How to access the Elden Ring Colosseums & fight other players

How to access the Elden Ring Colosseums & fight other players
Images via FromSoftware

Written by 

Harry Boulton

Last updated 

10th May 2024 12:18

Highlights:

  • Colosseums in Elden Ring are arenas where players can fight one another in various duels, including 1v1 and 2v2
  • You can access them by heading to their respective location on the map, or by using the statue in the Roundtable Hold

If you're looking to engage in some good old-fashioned PvP in Elden Ring before the release of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, then the Colosseums are the perfect place to do so - and I'm here to break down how you can use them for yourself.

As you take your time to get a character prepared for Shadow of the Erdtree, I'm here to show you how you can test them out in the game's Colosseums, including the best settings for your play style.

How to use the Colosseums in Elden Ring

Once you've reached any of the three Colosseums, or used the statue by the fireplace in the Roundtable Hold, all you need to do is head through the giant main door, walk up to the altar underneath the shrine of Marika, and interact with it to bring up the menu.

Then, once you've configured all of your desired settings, search for a battle and wait for someone to match with you.

The map locations of the Colosseums in Elden Ring
Click to enlarge

To use any of the Colosseums in Elden Ring, you must first actually find where they are. We've got a full guide for all of the Elden Ring Colosseums locations here to get you there in the first place though, as it can be quite tricky otherwise considering the lack of signposting.

You can engage in combat from any of the three locations, and there aren't any differences beyond slight aesthetic variations to match the location they're found within. You don't need to worry about your runes either, as you will lose nothing upon death, which is great if you're not quite the best at PvP right now.

Elden Ring colosseums combat formats

Setting up a search within the colosseums can be quite confusing, as there are several different settings to choose from that affect the format of each battle, including:

  • Number of players
  • Spirit Ashes
  • Player Restrictions
  • Colosseum Passwords
  • Venue

While options like allowing Elden Ring Spirit Ashes or setting a password are self-explanatory, the Combat Format selection at the top is where you might get confused.

The menu to set combat parameters in Elden Ring's colosseum
Click to enlarge

Here's a guide to what all three of the different combat formats do:

Combat Format Description
Duel Players fight one on one for 180 seconds until a player is defeated. Use of Flask of Crimson Tears (healing) is not allowed. Use of Flask of Cerulean Tears (magic) is allowed, but only in a limited quantity.
Combat Ordeal Free for all combat beyond just two players, with an extended time limit of 300 seconds. Players win by downing their opponents as many times as possible. Use of both flasks is allowed but only in limited numbers.
United Combat Players are divided into two teams. Time limit of 300 seconds, and the winner is the team with the most kills. Use of both flasks is allowed but only in limited numbers.

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That's everything you need to get started with the Colosseums in Elden Ring so you can start fighting other players. Don't forget to head over to our Elden Ring homepage where you can find all the things you might have missed in the Shadow of the Erdtree trailer and all the best weapon skills with this Elden Ring Ashes of War guide.

Harry Boulton
About the author
Harry Boulton
Harry is a Guides Writer at GGRecon, having completed a Masters of Research degree in Film Studies. Previously a freelance writer for PCGamesN, The Loadout, and Red Bull Gaming, he loves playing a wide variety of games from the Souls series to JRPGs, Counter-Strike, and EA FC. When not playing or writing about games and hardware, you're likely to find him watching football or listening to Madonna and Kate Bush.
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