Elden Ring Is Bringing Back a Popular Feature from Dark Souls

Elden Ring is going to be bringing back a fan-favorite feature that hasn't been seen in a FromSoftware title since the Dark Souls series. Specifically, this feature is that of co-op play, which means that players will be allowed to hop into the world of Elden Ring with a friend. And while this might not seem like a big deal, co-op is something that FromSoftware hasn't implemented in a few years at this point.

Bandai Namco, the publisher of Elden Ring, confirmed that the action title would feature co-op in a recent description of the game that it released on its website. "Featuring a vast and seamless landscape with natural weather and time-of-day progression, players will become fully immersed in the world of Elden Ring as they begin their journey and choose on their own path. Traverse on foot or horseback, alone or online with friends across grassy plains, suffocating swamps and lush forests," the description read. While further details of how co-op will work weren't really given, the fact that it's coming back will surely make fans happy.

As mentioned, co-op was notably something that was absent in FromSoftware's most recent release in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The reason for this, according to the studio, is because the game was one that was meant to have more of a narrative focus compared to previous projects. As such, it wanted to tell a story that centered around a central protagonist rather than crafting a narrative that revolved around a blank slate, so to speak.

Dark Souls 3 was the last game from FromSoftware that contained co-op gameplay. That title launched all the way back in 2016 as well, meaning that it has been quite a long time since we've seen multiplayer implemented in this manner. It will be interesting to see if Elden Ring evolves the co-op formula in any grand ways compared to that of Dark Souls 3.

As for when Elden Ring is going to release, the title is set to arrive early next year on January 21, 2022. It will be coming to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC when it hits store shelves. Pre-orders are live on Amazon now.

Are you excited to see co-op returning in Elden Ring? Let me know either down in the comments or hit me up on Twitter at @MooreMan12.

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