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How to Install Elden Ring Mods on PC

A practical PC guide to installing Elden Ring mods with Mod Engine 2 or a mod-specific DLL loader, including save backups, file conflicts and anti-cheat cautions.
Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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To install an Elden Ring mod on PC, follow the installation method its author specifies. For mods that support Mod Engine 2, place the mod files in a named folder, add that folder to config_eldenring.toml, and launch with launchmod_eldenring.bat. Other mods may use a different loader and launch method. Back up your save first, and do not assume a modded setup is safe for online play.

Before installing, check the mod’s requirements

Read the mod’s current description and installation instructions before downloading. Confirm the game version and any prerequisites the author lists, then note whether the mod uses Mod Engine 2, a DLL-based method, or another loader. These methods are not interchangeable, and instructions for one mod should not be treated as universal.

The Mod Engine 2 project README lists Elden Ring as supported, but states: “Development on Mod Engine 2 is discontinued. Any future work will be done on me3.” Check the available Mod Engine 2 releases and the mod author’s compatibility notes before proceeding. Compatibility with every mod or current game build is not established.

Install a mod that uses Mod Engine 2

  1. Back up your save. The Mod Engine 2 release note recommends doing this before setup. It identifies the usual Windows save location as AppDataRoamingEldenRing. Copy the save files somewhere safe before changing files or launch behavior.
  2. Download and extract Mod Engine 2. Follow the release’s instructions. The release note says the tool can be extracted outside the Elden Ring game folder.
  3. Create a folder for the mod. Inside the extracted Mod Engine 2 directory, create a clearly named folder for the mod and unpack the mod files into it. Keep the mod’s expected asset subfolders intact.
  4. Add the folder to the configuration. Open config_eldenring.toml and list the mod folder as instructed by the configuration file. Mod Engine 2’s Elden Ring configuration documentation explains the expected structure and priority behavior.
  5. Launch the modded game. Use launchmod_eldenring.bat from the Mod Engine 2 directory, as specified in the release note. Do not substitute another executable unless the mod author’s instructions tell you to.

The release note describes this as a preview build and warns that it may have issues. If the setup fails, re-check the mod’s folder layout and configuration entry, then consult the mod’s instructions and the release notes rather than moving files into the game directory at random.

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#1 Best Overall
ELDEN RING: Tarnished Edition - Nintendo Switch 2
  • ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition contains the Elden Ring Base Game + Shadow of the Erdtree Expansion + Additional Content (including Torrent Skins, New Armors, and More...)
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Keep the mod’s file structure intact

Mod Engine 2 expects modded files to follow FromSoftware’s asset-folder structure. Preserve the subfolders included with the mod when unpacking it; placing a file at the wrong level can prevent it from loading.

When two configured mods replace the same file, the higher-priority mod wins. The configuration does not merge those files. This matters for shared files such as regulation.bin: installing two mods that each provide one does not combine their changes. Look for a merge supplied by the mod authors or a supported merge workflow before using both.

DLL-based mods use different instructions

A Nexus Mods guide added on 15 March 2026 gives one specific DLL-based example. In that guide, dinput8.dll is placed beside eldenring.exe; the game is launched directly through eldenring.exe for that guide’s solo/offline setup. The guide says start_protected_game.exe activates EAC and blocks that mod. These steps apply to the described mod, not to every DLL mod or to Mod Engine 2. See the Nexus Mods Installation and Usage Guide and follow the instructions for the specific mod you downloaded.

For that particular DLL method, the guide says to check DINPUT8.log in the game’s Game folder to verify the loader’s activity. Its uninstall step is to delete dinput8.dll; deleting the log is optional. Do not use these checks or cleanup steps as general requirements for other loaders.

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Rank #3
Bandai Namco Entertainment Elden Ring (PS4)
  • A New Fantasy World – Journey through the Lands Between, a new fantasy world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki, creator of the influential Dark Souls video game series, and George R. R. Martin, author of The New York Times best-selling fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire. Unravel the mysteries of the Elden Ring’s power. Encounter adversaries with profound backgrounds, characters with their own unique motivations for helping or hindering your progress, and fearsome creatures
  • World Exploration in the Lands Between – Elden Ring features vast fantastical landscapes and shadowy, complex dungeons that are connected seamlessly. Traverse the breathtaking world on foot or on horseback, alone or online with other players, and fully immerse yourself in the grassy plains, suffocating swamps, spiraling mountains, foreboding castles and other sites of grandeur on a scale never seen before in a FromSoftware title
  • Genre-Defining Gameplay – Create your character in FromSoftware’s refined action-RPG and define your playstyle by experimenting with a wide variety of weapons, magical abilities, and skills found throughout the world. Charge into battle, pick off enemies one-by-one using stealth, or even call upon allies for aid. Many options are at your disposal as you decide how to approach exploration and combat

Handle anti-cheat and online play cautiously

Anti-cheat behavior depends on the mod and loader. The cited DLL guide warns that its mod is blocked when launched through start_protected_game.exe and describes its direct-launch method for solo/offline use. That example does not establish that other modded configurations are safe online, immune from penalties, or compatible with EAC. Use the exact mod and loader instructions, and do not enter online play with a setup whose author has not explicitly addressed it.

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Can you install Elden Ring mods on console?

The installation instructions covered here are for PC files and loaders. They do not establish a console mod-installation method or console support; check the mod author’s platform notes rather than assuming PC instructions apply.

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