How to Mod Elden Ring: A Comprehensive Guide

Ever looked at a particularly awesome boss weapon in Elden Ring and wished you could tweak its scaling, or maybe add a completely new status effect? Elden Ring, despite being a notoriously challenging game, boasts a thriving modding community dedicated to expanding and altering the Lands Between in countless creative ways. Modding opens up a universe of possibilities beyond the vanilla experience, allowing players to tailor the game to their personal preferences, experiment with wild builds, or even create entirely new challenges.

Whether you’re seeking to rebalance the game for a fresh playthrough, add quality-of-life improvements, or dive into the truly bizarre and transformative mods, understanding how to mod Elden Ring unlocks a new dimension of gameplay. Modding can breathe new life into the game, keeping it engaging long after you’ve felled the Elden Beast. It allows players to connect with a passionate community and actively participate in shaping the future of the game they love.

What do I need to get started, and what are the key things I should know?

What are the essential tools for modding Elden Ring?

Modding Elden Ring requires a combination of tools that allow you to unpack game files, modify them, and then repackage them for use within the game. Key tools include ModEngine2 for loading mods, DSMapStudio for editing game parameters, and a text editor (like Notepad++ or Visual Studio Code) for tweaking various game files. Some mods may also necessitate other specialized tools depending on their complexity and the types of changes they implement.

The cornerstone of Elden Ring modding is ModEngine2. This tool acts as a loader, allowing the game to recognize and utilize your modified files without altering the original game data. This ensures a clean and reversible modding experience. Without ModEngine2, your modified files won’t be recognized by Elden Ring, rendering your modding efforts useless. It isolates your modifications, allowing for easy removal or disabling of mods without affecting the base game. DSMapStudio is crucial for editing game parameters and creating new content. It provides a visual interface for navigating and modifying various game assets, including item stats, enemy behaviors, and map layouts. While some changes can be made using a simple text editor, DSMapStudio greatly simplifies the process of editing complex game data and prevents unintended errors that might occur with manual editing. Finally, a competent text editor such as Notepad++ or Visual Studio Code is indispensable. These editors offer features like syntax highlighting and find-and-replace, which are essential for efficiently editing numerous text-based game files, such as regulation.bin, which controls core game mechanics and parameters. More complex mods might also require tools like Blender for modifying 3D models, but the core tools mentioned above are the foundation for most Elden Ring modding endeavors.

How do I install mods for Elden Ring on PC?

Installing mods for Elden Ring generally involves disabling anti-cheat, installing modding tools like Mod Engine 2, placing mod files into the correct Mod Engine 2 folder, and launching the game through Mod Engine 2. This allows you to enjoy a modified game experience without risking a ban from the official servers.

First and foremost, it’s crucial to understand that modding Elden Ring requires you to disable the anti-cheat system. Playing online with mods enabled will likely result in a ban. Therefore, most modding guides emphasize playing offline. This is typically done by creating a steam\_appid.txt file in your Elden Ring game directory (where the eldenring.exe is located) containing the number 1245620. This tells Steam to launch the game offline. The primary tool for modding Elden Ring is Mod Engine 2. Download the latest version from a reputable source like Nexus Mods. Extract the contents of the Mod Engine 2 archive to a separate folder, ideally outside of the Elden Ring game directory itself. You’ll then need to copy the specific mod files into the mod folder created by Mod Engine 2. The exact location of this folder will depend on how you structured your Mod Engine 2 setup. Finally, launch the game by running launchmod\_eldenring.bat (or the equivalent batch file depending on your version of Mod Engine 2). This bypasses the normal Elden Ring launcher and loads the game with the specified mods. Remember to carefully read the installation instructions for each mod you install, as they may have specific requirements or dependencies.

What are the risks associated with modding Elden Ring?

Modding Elden Ring, while offering exciting possibilities, carries several risks including the potential for account bans, game instability, save data corruption, malware exposure, and incompatibility with online play and updates. These risks can range from minor inconveniences to serious consequences affecting your game experience and even your system’s security.

The most significant risk for many players is the possibility of a ban from Elden Ring’s online services. FromSoftware actively monitors for modifications that could provide unfair advantages or disrupt the intended gameplay experience. While many cosmetic mods are often tolerated, using mods that alter gameplay mechanics, item drops, or character stats can trigger anti-cheat systems, leading to temporary or permanent account restrictions. To mitigate this, it’s crucial to play modded Elden Ring offline and to avoid any modifications that could be construed as cheating. Beyond account bans, modding can introduce technical issues. Mods are often created by independent developers and may not be thoroughly tested for compatibility with every system configuration or game update. This can result in game crashes, graphical glitches, or even corrupted save files, potentially requiring a complete game reinstall. Always back up your save data before installing any mods and thoroughly research the mod’s stability and user feedback before implementing it. Furthermore, downloading mods from unofficial sources poses a risk of malware or viruses. Always stick to reputable modding communities and scan downloaded files with antivirus software.

Can I play Elden Ring mods online with friends?

Generally, no, you cannot play Elden Ring mods online with friends using the official game servers. Elden Ring has anti-cheat measures in place that will detect modifications to the game files and prevent you from connecting online, potentially even leading to a ban. Playing with mods typically requires playing offline or using specific modding tools that create private server environments.

