is for solo players or trios. No duo-only option exists yet, and it wasn’t part of the design at launch. F
romSoft admitted it was overlooked, but they might patch it in later. Until then, bring three or go alone.
FAQ
Q: Can I play Elden Ring Nightreign with just one friend?
No, not without being matched with a random third player.
Q: Is solo play fully supported?
Yes, and enemies are less aggressive when playing solo. You also get a self-revive feature to make up for the lack of teammates.
Q: Can I turn off matchmaking and play with two people only?
Not at launch. The game does not allow duos without filling a third spot.
Q: Is a two-player mode coming in the future?
FromSoft says they’re looking into it, but nothing is confirmed for post-launch yet.
Q: Is Elden Ring Nightreign a live service game?
No, it’s not designed like a traditional live service, but updates and patches are possible.
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