Player versus Player (Dark Souls II)

For other uses, see Player versus Player (disambiguation).

Multiple player characters engaging in PvP combat in the Forest of Fallen Giants.

Player versus Player (PvP) is a type of online gameplay in Dark Souls II where players engage in combat against other players.

PvP-oriented Covenants

There are multiple covenants in Dark Souls II that are enable the player to take part in different PvP types. These are Bell Keepers, Blue Sentinels, Way of Blue, Brotherhood of Blood, Rat King, Dragon Remnants, and Pilgrims of Dark. The player in who's world combat is done is called the Host.

Types of PvP

Invasions

Invasions are a form of PvP matchmaking where only the invader explicitly consents to initiating the match. These can be achieved by using Cracked Red Eye Orbs, Cracked Blue Eye Orbs, or the Bell Keeper's Seal. Invaders have a set time limit on how long they may remain in a host's world. Hosts may be Hollowed or Human. Cracked Eye Orb Invasions can be blocked for a time in an area by Burning a Human Effigy at a Bonfire. 3 Methods enter this category

Cracked Red Eye Orb

• Using a Cracked Red Eye Orb will cause the player to invade as a Dark Spirit within the same area the player is in.
• If the host is successfully killed, the player will be considered to have sinned.
• If the Host is killed, the invader will receive a Token of Spite and a number of souls relative to the Soul Level of the Host.
• If the invader is killed, the host is awarded a Human Effigy and a number of souls relative to the Soul Level of the invader.
• This method gives the invader a timer of 15m.

Cracked Blue Eye Orb

• Using a Cracked Blue Eye Orb will cause the player to invade as an Arbiter Spirit in one of the more populated areas for the player's Soul Memory (denoted in the Warp Menu by orange borders).
• These eye orbs only look for opponents who have become a sinner vis sinning and will not receive sin if that person is killed.
• If the host is killed, the Arbiter will receive a Token of Fidelity.
• If the Arbiter is killed, the host gains souls relative to the Arbiter's Soul Level.
• This method gives the invader a timer of 15m.

Bell Keeper's Seal

• Wearing the Bell Keeper's Seal will cause the player to invade as a Grey Spirit when a match is found in either Belfry Sol or Belfry Luna.
• The Bell Keeper Player does not have to remain in the Belfries in their own world and passively search for a match.
• Bell Keepers will gain sin if the host is killed.
• Once the Host or Bell Keeper wins, they will as be rewarded with 1 of the following: Titanite Chunk, Titanite Slab, Twinkling Titanite, or Petrified Dragon Bone; most commonly Titanite Chunks and also souls relative to the other player's Soul Level.
• This method gives the invader a timer of 10m.

Counter Invasions

Guardian Seal

• Dedicated to counter invasion method for fighting Dark Spirits who invade by using Cracked Red Eye Orbs.
• This method is available to the Blue Sentinels.
• Host must be in Way of Blue Host, be invaded, and in the same area of the world as the Blue Sentinel player.
• The Blue Sentinel player must not Hollowed, be wearing the Guardian's Seal, and be in the same area as where the Host is being invaded.
• The player summoned from this cannot interact with enemies and can only give and receive damage from the Dark Spirit.
• Upon defeating the Dark Spirit, the friendly Blue Sentinel member will return to their world with no reward.
• There is no timer for counter invaders.

Summonings

Summoning combat is explicitly Consentual for both Summon and Host. These involve one player actively searching out a PvP opponent, and summoning someone to fight from a sign that the other person has placed on the ground. This type of combat can happen through use of a Red Sign Soapstone or a Dragon Eye. Neither of these items will cause the invader to receive sin if the host is killed.

Red Sign Soapstone

• The Red Sign Soapstone, like the Cracked Red Eye Orbs, will cause the summoned player to appear as a Dark Spirit.
• More Dark Spirits may join the Hosts World during these sessions.
• Red Sign Soapstone matches reward the Summon with a Token of Spite or the Host with a Human Effigy, depending on who wins.
• Red Sign Soapstone has a timer of 15m or 22m and 30s if summon and host wear the Name-Engraved Ring.

