To play ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN with friends, meet at the Table of Lost Grace, select Multiplayer Mode, choose the same expedition boss, and enter one shared matchmaking password. The password is case-sensitive. Everyone must also be on a compatible platform family: PS4 can play with PS5, and Xbox One can play with Xbox Series X|S, but PlayStation, Xbox, and PC do not crossplay. Cooperative play is online-only, and the game’s co-op format is built around three players.
The reliable setup is therefore less about a hidden invite button and more about matching four settings: platform family, expedition mode, boss selection, and password. If the group still cannot connect, check game versions, regional matchmaking, and Remembrance missions in that order.
What do I need before playing Nightreign with friends?
Each player needs an internet connection, a copy of ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN for a compatible platform, and access to the game’s online matchmaking. Bandai Namco describes cooperative multiplayer as requiring an internet connection; the offline option is the solo mode. A local console or PC party can help people talk and coordinate, but it does not turn the game into offline co-op.
- A compatible platform family: PlayStation players must use PlayStation, Xbox players must use Xbox, and PC players must use PC.
- The same expedition target: Every member of the group must select the same boss before matchmaking.
- One shared password: Enter it identically on every system, including capitalization.
- Current software: The application and regulation file should be on the latest available version.
- A three-player plan: Nightreign is presented as a three-player co-op experience, so decide which three people are joining before searching.
Agree on the target boss and password in your voice or text chat before anyone begins matchmaking. This prevents one player from choosing a different expedition while everyone else is waiting for a connection.
Does Nightreign have crossplay?
No. Nightreign supports cross-generation play inside a platform family, but it does not connect PlayStation, Xbox, and PC players in one party.
| Platform family | Compatible generations | Can play with | Cannot play with |
|---|---|---|---|
| PlayStation | PS4 and PS5 | PS4 or PS5 players | Xbox and PC players |
| Xbox | Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S | Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S players | PlayStation and PC players |
| PC | PC | Other PC players | PlayStation and Xbox players |
Cross-generation compatibility should not be confused with cross-platform compatibility. A PS4 owner and a PS5 owner can group together because they are in the PlayStation family; that does not allow either player to join an Xbox or PC user. The same rule applies to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Bandai Namco’s technical information states that crossplay between different platforms is unavailable.
Check this before buying the game or troubleshooting a failed search. Changing a network option, using a password, or forming a platform party cannot overcome a platform-family restriction.
How do I invite friends to Nightreign?
The supported setup uses the Table of Lost Grace and password matchmaking. The official guides explain where to configure the cooperative settings, but they do not document a universal, platform-by-platform button sequence for sending a direct friend invitation. Use your console or PC platform’s party features to coordinate, then complete the actual expedition setup in Nightreign.
- Confirm everyone’s platform family. Check that the party is entirely PlayStation, entirely Xbox, or entirely PC. PS4 and PS5 can be mixed, as can Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
- Meet at the Table of Lost Grace. This is the pre-expedition location where Nightreign exposes the cooperative matchmaking settings and password controls.
- Set the expedition method to Multiplayer Mode. Do not leave any player on Single Player Mode. A player in the solo method will not join the cooperative search.
- Select one boss. Every player must choose the same target boss. A different expedition target prevents the group from matching even when the password is correct.
- Enter one password on every system. Match the characters exactly. Passwords are case-sensitive, so uppercase and lowercase letters must be consistent for all players.
- Start the expedition matchmaking. Once the method, boss, and password agree, begin the search. Keep the platform party open if you need voice communication or a way to confirm that everyone is ready.
Why the Table of Lost Grace matters
The Table of Lost Grace is not merely a rest point for the group. It is the pre-expedition control point identified by the Starter Guide for changing cooperative matchmaking settings and passwords. Make these changes before launching the expedition rather than assuming a later menu will correct an incompatible setup.
Have one person act as the settings coordinator. That player can announce the exact password and boss, while each teammate reads back what appears on their own screen. This simple process catches a wrong capital letter or an accidentally different expedition before the search starts.
What if I cannot find a direct invite option?
Do not invent a platform-specific invite sequence from another game. Nightreign’s documented method is password-based matchmaking, with platform party-making features available as a troubleshooting or coordination aid. If a friend is not appearing, verify the in-game settings first instead of relying on a console or PC party alone.
