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Who Can Play Skyrim Co-op?
How Does Skyrim Co-op Work?
How To Install And Play Skyrim Together
Skyrim Together FAQ
Skyrim's modding community is nothing short of astounding. Ever since the game's initial release back in 2011, passionate modders have created hundreds of thousands of mods to enhance various aspects of Skyrim. Some mods fix bugs while others add entire world spaces.
Related: Skyrim: Beginner's Guide To Modding On PC And Console
One mod, Skyrim Together, has figured out a way to incorporate multiplayer gameplay into Skyrim: Special Edition. It has a few bugs and is far from polished, but it is remarkably far along. There is also a way to get this mod to support split-screen co-op for fans that don't want to deal with latency. Here is a quick guide on how to play Skyrim cooperatively through the use of mods.
Updated May 13th, 2021 by Charles Burgar: Skyrim Together hasn't changed much since we first wrote this article, but overall interest in the mod sure has spiked. Many Skyrim fans have taken to installing this incredibly ambitious mod to dungeon delve with their friends, providing a co-op experience that's hard to match. To help players decide if this mod is right for them, we've added an FAQ section to the guide that answers some basic questions players have about this mod.
Who Can Play Skyrim Co-op?
Currently, only PC users with Skyrim: Special Edition can play Skyrim cooperatively. Owners of the 2011 version of Skyrim also can't play co-op; it must be the Special Edition.
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How Does Skyrim Co-op Work?
Skyrim does not have any co-op or multiplayer functionality by itself. Thanks to mods, this is now possible. The Skyrim Together mod allows multiple players to connect to a single instance through a server browser. Clients can host a local server that other Skyrim Together users can join. Passwords can be set to only allow friends into your game. A maximum of eight players can be in a lobby at a given time.
Related: Skyrim: Top Quest Mods, Ranked
Since this mod is a work in progress, expect a few bugs and missing features. Most actions and items are synchronized, excluding leveled loot from chests, opening claw doors in dungeons, quest objectives (players need to progress each quest exactly the same to prevent bugs), and certain character-altering effects like Wabbajack don't work.
If you are interested in playing split-screen co-op to remove latency concerns, you can use Skyrim Together in conjunction with the Nucleus Co-op Mod. This mod adds split-screen co-op for compatible games, Skyrim Together being a recent addition. With both mods installed, two instances of Skyrim should start. Have both instances join each other with different save files via Skyrim Together's server browser. Click here for Skyrim Together's guide on how to do this.
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How To Install And Play Skyrim Together
You'll only need one mod to play Skyrim cooperatively, although there are a few optional downloads you'll want to consider:
- Harbor Launcher (Skyrim Together Mod): Adds online functionality to Skyrim. Download the latest version.
- (OPTIONAL) Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE): Any script extender mods will need SKSE to work with Skyrim Together. It is not required.
- As reported by u/_Neusor_ on Reddit, you'll want version "skse64_2_00_19" for SKSE mods to work alongside this mod.
- (OPTIONAL) Nucleus Co-op launcher: Allows Skyrim Together to utilize split-screen. This requires a good computer, as you'll be running two instances of Skyrim simultaneously.
- Nucleus is not required for Skyrim Together to work. This launcher adds split-screen functionality to the mod, nothing more. Nucleus is not affiliated with the Skyrim Together project in any way.
Install the Harbor Launcher first. When the application asks for an install directory, choose wherever is most comfortable to you; it doesn't have to be where Skyrim's installed. When finished, boot up the Harbor launcher. It will need to detect your game. To do so, click the magnifying glass icon to the left of the "Install" button to manually search for your SkyrimSE.exe file. Once selected, Harbor will install Skyrim Forever for you.
Tip: If you have no idea where Skyrim is installed, head to Skyrim: Special Edition in your Steam library. Right-click on it, hover over "manage," then click on "browse local files." You'll be taken to your Skyrim install directory.
In-game, choose a save file that is not in the Helgen tutorial. Press right control to bring up the server menu. You can connect to a friend's server directly by using their IP address or by searching for their server name. To host a server, find your root Skyrim directory, look for the "server" folder, then launch the server.exe file.
Note: If the executable states that libcrypto-1_1-x64.dll is missing, you can find it here. Drop that file in your "server" folder. Downloading an older version of the Harbor launcher can also work.
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Using Nucleus To Add Split-Screen Co-op
Following the above steps is needed for Nucleus to work. As with the Harbor launcher, Nucleus can be placed anywhere on your computer. Install it, then boot the launcher up.
Note: If any antivirus software detects the .rar as malicious software, disable the warning and install Nucleus. One of the developers, ZeroFoxG, explains why this problem occurs. The program is not a virus.
It will need to find your Skyrim executable. If you get error messages, you must have at least two character save files past Helgen and a "logs" file inside your "server" file for Nucleus to find Skyrim. Once it detects your game, launch Skyrim from the Nucleus launcher to start two instances of the same game in split-screen. Have both instances load into the same server (you can join by using your local IP or by typing "127.0.0.1" in the IP field).
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Skyrim Together FAQ
The Skyrim Together developers have an excellent FAQ document that answers most questions players have with this mod. We'll be giving a cliff notes version of this FAQ for players curious about installing this mod. If you've already installed the mod, we highly recommend you read the developer FAQ instead.
Can I Play Skyrim Co-op With The 2011 Version?
No. Only a legal copy of Skyrim: Special Edition will work.
Does This Mod Work On Console?
No.
Can You Mod Skyrim Together?
Yes, although beware that this mod can have serious compatibility issues with certain mods.
In general, mods that swap out textures or general graphics mods won't have any major compatibility issues. However, there are a few mods that don't play as nicely with Skyrim Together:
- SKSE dependant mods (Papyrus script mods are fine)
- Injectors and external programs (ENBs, ReShades)
If the mod was created using the Creation Kit, there's a good chance it'll work seamlessly in Skyrim Together. If that mod relies on SKSE or external programs, there will be issues.
Does Everyone Need The Same Mods On A Server?
Not quite. Mods that don't rely on external scripts will work just fine, even if other players on the server aren't using them. For example, if you installed Beyond Skyrim: Bruma and are wearing an armor set from that mod, other players that don't have that mod installed can still play with you; your character will just be naked to them. The same is true for graphics mods that don't rely on scripts.
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However, if you have a mod that relies on SKSE scripts, those mods won't synchronize at all. For example, the Campfire mod will only create a campfire for yourself that only you can see, even if everyone on the server has that mod installed. As the developers put it, "What cannot be found, will not exist."
On that note, load order doesn't matter in Skyrim Together. The mod will automatically synchronize load orders when a player joins the game.
What's Synchronized Between Players?
Not everything is synchronized, but a surprising amount of Skyrim is synchronized between players.
Synchronized:
- Character appearances and apparel (excluding vertex edits or SKSE custom races)
- Static containers
- World state (doors, levers, non-claw door puzzles, etc.)
- Attacks, spells, and Shouts
- Faction reputation
- Player inventories (allows you to pickpocket other players)
- Time of day and weather (if you slow time, only you are affected; if you're the host, NPCs are affected as well)
- Character transformations (vampire and werewolf)
Not Synchronized:
- Quests (all players must be on the exact same step and not deviate from the same path)
- Dialogue
- Objects (dropping items is disabled entirely)
- Loot chests and containers
Because of the state of Skyrim Together's synchronization, it's recommended you focus more on dungeon delving in this mod instead of completing quests.
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Next: The Scariest Quests In Skyrim