Playing Elden Ring with mods usually necessitates bypassing the game’s official online features to avoid triggering anti-cheat systems. Modifications alter the game’s code, which the anti-cheat interprets as a potentially malicious attempt to gain an unfair advantage. Therefore, if you attempt to use mods while connected to the regular online servers, you risk a ban from the game. The anti-cheat system is designed to maintain a fair and balanced playing field for all users and prevent cheating. The most common way to play Elden Ring mods with friends involves using modding tools that allow you to create private server environments. These tools essentially isolate your gameplay from the official servers, enabling you and your friends to connect to a modified version of the game without risking bans. Tools like Seamless Co-op are designed specifically for this purpose, allowing for collaborative playthroughs with significantly altered gameplay. However, it is crucial to understand that even with these tools, you’re still circumventing the intended game experience, and you are solely responsible for the safety of your PC.

Where can I find reputable Elden Ring mods?

The primary and most trusted source for Elden Ring mods is Nexus Mods. It hosts a vast library of mods, is actively moderated by the community and site staff, and offers a robust system for user feedback and version control, ensuring you can usually find well-vetted and stable mods.

Nexus Mods stands out because mod creators are encouraged to provide detailed descriptions, installation instructions, and compatibility notes, which helps users understand the mod’s purpose and potential conflicts with other mods or the game itself. Furthermore, the platform features a comment section for each mod, allowing users to share their experiences, report bugs, and ask questions directly to the mod author or other community members. This creates a collaborative environment that fosters continuous improvement and troubleshooting.

When browsing Nexus Mods, pay close attention to the following indicators of a reputable mod: the number of endorsements (likes), download count, user comments (particularly those reporting successful installations and stable gameplay), and the mod author’s reputation. Checking the “Posts” section for any reported issues or warnings before installing is also prudent. Remember to back up your game files before installing any mod, allowing you to revert to the original state if something goes wrong.

How do I revert Elden Ring back to its original state after modding?

Reverting Elden Ring to its vanilla, unmodded state typically involves verifying the integrity of game files through Steam, deleting any manually installed mod files, and possibly uninstalling and reinstalling the game as a last resort.

The most straightforward method is to use Steam’s “Verify Integrity of Game Files” feature. This process checks all the game files against the official files on Steam’s servers and replaces any modified or missing files with their original versions. To do this, right-click on Elden Ring in your Steam library, select “Properties,” go to the “Local Files” tab, and click “Verify integrity of game files…” This process can take some time, depending on the size of the game and the speed of your internet connection. After it completes, Steam will download and replace any corrupted or modded files with the original ones.

However, sometimes simply verifying the game files isn’t enough, especially if you’ve manually installed mods that place files in locations not tracked by Steam’s integrity check. In such cases, you’ll need to manually locate and delete those mod files. These files often reside in the game’s installation directory (usually found in your Steam library folder, under steamapps/common/Elden Ring/Game). Look for any files or folders that you know were added by mods, such as files with extensions like “.dll” or folders with mod-specific names. Deleting these files will remove the mod’s influence. If you’re unsure which files are mods, it’s best to consult the mod’s documentation or uninstallation instructions.

If all else fails, or if you’re experiencing persistent issues even after verifying game files and deleting mod files, a complete uninstall and reinstall of Elden Ring is the most foolproof solution. This guarantees a fresh installation without any remnants of previous mods. Remember to back up any save files you wish to keep before uninstalling, as the uninstall process will remove them. You can usually find your save files in the AppData folder (accessible by typing %appdata% in the Windows search bar), under Roaming/EldenRing/[your Steam ID number]. Copy this folder to a safe location, and then restore it to the same location after reinstalling the game.

What are some popular and recommended Elden Ring mods?

Elden Ring’s modding community is thriving, offering everything from quality-of-life improvements to complete overhauls. Some of the most popular and recommended mods include “Seamless Co-op,” which allows for uninterrupted co-op play throughout the entire game, “Elden Ring Reforged,” a massive gameplay overhaul changing combat, progression, and world design, “Convergence,” another significant overhaul mod focusing on expanding class options, spells, and items, and various visual enhancement mods like texture packs and reshade presets for improved graphics.

Many Elden Ring mods cater to different player preferences. “Seamless Co-op” is a favorite for those who enjoy playing with friends, eliminating the restrictions of the base game’s co-op system, which typically requires frequent re-summoning. Overhaul mods like “Elden Ring Reforged” and “Convergence” provide drastically different experiences for players who have already completed the game and are looking for fresh challenges and new ways to play. These mods often rebalance combat, add new areas and bosses, and completely rework the character progression system. Beyond complete overhauls, a wide array of smaller, more focused mods are also highly recommended. These include mods that improve enemy AI, add new weapons and armor, or simply tweak the game’s parameters to make it more challenging or accessible. Visual enhancement mods are consistently popular, allowing players to customize the game’s look to their liking. Tools like the “Elden Mod Loader” and “Mod Engine 2” are essential for managing and installing mods, ensuring compatibility and stability. Always remember to back up your game files before installing any mods to avoid potential issues.

Alright, there you have it! Hopefully, this guide has given you the confidence to dive into the wonderful world of Elden Ring modding. Remember to always back up your saves and be careful when downloading mods from unfamiliar sources. Now go forth, Tarnished, and reshape the Lands Between to your heart’s content! Thanks for reading, and be sure to check back for more Elden Ring tips, tricks, and modding guides soon!