Lords of the Fallen multiplayer, co-op, and PvP explained

Here, we’ve got all the details on how to play Lords of the Fallen with friends, but also how to fight against others if that’s more your style.

An armored knight and a clothed character face each other, with the light of a lantern between them in Lords of the Fallen multiplayer.

Does Lords of the Fallen have multiplayer? The 2023 Lords of the Fallen brings back the soulslike RPG for a new reboot just shy of a decade on from the original game. While the original game has legions of fans, one of the biggest complaints was the lack of multiplayer, so naturally the first question everyone wants to know about the reboot is whether there is LotF co-op.

Defeating tough bosses and exploring the vast world of an RPG game is made so much easier when you can take someone along with you, so no wonder it’s a hugely requested feature in games like Dark Souls. Now that Lords of the Fallen is back in 2023, can we experience a co-op adventure with our favorite explorer friends? You can find out more about what it’s like in our Lords of the Fallen review, but if you want the essentials, here’s what we know about multiplayer ahead of the Lords of the Fallen release date, including both co-op and PvP.

Does Lords of the Fallen have multiplayer?

Yes, in fact, there are multiple methods of multiplayer in Lords of the Fallen, with both a friendly co-op option and more competitive PvP. Both options have been crafted with seamless player integration in mind, as we explore below.

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Lords of the Fallen co-op multiplayer

Not wanting to make things too easy, Hexworks is only letting you team up with one other person, but that’s still an improvement from the first game. The two of you can then explore Axiom and Umbral together, but the host is in control of where and how you explore.

In a video with IGN, Hexworks creative director Cezar Virtosu revealed that the main desire behind Lords of the Fallen co-op was the ease with which you can join a game. Even without having the game open, the team wanted you to be able to receive and accept an invite and instantly join your friend wherever they are in the world.

As the story of Lords of the Fallen goes, your adventure takes place in Axiom, the Land of the Living… until you die. Instead of instantly dying, like in most games, you now find yourself in Umbral, the Land of the Dead. In co-op multiplayer, if the host dies, both players find themselves in the Land of the Dead together. If the guest dies, the host can resurrect them. If both players die, you both respawn at your last checkpoint.

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Lords of the Fallen PvP

If you don’t play well with others and you’d rather go head-to-head with other irl players, then good news – PvP is available in Lords of the Fallen. We don’t fully know how this works yet, but we do know that you can invade another player’s game, thanks to an MP1st interview with Hexworks head of studio Saul Gascon and Creative Director Cezar Virtosu.

In the interview, so-called “Invasions” are said to take place anywhere in the world, but that there are “PVP-designated areas” throughout. An invader appears close to the host to “facilitate quick engagements” and only has one life.

A winged creature with a large open mouth flies through the air in Lords of the Fallen multiplayer,

How to invite friends to your Lords of the Fallen party

While co-op play is based around a simple drop-in, drop-out mechanic, the host can’t invite from anywhere, and must be at a checkpoint, or Vestige, in order to invite someone. Here, you can invite a friend or even a random player.

If you’re having trouble encouraging your mates to come and help you, it might be worth checking if Lords of the Fallen is on Game Pass at the moment.

With that, go and have fun exploring Axiom and Umbral with a pal with Lords of the Fallen co-op… well, as close to fun as you can have in the Land of the Dead. At least having someone with you should make fights against the Lords of the Fallen bosses a little easier. We recommend you and your friend pick some different Lords of the Fallen classes and wield their best Lords of the Fallen weapons when you can. Something else that will make your experience easier is making sure you meet the Lords of the Fallen system requirements before time.