Elden Ring: Two-Handed Weapons - Here's How It Works

 

Anyone who has already played Dark Souls knows this function: You can also use all your weapons with two hands. This is also possible in Elden Ring, but it works a little differently than before. We tell you how to do it.

As in Dark Souls, you can also use your weapons in Elden Ring with two hands. Compared to previous FromSoftware games, however, the controls for this have changed.

However, it can be very important to hold your weapon in both hands, especially with large and heavy weapons or for classes without a shield.

That's why we're telling you how to do it here. Because this little trick can make your life a lot easier, especially with the hardest bosses.

Elden Ring: Two-Handed Weapon on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox

How to Two-Handed Your Weapon: To equip a weapon two-handed in Elden Ring, you must use the interaction button along with the appropriate button for the weapon in the right and left slots of your inventory.

These are the buttons you have to press:

• Xbox Controller : Y + RB for right gun, Y + LB for left gun
• PS5 Controller: Triangle + R1 for a right weapon, Triangle + L1 for left weapon
• Mouse & Keyboard: E + Left Mouse Button for a right weapon, E + Right Mouse Button for left weapon

If you do this correctly, your character should be holding the desired weapon in both hands. This opens up many new possibilities for you in the complex combat system of the Elden Ring.

That's why it pays to use weapons two-handed

Why should I use the weapons two-handed? When you pick up a weapon in both hands in Elden Ring, you take a calculated risk: you increase your damage at the expense of defensive flexibility. For example, if you hold a katana in both hands, you can no longer use your shield to block.

Also important is that in the two-handed mode you have new attacks to fall back on. Your light and heavy hits are different, and depending on the weapon, they also have different properties like longer range.

In addition, in the two-handed mode, you can use the weapon styles that you have with every weapon and can also be found throughout the game. Even weapons for which you don't actually have enough strength attributes can often be wielded with two hands.

But if you're using a shield, for example, which has a passive effect (like faster stamina regeneration), you'll also get that effect with an offensive weapon in both hands.

For these reasons, it pays to carry your weapons two-handed. While this isn't always the right choice, it can make a huge difference depending on the build and situation. You shouldn't underestimate the new attack animations - they can be of great help.