Dark Souls Remastered Weapon Matchmaking Guide
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Dark Souls Remastered Weapon Matchmaking Guide

As previously announced, Dark Souls Remastered match-making has adapted several restrictions based off Dark Souls 3 matchmaking. These new restrictions and tiers will affect twinks and co-op. This may explain why players can’t seem to find many natural signs without a password.

In this article, we lay out the results of our testing, conducted by participants of our Discord: PrimeraEspada91, Renzokuken, Zerimore, ACpilotZero, Barrywilkins and more. These tests are preliminary, of course, so expect in-depth results to update this article.

Dark Souls Remastered Weapon Matchmaking Explained

Simply progressing your game and picking up certain weapons will – without your knowledge – inflate your “summoning tier”. Some examples of the weapons are: Black Knight weapons, unique shields (upgraded with twinkling), unique weapons from tail cuts like Moonlight sword. Since DS:RE follows the DS3 rules, once these items are in your inventory, dropping, depositing, giving away still leaves a memory on that character. You can consider Unique Weapons by their upgrades.

This information will be added to the Online and Summon Range Calculator pages of the wiki once we have done more in-depth testing. Please feel free to come by the chatroom and participate in the discovery process!

Summoning Guide

First series of tests were 2 equal Soul Level characters (sl 1) picking up just simple weapons and no upgrades. We could summon each other with no password.

Second series of test were 2 equal soul level characters (sl 1) but picked up black knight weapons and Astora Straight Sword was unable to summon each other naturally. We had to use passwords and the one with the higher weapons (black knight and Astora) our characters where nerfed. This was done in different sets of tests: first using just the black knight and just the Astora. This appear that there is different tiers from normal and unique weapons.

Third test was normal weapons (there is a +4 gap for players):

  • Player A with +0 or NO upgrades can summon Player B if they have a +4 weapon.
  • Player A with +1 weapons can summon Player B if they have up to a +5 weapon.
  • Player A with +2 weapons can summon Player B if they have up to a +6 weapon.
  • Player A with +3 weapons can summon Player B if they have up to a +7 weapon.
  • Player A with +4 weapons can summon Player B if they have up to a +8 weapon.
  • Player A with +5 weapons can summon Player B if they have up to a +9 weapon.
  • Player A with +6 weapons can summon Player B if they have up to a +10 weapon.
  • Player A with +7 weapons can summon Player B if they have up to a +11 weapon.
  • Player A with +8 weapons can summon Player B if they have up to a +12 weapon.
  • Player A with +9 weapons can summon Player B if they have up to a +13 weapon.
  • Player A with +10 weapons can summon Player B if they have up to a +14 weapon.
  • Player A with +11 to +15 weapons can summon Player B if they have up to a +15 weapon.

Fourth series of test involved testing unique weapons. They have a different system than normal. A +0 unique (demon, twinkling, dragon scale) are equal to a +5 normal weapon. Then each upgrade will add another +2 to the list. The +4 gap still applies to this.

  • Player A with +1 regular weapon can summon Player B if they have an +0 unique weapon (+5 regular weapon)
  • Player A with +3 regular weapon can summon Player B if they have an +1 unique weapon (+7 regular weapon)
  • Player A with +5 regular weapon can summon Player B if they have an +2 unique weapon (+9 regular weapon)
  • Player A with +7 regular weapon can summon Player B if they have an +3 unique weapon (+11 regular weapon)
  • Player A with +9 regular weapon can summon Player B if they have an +4 unique weapon (+13 regular weapon)
  • Player A with +11 regular weapon can summon Player B if they have an +5 unique weapon (+15 regular weapon)

Fifth series of tests involved armor. 1 SL 1 character with upgraded armor and 1 SL 1 character without upgrades. Does not appear armor follows weapon matchmaking pattern. Regardless of level both could summon naturally. This test was then replicated using unique armor. Findings show that it is the same as normal armor, no drawbacks.

Final tests consist of shields testing normal shields and unique ones. Unique shields are considered +0 regular at +0 and each +1 level of an unique shield’s reinforcement is considered +3 regular.  This also follows the +4 gap players must be in to connect.

  • Player A with a +0 regular shield can summon Player B if they have a +0 unique shield (+0 regular shield)
  • Player A with a +0 regular shield can summon Player B if they have a +1 unique shield (+3 regular shield)
  • Player A with a +2 regular shield can summon Player B if they have a +2 unique shield (+6 regular shield)
  • Player A with a +5 regular shield can summon Player B if they have a +3 unique shield (+9 regular shield)
  • Player A with a +8 regular shield can summon Player B if they have a +4 unique shield (+12 regular shield)
  • Player A with a +11 regular shield can summon Player B if they have a +5 unique shield (+15 regular shield)

Summarizing Findings

Summary: Dropping consumables, rings, and armor (even upgraded armor) doesn’t have any restrictions. If you must drop weapons, drop them at base level and drop the proper upgrade materials. Weapon matchmaking is +4 gap between players. Unique weapons and shields have a weird structure so be aware if you pick them up.

If you’re looking for more Dark Souls Remastered content, you might be interested in checking out our DKS Remastered Review, the Dark Souls Roadmap, a Dark Souls Trophy Guide or delve into some souls lore with Dark Souls-The Spirituality and Nature of Humanity and the Soul or historical fun with Art History and the Helmets of Dark Souls.

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Comments

27 responses to “Dark Souls Remastered Weapon Matchmaking Guide”


  1. Since people report different things and i dont see it mentioned there. Does Soft Humanity play into mm?

  2. This contains the information about what sets your internal Weapon Level value
    https://www.reddit.com/r/darksouls/comments/8mh6pb/verified_information_regarding_how_dsr_calculates/” rel=”nofollow

    There are some reports that are consistent with these observations, that the summoning range is +4, but also some reports that it is +5
    https://www.reddit.com/r/darksouls/comments/8m5z90/weapon_matchmaking_is_implemented_in_the_worst/” rel=”nofollow
    https://www.reddit.com/r/darksouls/comments/8mmxqz/my_final_5_connecting_to_a_0_matchmaking_test/” rel=”nofollow

    There’s not much of a confirmation about whether the +4 or +5 range is the same for invasions.

    My conjecture would be they intended for co-op to be at most +5, and invasion at most +4.
    That is, because joining the Dark Wraith covenant will grant the Dark Hand in addition to the Red Eye Orb, thereby setting your Weapon Level value to +5, and preventing unlimited burg invasions.

    There are still some… really broken outliers in terms what what can be abused in this system.

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