A platform party establishes communication and can help players find one another, but the expedition itself still depends on Nightreign’s Multiplayer Mode, boss selection, and password. The absence of a familiar “invite” button does not mean the group must use a different mode.
Why is password matchmaking not working?
Check the causes below in the order Bandai Namco recommends. Most failed searches come from one setting being different on one player’s system. Change one item at a time so the group can identify what corrected the problem.
1. Recheck the password character by character
Have one person read the password aloud while every other player compares each character. Capital letters matter. A password that looks similar but differs in case is a different password for matchmaking purposes. Watch for an omitted character, an extra space, or a player who edited the password after the others had already started searching.
2. Confirm Multiplayer Mode
Return to the expedition setup and make sure every player selected Multiplayer Mode. If even one member chose Single Player Mode, that player is not configured for the cooperative search. Offline-capable solo play and online cooperative play are separate choices.
3. Confirm the boss selection
Compare the selected expedition target on every screen. The group must choose the same boss; matching passwords cannot compensate for different targets. If the party changes its target, stop the current search and have everyone select the new boss before trying again.
4. Compare application and regulation versions
Nightreign displays application and regulation-file version details in the lower-right corner of the title screen. Everyone should update to the latest available versions and compare those details before trying again. A version mismatch can block matchmaking even when the visible expedition settings agree. Each player should return to the title screen and check rather than assuming an update installed successfully.
5. Match the out-of-region setting
Open Main menu > System > Network Setting > Out-of-region matchmaking. Everyone in the group should use the same choice. This setting is separate from platform compatibility: changing it does not make PlayStation, Xbox, and PC crossplay possible. If one player has a different choice, standardize the setting and start a new search.
6. Use platform party-making features
If the in-game search still does not connect, try forming the group through the platform’s own party-making features, then return to Nightreign and repeat the cooperative setup. This is a fallback suggested in Bandai Namco’s troubleshooting guidance, not a replacement for selecting Multiplayer Mode, the same boss, and the shared password.
7. Retry a password-free search correctly
If you were attempting matchmaking without a password and no companions appear, exit matchmaking and try the search again. If the second attempt fails, restart the game and repeat the setup. A password is useful when you specifically want to coordinate with named friends, while a password-free search is a different matchmaking attempt. Do not treat a failed password-free search as proof that the friends’ shared password is wrong.
8. Check Remembrance progression
After the basic settings and software checks pass, inspect each player’s Remembrance status. Matchmaking can fail when multiple members are progressing their own Remembrance missions at the same time. This progression conflict can look like a password or server problem because the party may otherwise appear correctly configured.
Can Remembrance missions prevent friends from connecting?
Yes. Matchmaking can fail when several members of the party are simultaneously progressing their own Remembrance missions. This is a progression-state conflict rather than a password or platform error.
Bandai Namco’s guidance gives two ways to avoid it:
- The player who is pursuing a Remembrance should start matchmaking first.
- Alternatively, a player can deactivate the Remembrance mission from the Journal menu before the group searches.
If the party has already checked its password, boss, mode, versions, and network setting, inspect Remembrance status before assuming the servers or platform are incompatible. If more than one player wants to advance personal Remembrance content, coordinate whose mission is active for that search, then reactivate or pursue the other mission separately.
Can I play Nightreign co-op offline?
No. Cooperative multiplayer requires an internet connection. The offline-capable option described in the Starter Guide is Single Player Mode, so it cannot be used to bring friends into the same expedition.
That distinction also explains why a local platform party does not create an offline co-op session. A console or PC party can help friends communicate and organize, but Nightreign still needs its online multiplayer matchmaking to place them in one expedition. If a player has no connection, that player can use the solo mode but cannot join the group’s online expedition.
Which version should each friend buy?
Choose an edition for the platform family your group actually uses. Bandai Namco lists physical and digital editions with platform-specific choices, so a PlayStation purchase is appropriate for a PlayStation group, an Xbox edition for an Xbox group, and a PC edition for a PC group. The key compatibility question is the platform edition, not whether the copy is physical or digital.
Before buying, resolve the platform question first:
- A PS5 edition does not let its owner join an Xbox or PC friend.
- A PS4 player can join a PS5 player because both are on PlayStation.
- An Xbox One player can join an Xbox Series X|S player because both are on Xbox.
- Cross-generation support within PlayStation or Xbox does not extend across platform families.
