How to fix ‘Unable to summon cooperator’ error in Elden Ring

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is an enthralling adventure alone or with friends, but many players are encountering a frustrating error preventing them from summoning friendly cooperators. If you’re getting the “unable to summon cooperator” message in Elden Ring, keep reading.

‘Unable to summon cooperator’ in Elden Ring and DLC, explained

In Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree, you get the “unable to summon cooperator” message when you try to summon a player, and, for whatever reason, the connection doesn’t go through. It happens when you or the person you’re summoning has an unstable connection or if they disconnect, quit the game, or leave the area while your game is still connecting to theirs.

This error is especially common in busy areas where there are lots of Summon Signs and players wanting help—especially outside boss arenas. This is because Summon Signs are first come, first serve, and when you interact with one and attempt to summon a player in a busy spot, there’s a decent chance someone else already tried to summon that player first.

How to fix the ‘Unable to summon cooperator’ error in Elden Ring and DLC

There’s no specific in-game fix to get around this message, so if you need help with a difficult area or boss, be persistent and keep looking for Summoning Signs. Try to be quick and summon cooperators before anyone else gets to them. It helps to camp in front of the Summoning Pool statue, and immediately spam Interact as soon as you see (or hear) a Summoning Sign spawn.

If you feel like you’re encountering the problem more than normal, restart your game. There aren’t any known server issues at the time of writing, but FromSoftware games can be a bit temperamental, and restarting your game often helps solve issues like this by resetting your connection to Bandai Namco’s multiplayer server. Lastly, if the problem still persists, reset your router, as there’s always a chance you’re having internet issues.

On top of summoning allies, you’ll have an easier time the more you upgrade your Scadutree Blessing. Check out my comprehensive guide to all Scadutree Fragments in Elden Ring’s DLC—you need all the Fragments you can get, especially in the Land of Shadow’s later areas.