FromSoftware didn’t implement a system that allowed for just a duo to queue up and play Nightreign, leaving those who wanted to hunt in pairs neglected. But a modder fixed it in four hours flat.
Elden Ring: Nightreign promised a bold new online co-op experience. It forgot the simplest thing: duos.
Designed strictly for three-player squads, Nightreign doesn’t let you and a single friend play alone. Players flooded Steam reviews with complaints like, “No duo option, had random people join to just run off and do their own thing.”
Players can either go solo or queue with a full team of three. If you only have one friend, the game throws in a random player. You cannot turn that setting off. At least, without a mod that was created a mere four hours after launch.
Modder fixes what FromSoftware didn’t
This is where popular Souls modder LukeYui comes in. Known for his seamless co-op mods in FromSoft games, Yui did what the devs didn’t. Within four hours of launch, he built a working duo mod. He posted a video showing two-player gameplay without a forced third.
Yui’s mod bypasses matchmaking and skips the game’s anti-cheat. It lets two players connect directly and supports other mods. The mod is still in testing, so it’s not publicly available yet. But it works, and it already solves one of the biggest complaints people have had with Nightreign.
Nightreign is FromSoft’s first full pivot to online co-op. It ditches the solo-focused design of the original Elden Ring. The game relies on coordination, teamwork, and balanced combat, meaning that some players prefer not to have random players on their squad.
It also lacks built-in voice chat, making it harder to cooperate with strangers. Players with just one friend are forced to roll the dice on matchmaking.
Nightreign’s networking is ambitious. Seamless matchmaking sounds good until your third player goes rogue or griefs the team. FromSoftware’s director admitted they overlooked duo support during development, but there is no timeline for an official fix.
Despite that, Nightreign is a hit. Over two million copies sold on day one. More than 300,000 concurrent Steam players at launch. It outpaced most other 2025 releases. Even with mixed reviews, the player base is huge.
