Mods for theDark Soulsseries are notably a little harder to install than for many other games out there. Part of this is thanks to theonline-required featureof the games, making it possible for invasions and online events to occur at any time in a normal playthrough. However, this also makes it incredibly hard to mod the game without being banned.
RELATED:Dark Souls Remastered: Best Soul Farming Locations
Singleplayer-only mods tend to be the least noticeable for anti-cheat systems, so be sure to only use theseDark Soulseasy mode mods in offline and disable them when going online. When it comes to making the game easier to play, there are two types of mods: “mega mules” containing upgraded characters and straightforward game-altering addons.
Updated Aug 09, 2025 by Erik Petrovich: Dark Souls games are known for being insanely difficult. Although most of the community agrees that nothing should change about the franchise’s difficult learning curve, there are some modders out there who want to let everyone enjoy these gaming masterpieces. Each of Dark Souls, Dark Souls 2, and Dark Souls 3 have a variety of mods available that either directly or indirectly alter the difficulty of these games - for example, one Dark Souls difficulty mod increases vendor inventories to subtly reduce the challenge, while another flat-out makes enemy attacks weaker and Health values lower. Try out a few to find a comfortable difficulty level, but beware of making the game too easy and ruining any sense of challenge entirely.
How To Install Dark Souls Mods
Modding aDark Soulsgame is a different beast than, say, moddingThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The latter is able to work with the Steam Workshop, whileDark Soulsrequires players to go through each part of the installation on their own. There are some tools out there like Mod Managers thatmake it a little easier, but the most exact way to get them working is to understand the installation process and try it manually. This is not recommended for players new to modding, as the process tends to be different depending on the addons.
Check The Pre-Requisites
Every single mod out there has some kind of pre-requisite addon, except the basic script extenders and other engine enhancing addons. Always check the prerequisites for each mod you want to install and make sure those are properly set up before attempting the addon. While there, check the comments (or a readme, if available) for the recommended load order – loading prerequisites after their associated mod tends to break the game.
Use Nexus or a Custom Mod Manager
TheNexus Mod Manageris the most straightforward way to install mods for just about every game. It is an all-inclusive manager that links mods downloaded from the Nexus to their associated games automatically. There are other custom mod managers available for each game, too, though thesetend to be less supportedthan the Nexus Mod Manager.
Dark Souls Mods That Alter Saves
The number one way to makeDark Soulseasier is to play on a save that already has everything unlocked. These mods are also the least traceable in theDark Soulsseries as they don’t change anything about the game itself. Instead, they add a variety of custom saves that let players take on the game in almost any way.
RELATED:The Hardest Dark Souls 3 Bosses, Ranked
Many Mega Mule saves already have the game finished, though, and the player will have to embark on a NG+ campaign. Although it will be much easier to take on when equipped with exactly what the player’s wants, NG+ is still a massive leap in difficulty from regular gameplay.
Dark Souls 3 Infinite Possibilities Mega Mule
TheDark Souls 3Mega Muleaddon is perhaps the most comprehensive save state mod for the game. It claims to offer players the ability to “make ANY build you want without replaying the game.” It’s comprehensive, detailed, and opens so many doors for the player that it can be hard to choose a direction.
Dark Souls 2 Perfectionist
Dark Souls 2is not as well-liked by theDark Soulscommunity for a variety of reasons, and as such, the mod availability for the game is a little lacking. However, theSOTFS Ultimate Perfectionist Savegameaddon serves much of the same purpose as theDark Souls 3Mega Mule. It is only one save, unfortunately, but it has quite literally everything unlocked, allowing the player to take on NG+ in any way they wishin the secondDark Soulsgame.
Dark Souls Remastered Mega Mule
TheDark Souls RemasteredMega Muleaddon is a little bit different than theDark Souls 3version. It comes in a variety of versions, one without any cheat, one with cheats, and one with 100% unlocked game progression. The creator recommends downloading the fully unlocked Mule, Version Three, as long as the player is OK with Cheat Engine having been used.
Dark Souls Mods That Indirectly Reduce Difficulty
Aside from using altered save states, the other way to make the games easier is to install mods that change game files and mechanics to reduce the difficulty in an indirect way. A few mods stand out for their popularity and creator support, though there are lots of tiny mods that change otherminutia aboutDark Soulsmechanicsacross the franchise.
RELATED:Soulslike Games That Are More Like Bloodborne Than Dark SoulsIf you don’t want to completely cheese theDark Soulsseries, consider installing one of these mods that make the games easier without completely breaking them. There are mods that directly reduce enemy power, but it’s more fun to reduce the learning curve in other ways to preserve the challenge as much as possible.
Dark Souls 3 Honest Merchant
TheDark Souls 3Honest Merchantmod makes every item in the game available for purchase. It’s a lot nicer than having to spend time hunting down enemies for a small chance at a drop, but it’s also a great way to run out of money quickly. This makes the game easier by improving the availability of rare items within a relatively fair new framework.
Dark Souls 2 Increased Durability
One problem withDark Souls 2, amidst all its other well-known issues compared to other games in theSoulsseries, is that weapons had a tendency of breaking incredibly quickly. Sure, Repair Powder fixes that real quick, but it doesn’t fix the problem of the unnecessary mechanic. TheIncreased Durability modforScholar Of The First Sinmakes weapon breaks much less common, and there are a few different options for players to choose from when installing the mod.
Dark Souls Remastered Better Rolling
TheDark Souls RemasteredBetter Rollingmod is straightforward and does what it says on the tin, so to speak. Instead of fat rolling, players will heavy roll.Instead of heavy rolling, players will medium roll. Instead of medium rolling, players will fast roll. And instead of a fast roll, players will dash in a way very similar to the dashing mechanics ofBloodborne.
Dark Souls Mods That Make Enemies Weaker
Making theDark Soulsseries easier is no small task, as the games are designed to be challenging at their core. There are two major mods that offer a reduction in difficulty across the board by altering enemy health and damage values for the first and lastSoulsgames made by the same creator:Dark Souls 3Easy Mode andDark SoulsEasy Mode.Uploaded by Dangel_Deviliono, each of these two mods reduces damage by 50%, 75%, or 95% depending on the player’s preference. Be warned, though,full satisfaction is not guaranteedwhen downing the Soul of Cinder or Gwyn.
An option forDark Souls 2players is the Dark Souls 2 Easy Mode mod by lordranhomeboy. This mod works differently than theDark Souls 3andDark Souls Remasteredequivalents, though, because it doesn’t change enemy values. Instead, it buffs the player’s spells, increases drop rates, increases souls across the board, and reduces the cost of leveling up.
These types of mods are great to learn and get used to the game’s mechanics and useful for screenshots and lighthearted exploration in general, but don’t rely too heavily on them or you won’t fully appreciate the true challenge that the franchise is so well known for.