Checking this before purchase avoids the most expensive form of matchmaking troubleshooting: owning the game on a platform that the rest of the party cannot use. If a group is still deciding where to buy, list every player’s intended platform first, then choose editions that keep the group inside one family.
How should a three-player group organize its first expedition?
Because the advertised co-op format is three players, settle the roster before opening matchmaking. One player can post the exact boss name and password in the group chat; the other two can confirm their platform, mode, and version from their own screens. This is especially useful when PS4 and PS5 or Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S players are mixed, since the generations differ even though the platform family is compatible.
Use a consistent order: platform check, Table of Lost Grace, Multiplayer Mode, boss, password, then search. If the first attempt fails, repeat that same order instead of changing several options simultaneously. A fixed routine makes it clear whether the cause is an input mistake, an update, a network setting, or Remembrance progression.
What should the group check before pressing Start?
Use this short preflight check whenever you assemble the party:
- Everyone is in the same platform family.
- Everyone has an internet connection.
- Everyone is at the Table of Lost Grace or otherwise ready to configure the expedition.
- Every player selected Multiplayer Mode.
- Every player selected the same boss.
- Every player entered the identical, case-sensitive password.
- The application and regulation versions are the latest available release.
- The out-of-region matchmaking choice is the same for everyone.
- No more than one player is trying to progress a Remembrance at the same time, or the relevant mission has been deactivated.
If all nine checks pass, start matchmaking. If the search still fails, exit it, retry, and restart the game if necessary before changing several settings at once. After a successful connection, keep the platform party available for communication, but remember that the in-game expedition remains governed by Nightreign’s multiplayer settings.
Common misconceptions to avoid
- “PS4 and PS5 crossplay means every platform can connect.” It does not. That is cross-generation play within PlayStation.
- “Out-of-region matchmaking enables Xbox-to-PC play.” It only changes the regional search setting; platform-family restrictions remain.
- “A correct password is enough.” The mode, boss, software versions, regional setting, and progression state must also be compatible.
- “A platform party is the expedition.” It is a communication and coordination tool, not an offline multiplayer session.
- “A missing direct-invite button means co-op is unavailable.” The documented approach is password matchmaking configured at the Table of Lost Grace.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does changing out-of-region matchmaking enable crossplay between Xbox and PC?
No. Out-of-region matchmaking changes how the game handles regional searches; it does not alter the platform-family restriction. Xbox and PC players still cannot enter the same Nightreign co-op party.
Can friends use a console or PC party while setting up Nightreign?
Yes. Platform party-making features can help friends coordinate and are an official fallback when in-game matchmaking is troublesome. The Nightreign expedition still has to be configured in Multiplayer Mode with the required boss and password settings.
Do physical and digital copies work differently for co-op?
The important compatibility factor is the platform edition, not whether the copy is physical or digital. Each player should use an edition for the same platform family as the rest of the party.
What is the fastest way to isolate a failed connection?
Have everyone compare one setting at a time, beginning with the password, then Multiplayer Mode and boss selection, followed by software versions and the out-of-region choice. If those agree, inspect Remembrance missions before restarting the game.
Can PS4 play Elden Ring Nightreign with PS5?
Yes. PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 players can play together because they are in the same platform family.
Can Xbox One play with Xbox Series X|S?
Yes. Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S support play together within the Xbox platform family.
Can Xbox and PC play together?
No. Nightreign does not provide crossplay between Xbox and PC. The same restriction applies between PlayStation and either Xbox or PC.
Why does my password look right but matchmaking still fail?
Passwords are case-sensitive, and the party must also match Multiplayer Mode, the expedition boss, application and regulation versions, and the out-of-region matchmaking choice. If those agree, check whether multiple players are progressing Remembrance missions.
Can I use Single Player Mode and add friends later?
No. Cooperative matchmaking requires Multiplayer Mode. Single Player Mode is the offline-capable option and does not place friends in the same expedition.
What should happen if password-free matchmaking finds nobody?
Exit matchmaking and try again. If the second attempt fails, restart the game and repeat the setup. Password-free searching is separate from using a shared password with specific friends.
How many friends can join one co-op expedition?
Nightreign is described as a three-player co-op experience, so organize the party around three players.
The Bottom Line
For a reliable Nightreign session, keep the party within one platform family, meet at the Table of Lost Grace, select Multiplayer Mode and the same boss, and enter one identical case-sensitive password. If it fails, compare versions and out-of-region settings, then check Remembrance missions before retrying or restarting.