Alex Ruben
How To Play Hollow Knight With Friends in 2025: Multiplayer Mods and Co-Op Strategies
Hollow Knight is one of those games that really pulls you into its creepy, beautiful world, but yeah — it’s a single-player adventure. Unless you’re down to mess around with mods. The thing is, there’s no official multiplayer support, so using multiplayer mods is kinda the only way to co-op with friends. Not gonna lie, it’s a bit of a tangled process, and sometimes it’s flaky as hell. But if you want to try it out, here’s how to get it running smoothly. You’ll be able to jump into Hallownest with friends — or at least try to — and get that multiplayer experience. Expect some troubleshooting along the way, especially with connection issues or desync, but hey, it’s doable. Just might take a couple of tries to nail everything down.
How to Fix Hollow Knight Multiplayer Setup in 2025
Method 1: Make Sure Hollow Knight is All Updated and Clean
This is kind of obvious but often overlooked. The multiplayer mods tend to be picky about the game version. So, first, double-check that you’ve got the latest version of Hollow Knight installed. You can grab it from Steam or GOG — whatever you bought it from. To make sure it’s up to date, verify files through your platform’s options, or just run the game launcher and see if there’s a prompt to update.
It’s also a good idea to verify the game’s integrity. For Steam, you can right-click on the game > Properties > Local Files > Verify Integrity of Game Files. This helps fix any corrupted files that might cause mod conflicts. Of course, on some setups, this fails the first time, then works after a reboot or re-verification. Just some weird Windows stuff.
Method 2: Download Correct Multiplayer Mods from the GitHub Page
Head over to the official GitHub page for the Hollow Knight Multiplayer mod. Grab the latest release, which is usually a zip or rar file. Don’t get the unofficial forks or shady uploads unless you want trouble.
Extract those files into a dedicated folder — just somewhere easy to remember, like C:\Mods\HollowKnightMP. This helps during setup and troubleshooting. Sometimes the download link or release notes mention specific instructions, so give those a glance. And be aware — the mod is still kinda experimental, so expect bugs or crashes. Sometimes on one machine it works fine, on another… not so much.
Method 3: Use a Mod Installer or Manually Patch the Game
This is why some folks get confused — there’s no official mod manager like Nexus Mod Manager for Hollow Knight. But you can use tools like the Winhance or the GH-Installer if they support this game.
Most people just do it manually by copying the mod files into the game folder. On Windows, that’s typically C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Hollow Knight or wherever you installed it. Before doing that, back up the original files, just in case. Look for the executable — usually HollowKnight.exe — and usually you’ll patch or replace some files inside that folder, like mods or dlls, depending on the mod instructions.
Double-check the install path because sometimes the game is under the Steam library folder, which is usually under C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Hollow Knight. Because of course, Windows has to make it harder than necessary.
Method 4: Launch with the Right Mods and Settings
Once the files are installed, run the game from the patched executable if needed. Some mods require launching through a special launcher or via command line, like HollowKnight.exe --multiplayer. Check the mod’s README for any flags or settings you need to enable. Also, sometimes you can toggle multiplayer in game options, but more often, the launcher or mod menu handles that.
In the multiplayer menu, you should see options like Host Game or Join Game. If these aren’t working, double-check that your firewall isn’t blocking the ports needed (usually some TCP ports like 12345 or 54321). On some setups, you’ll need to open or forward these ports manually in your router settings to avoid connection issues.
Method 5: Troubleshoot Connection & Desync Problems
This is where things get tricky. Multiplayer on a mod like this isn’t perfect — expect disconnects, lag, or desync. Make sure everyone has the same version of the mod, and check your internet stability. If hosting, try setting a static IP or port forwarding, otherwise, others might not find your server or get disconnected early on.
Sometimes, restarting the game or even rebooting the computer helps, especially if the game crashes or the multiplayer menu bugs out. Keep in mind that on some network setups, NAT issues or firewalls block the connection. It’s a pain, but you might need to port forward or disable VPNs temporarily.
On some setups, it’s worth testing on a local network first, just to rule out routing issues. Also, avoid running other heavy network applications that could interfere.”
Summary
- Ensure Hollow Knight is fully updated and verified.
- Download the latest multiplayer mod from the official GitHub.
- Extract and manually install the files into the game folder, backing up originals first.
- Launch the game with the correct options or launcher, and open the multiplayer menu.
- Set up port forwarding and check firewall rules if connection issues happen.
- Expect some trial and error, especially with desync and crashes.
Wrap-up
Getting multiplayer going with Hollow Knight mods is kind of a rough patchwork — wish it was smoother, but it’s still kinda worth it if you’re itching for co-op. These fixes cover the main issues like version mismatches, connection problems, and installation hiccups. If the game keeps crashing or not showing multiplayer options, double-check the files, ask around on community forums, or even try different mod versions. Sometimes just restarting everything helps. Fingers crossed this helps someone get closer to playing together instead of wandering solo in Hallownest — good luck!