Should you play Elden Ring in offline mode or online mode?

Elden Ring offers players the ability to tackle the game in online or offline mode, but what’s the actual difference?

The Soulsborne franchise has taken very different approaches to online play over the years. Between covenants, NPC summons, invasions, and arena play, each game is different and offers a lot in terms of both cooperative and PvP play.

So why would players reject all of that? And if someone does opt to play Elden Ring offline, what are they actually missing out on? Here’s what you need to know.

Differences between online mode and offline mode in Elden Ring

The difference between online and offline mode in Elden Ring is whether summons and invasions are allowed.

At its core, multiplayer in Elden Ring works largely the same as Dark Souls games. Players have the ability to summon allied players and NPCs to help them on their journey and battle bosses. If they do, they open themselves up to being invaded by other players if they do so. Invaders are hostile and are typically allied with all AI-controlled enemy units on the map. If a player is being invaded, they can summon in extra help from blue phantoms similar to Blades of the Dark Moon, who are dedicated to battling invaders. 

While this can make for a three-on-one situation most of the time, the invader still just needs to see the summoner killed in order to be successful. Not only that, but the invasion is still considered a win if the killing blow is delivered by a regular monster or even if the summoner falls off a ledge and dies from fall damage.

This can make for prolonged skirmishes between players where the invader looks to chip away at the summoner slowly as things progress. This could make some players more interested in the idea of tackling the game alone.

Does Elden Ring have offline mode?

Elden Ring has offline mode and it can be found on the Network page of the menus under the Launch Setting section.

Alongside this players can play offline the old-fashioned way. Players can disconnect both the Xbox and PlayStation from the internet in the settings menu. PC players can launch Steam in offline mode and play. This will prevent players from summoning allies, but will also guarantee they aren’t invaded. Just remember that NPC invasions will still trigger in special areas.