The Dark Souls 3 seamless co-op mod is here, letting you further hone your teamwork skills before Elden Ring Nightreign launches
The Dark Souls 3 seamless co-op mod dodge-rolled out of cover just a few weeks ago, from the same modding talent that added seamless co-op to Elden Ring and, most recently, Armored Core 6. It wasn't clear at the time when Dark Souls 3 would be getting its co-op mod. But it turns out the answer was 'very soon'. Now, the Dark Souls 3 seamless co-op mod is formally available to download, even if it isn't 100% finished just yet.
Over on NexusMods, creator Yui provides precise details of what the mod does: "Simply put, the mod allows you to play with friends throughout the entirety of the game with no restrictions." Players who join a game with the mod activated will no longer be sent home under the usual conditions, such as dying or defeating bosses, while "all fog walls/barriers that usually restrict the multiplayer zone are gone." NPC dialogue has been synchronised for all players, and game progression is maintained for all players even after they return to their own worlds. Just like the Elden Ring seamless co-op mod, it sounds pretty comprehensive. It also supports up to five players in the same world, which is impressive.
Outside of its key features, Yui notes the mod "undoubtedly makes the game easier" and as such strives to offset this by letting players customise difficulty scaling, while also preventing certain workarounds the mod would facilitate by default. If a player dies in battle, for example, then they become a spectre until the fight is over, rather than immediately respawning at a bonfire, thereby allowing them to rejoin the fray. Moreover, if a player uses a bonfire during a boss fight, the game removes all players from the boss room, stopping them getting a cheeky estus top-up in the middle of a brawl.
Alongside coop, the mod also supports invasions, but this has to be activated in the game's .ini file first. The mod prevents connection to FromSoftware's matchmaking servers to stop players from using it being banned, so presumably you're limited to invading and being invaded by players also using the mod, though it isn't 100% clear how this works.
While the mod is available to download now, Yui stresses that it is "currently in an alpha state, so you are very likely to experience bugs". No timeline for a bug free version is specified, but Yui asks players to report any bugs they find to him "in detail".
You can download the Dark Souls 3 seamless co-op mod here. Co-op is a great way to replay FromSoft's games, letting you enjoy the studio's incredibly crafted worlds in a more knockabout way. Indeed, FromSoft has heard players' desires for full-blown cooperative adventuring, and is releasing Elden Ring Nightreign in just a few months' time. That said, it doesn't sound like it'll play in quite the same way as a vanilla FromSoft game with added pals. PC Gamer's Morgan Park recently played a few hours of the studio's roguelike spinoff, and while he had a decent time overall, stated "the fixation on pure combat and forward momentum is already showing its limits."
Best MMOs: Most massive
Best strategy games: Number crunching
Best open world games: Unlimited exploration
Best survival games: Live craft love
Best horror games: Fight or flight