Dragon Eye

• The Dragon Eye will cause the summoned player to appear as a Dragon Spirit.
• No other players may join the session and both may use Estus Flasks and healing items.
• Dragon Eye matches reward who ever wins with a Dragon Scale.
• Dragon Eye Matches have a timer of 25m or 37m and 30s if both Host and Summon wear the Name Engraved Ring.

Forced Summoning

There is one covenant that forces other players to be summoned into the host's world. This covenant is the Rat King covenant, and the point of this summoning is to make the summoned player have to fight through the Rat King player's world, having every enemy attack them, as well as fighting the host.

Crest of the Rat

• If the summoned player can get through the world and enter a fog gate at the end of the area or kill the Rat player, they will be sent home to that location and receive a Rat Tail.
• If the Rat King player successfully kills the summoned player, the Rat King player will instead receive the Rat Tail.
• This form of PvP combat can only occur in Grave of Saints or Doors of Pharros.
• The Rat Covenant Member must be in one of the available areas while wearing the ring.
• This Match lasts up to 10m. The host must be using the Crest of the Rat ring.

Arenas

There are two arenas in which the player can engage in PvP combat against players from the same covenant. These are the Brotherhood of Blood arena and the Blue Sentinels arena.

Brotherhood of Blood Arena

• Player must be in the Brotherhood of Blood covenant.
• Hollowing status will carry into the PvP sessions but not the health reduction of the status.
• Matches always start at 100% HP for both players.
• The 3 statues serve as ways to vote for which arena will be used for the match. From left to right, these are "Bridge", "Maze", and "Tower".
• Higher Covenant Ranks have priority when choosing the map.
• The winner is rewarded a Cracked Red Eye Orb.
• Matches last 10m.

Blue Sentinels Arena

• Player must be in the Blue Sentinels covenant.
• Matches consume 1 Token of Fidelity
• Hollowing status will carry into the PvP sessions but not the health reduction of the status.
• Matches always start at 100% HP for both players.
• The 3 statues serve as ways to vote for which arena will be used for the match. From left to right, these are "Sieve", "Maze", and "Lookout".
• Higher Covenant Ranks have priority when choosing the map.
• The winner is rewarded a Cracked Blue Eye Orb.
• Matches last 10m.

Alternate Invasion Methods

Mirror Squire

When a Host Fights the Looking Glass Knight, the Boss may summon a player using a Cracked Red Eye Orb or Red Sign Soapstone within Drangleic Castle into the boss fight.

Abyss Spirit

Players inside the Chasms of old may invade using a Cracked Red Eye Orb or Red Sign Soapstone withing the Chasms. The reward for winning this match is a Bonfire Ascetic.

Matchmaking

Main article: Matchmaking (Dark Souls II)

The matchmaking algorithm assigns player characters to certain tiers based on their Soul Memory. A player character can only invade other player characters at the same tier or adjacent tiers. The range of adjacent tiers depends on the item used to invade and can be extended via the Name-engraved Ring.

Time limit

Invading phantoms and phantoms summoned via summon sign can stay in the host's world only for a limited time. Once the time limit expires for a phantom, their PvP session ends and they are send back to their own world.

The time limit can be extended for summoned phantoms via the Name-engraved Ring. When both the host and a summoned phantom wear the Name-engraved Ring and have selected the same god, the time limit is extended by 50 % for the summoned phantom.

The following table displays the time limit for each method of invading and summoning:

PvP method	Time limit
Cracked Red Eye Orb	15 min
Cracked Blue Eye Orb	15 min
Red Sign Soapstone	15 min
Red Sign Soapstone with Name-engraved Ring	22 min 30 s
Dragon Eye	25 min
Dragon Eye with Name-engraved Ring	37 min 30 s
Crest of the Rat	10 min
Guardian's Seal	none
Bell Keeper's Seal	10 min
Cracked Red Eye Orb in the Dark Chasm of Old	30 min
Red Sign Soapstone in the Dark Chasm of Old	30 min
Red Sign Soapstone in the Dark Chasm of Old with Name-engraved Ring	45 min
Looking Glass Knight via Cracked Red Eye Orb	15 min
Looking Glass Knight via Red Sign Soapstone	15 min
Brotherhood of Blood arena	10 min
Blue Sentinels arena	10 min