Elden Ring mods aren't necessarily going to be the first thing you think of when jumping into our 2022 game of the year for the first time. But if you've already experienced everything the Lands Between has to offer, it might be time to change things up and start hunting down some mods.
There are still good reasons to dip your toe into modding right from the start, though. Maybe you want to make the game easier, or perhaps you just want to be able to pause the action to catch your breath while working your way through a particularly tricky area. Whatever the reason, this guide will point you in the direction of the best Elden Ring mods.
Shadow of the Erdtree has introduced some new wrinkles and opportunities for modders: While a few old favorites have been borked, many still work or have been updated for the DLC.
Caveats
A word of warning: You need to disable the anti-cheat software to get any mod to work, which should automatically take the game offline. Windows Central has a guide on how to do this, but even so, proceed at your own risk. If you accidentally go online with mods installed, you risk getting banned.
Quality of Life
Flawless Widescreen
Flawless Widescreen is a plugin that works with numerous games to enable proper ultrawide support and other display features. Elden Ring is rather obnoxiously stuck with 16:9 resolutions and a 60 fps cap, so this isn't just for 3840x1600 high rollers. If you want to play the game at 16:10, 4:3, or at high frame rates, this is the fix for you—as long as you don't mind giving up multiplayer features.
Yes, even though this simply patches in functionality FromSoftware should really just offer from the get go, Flawless Widescreen will invite the wrath of Easy AntiCheat if you use it while online.
Seamless Co-op
Seamless co-op is the way to play Elden Ring with friends, bar none. The base game restricts you to playing in certain areas and will send your buds home whenever you beat a boss—that's fine for when you just need a hand in a tough fight, but what if you want to experience the whole thing from beginning to end with co-op partners?
I usually lone wolf these games, but I found Seamless Co-op to be both easy and fun to use. It runs on a separate .exe with its own servers and save files, so your vanilla game data will remain safe from EAC's Eye of Sauron as well. Seamless Co-op has also been updated for the DLC, with author Luke Yui actively working to ensure compatibility and stability.
Pause the game
Given the name, this mod does exactly what you'd expect it to. It allows you to pause the action while exploring the Lands Between, so you don't need to worry about enemy attacks if you need to nip to the bathroom or grab a few extra snacks. You can also set the keybind on both keyboard and controllers.
Fix the Camera
You've probably noticed that the camera in Elden Ring automatically tries to recenter itself, which can produce awkward angles at crucial times. If this is something you just can't get used to, this mod aims to fix that. It currently works fine with mouse and keyboard users, and the author is working on improvements if you use a controller.
Easy mode for Elden Ring
Again, this mod should be self-explanatory. To make the game more accessible: reducing incoming damage, increasing your attack power, boosting the number of runes you acquire, or dramatically reducing the number of items needed to upgrade weapons. Easy Mode has also been upgraded to work with the DLC.
Elden Reshade - HDR FX
If you want subtle tweaks to the lighting in the Lands Between, this mod is for you. It doesn't take away from the game's ambience but if you care about more life-like visuals, it offers enough of an improvement to make it a worthwhile download. If you want a reshade mod that makes more dramatic changes, you might want to check out the transformative Painterly Reshade or moody Glumby Reshade mods. Though it hasn't been updated in some time, Elden Reshade should still be compatible with Shadow of the Erdtree.
Glorious Merchant
Cheats without even needing to use Cheat Engine: The Glorious Merchant is a super-easy way to gear up for Shadow of the Erdtree if you're not jonesin' for a full base game playthrough, or to completely respec a character without expending too many resources.
New Content
The Convergence
The Convergence is one of two main content overhauls for Elden Ring, with each one having a similar scope and ambition. They're also mutually exclusive, so pick the one you prefer and stick with that. Note: At the time of writing, it does not seem like The Convergence has been fully updated for Shadow of the Erdtree. Use at your own risk, but it's likely that the modified content in the base game and the unmodified content in the DLC can coexist fine.
I think my favorite feature of The Convergence is its unique classes, each with their own lore and starting location in Elden Ring's open world. Basically, think those alternate start mods for Oblivion and Skyrim, and there are 27 here for you to choose from.
Other than that, The Convergence also adds a boss replay feature, new crafting and fast travel options, new gear, new bosses, as well as overhauled dungeons. Definitely wait for a replay to check out this or Reforged.
Elden Ring Reforged
Reforged is a similarly expansive overhaul to The Convergence. To differentiate them at a high level, I'd say Reforged has a bigger focus on revamping Elden Ring's basic mechanics. It rebalances every piece of gear, adjusts enemy hitboxes, introduces new block and dodge variations, adds a bestiary, and more. This is all in addition to offering its own remixed bosses, weapons, and spells like The Convergence.
Unlike The Convergence, Reforged has already been brought fully in line with the DLC, so you can go nuts.
Fun Stuff
Ranni Skin for Tarnished
Everyone loves Ranni so what's better than to be able to play the game with her appearance? Run around in the Lands Between as your favourite blue-haired witch and have her take matters into her own hands, rather than waiting for some lowly tarnished to do her bidding.
Promised Consort Tarnished
Are you jealous that the DLC final boss gets to have his boyfriend riding him around piggy back like they're a really cringey, clingy couple at a high school anime club? Well now you can do the same with your demigod of choice. I refuse to call a fictional character a "waifu" even in jest.
Night's Cavalry Horse Replacement
Tired of riding Torrent around the Lands Between? He may be your trusty steed but he does look a bit worse for wear—luckily, that's where this mod comes in. It replaces Torrent with the Night's Cavalry horse, which may or may not be in a better state, but as it's pretty much covered with some sort of blanket, does it really matter?
Cat Ears
Wolf helms are great, but cat ears are even better. Give your tarnished that Final Fantasy 14 vibe with this handy mod. It replaces two of the headpieces in-game with cat ears which come in two different colours. And you can even choose whether the insides of the ears are fluffy. Those bosses will surely cower in fear.
