My Nightreign Nightmare: How NAT Type Almost Ruined Elden Ring

I’m a seasoned veteran of , clocking in over 150 hours. And, as I’m always quick to admit, I’m not exactly good at it. A significant portion of that time has been spent relying on the patience and skill of my partner and our friend, who consistently carries me through the game. Together, we’re slowly chipping away at the Night bosses, with only the DLC’s Dreglord remaining unconquered. While my lack of skill is undoubtedly a factor in our progress (or lack thereof), I recently discovered another culprit: NAT Type.

The Disconnect Drama

has been plagued by constant disconnects for months, seemingly out of nowhere. Almost every match would involve one or both of us getting stuck in a frustrating loop, unable to interact with the world before being abruptly kicked back to the main menu. This wasn’t just an annoyance; it was a significant disadvantage. We’re talking about losing precious minutes, respawning far from the action, and often forcing our friend to fight bosses solo while we struggled to rejoin the game.

We tried everything imaginable to fix this: checking our connections, resetting routers countless times, experimenting with different hosting configurations, ensuring wired connections – you name it. Nothing worked. The frustration was mounting, especially knowing that I was often the one dragging the team down.

Unmasking the NAT Culprit

Finally, after some dedicated research, my partner uncovered the dreaded culprit: NAT Type. Apparently, our NAT types were set to “Moderate,” which can cause issues with online multiplayer connections. The solution involved a series of complex steps related to router configurations. For us on Xbox, we resorted to repeatedly using the “Test NAT” function in the settings until it eventually switched our NAT type to “Open.” While this worked initially, my NAT type mysteriously reverted back to “Moderate” after a few hours. We repeated the process, and thankfully, it has remained stable since.

Now, before every session, I have to check this setting. It’s ridiculous! Why does something so fundamental to online gaming require such deep technical knowledge? I feel like I shouldn’t need a degree in networking just to play a co-op game with friends who all have excellent internet connections.

If you’re experiencing similar disconnect issues in , or any other online game, consider diving into the murky waters of NAT Type. I don’t recommend it unless absolutely necessary, but it did allow me to finally enjoy without constant frustration. However, as soon as I defeat Dreglord, I fully intend to forget everything I know (or think I know) about NAT Type and never look back.