Dark Souls 2 Seamless Co-op Mod Lets You Beat the Game With 5 Friends

Dark Souls 2 just got a whole lot friendlier. Modder Yui has released a seamless co-op mod for the game, as spotted by DSO Gaming, and it lets you and your buddies play through the entire adventure together without the usual restrictions.

In theory, you can now start from the tutorial area and fight all the way to the final boss in a single, uninterrupted co-op session. That means no more getting booted back to your own world after every boss kill or area clear. Die, and you'll simply respawn at the last bonfire you rested at, still in the same world as your friends. Fog gates and plenty of other barriers have been removed too, so you can explore freely as a group.

The mod keeps everyone's NPC conversations and world events in sync. Resting at a bonfire resets the world for all players, and any progress you make together carries over into each player's own save. Up to six players can join the same session, and it runs on a brand-new peer-to-peer networking system built with Steam's updated networking tools.

Quality-of-life features are baked in as well. You can hop into the host's game from anywhere in the world, and if your connection drops, you can quickly rejoin. There are also menu volume options, improved controller support, a borderless fullscreen mode, and even a way to skip the end credits. On top of that, the mod restores some cosmetic items from the past.

Since seamless co-op could make the game a cakewalk, the mod adds new mechanics to keep things challenging. You can tweak enemy strength to suit your group's needs. If one player is locked in a boss fight, the others can't rest at a bonfire. And if you die during a boss encounter or an invasion, you're stuck spectating until the fight ends or someone rests at a bonfire.

There's also an optional curse system for masochists. Every death makes enemies stronger, and dying too many times can cause serious trouble for the game world. So maybe don't treat your friends as extra lives.

Dark Souls 2 is available on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. If you've been waiting for a reason to return to Drangleic with a full party, this might be it. Will you be gathering five friends for a seamless run, or are you brave enough to try the curse system? Let us know in the comments!