An important reminder - back-up your save file data time from time before going online.

[Elunizel]

Copy your save file directory (usually AppData - Roaming - Elden Ring - folder with incomprehensible numbers) and save it somewhere else. If anything weird happens with invasions or malevolent co-op, load your earlier save file by copy-pasting it back to your save file folder and replacing existing save file.
Additionally - do not take items from invaders and preferably even from normal co-op summons, especially if you have any kind of suspicion they may be not acting in your best interests.
Immediately ALT+F4 if you are invaded in a place you cannot normally get invaded or while not summoning allies.
Hopefully this may raise a bit of awareness even for one single person. If not, it is what it is, cannot be worse than ragebait threads all around the forum.

[Sprinkles]

there's constantly threads about the threat of it now - that's not the problem. I think a lot of people who get hit by this are people who don't monitor steam forums regularly, if at all, until something like this happens and they seek out help.

Really, Fromsoft or whoever is in charge of their servers should make it appear as announcement you have to click "OK" on if you choose to play online. But they'll never do that, of course...

[Sc0rpiTr0n]

Originally posted by Elunizel:

cannot be worse than ragebait threads all around the forum.

Agreed.

Originally posted by Elunizel:

Immediately ALT+F4 if you are invaded in a place you cannot normally get invaded or while not summoning allies.

Instructions unclear.
ALT+F4ed repeatedly when invaded by NPC invaders.

[Elunizel]

Indeed, most of those who get hit by it are not visiting forums and would not get any of the warnings before it is too late because they do not even suspect that there is a fundamental flaw in the multiplayer.
An announcement would have been great and would've saved many save files, especially if it was implemented alongside DLC release or even was shipped with a base game release - but FromSoft, with all due respect, is notoriously lenient on things such as these & is extremely averse to updating their games.
The purpose of this thread is simply to hopefully help a single person should they randomly wander on Steam forums in search of advice or by curiosity, not to enact any global switch in awareness.

[[BEANBAG]]

Originally posted by Elunizel:

Copy your save file directory (usually AppData - Roaming - Elden Ring - folder with incomprehensible numbers) and save it somewhere else. If anything weird happens with invasions or malevolent co-op, load your earlier save file by copy-pasting it back to your save file folder and replacing existing save file.
Additionally - do not take items from invaders and preferably even from normal co-op summons, especially if you have any kind of suspicion they may be not acting in your best interests.
Immediately ALT+F4 if you are invaded in a place you cannot normally get invaded or while not summoning allies.
Hopefully this may raise a bit of awareness even for one single person. If not, it is what it is, cannot be worse than ragebait threads all around the forum.

I would follow this advise if you regularly play coop. I would back up your save file each time you drop major bosses in case you run into an issue with hackers.

[-=BIA=- Capt.BlackMage]

Or fromsoft could fix their ♥♥♥♥♥♥ game. Constantly backing up your saves shouldn't need to be done. I just got his last night and now 140 hours of my life are down the drain and I blame fromsoft. I'll never give them another penny or a second spent playing their games. They could do all sort of stuff to fix or mitigate this IE allow us to turn off invasions or implement a multiple saves system so I can load an earlier save. Same goes for steam we could have multiple backups in their cloud.

[SpaceGoat]

I just came back to the game after a few years away, so this is the first I am hearing about this. Where can I get more information about it?

[estehmanis]

Guys I'm new and play solo online, do I need to back up too? Still level 70 and just entering caelid

[Kitsunegari]

Originally posted by estehmanis:

Guys I'm new and play solo online, do I need to back up too? Still level 70 and just entering caelid

Wouldn't be a bad idea, but you can't get invaded unless you summon help.

[dark-breed]

Originally posted by estehmanis:

Guys I'm new and play solo online, do I need to back up too? Still level 70 and just entering caelid

backups of the savefile are always a good idea since with this game the cloud save can malfunction and can reset your savefile or damage it too.

[estehmanis]

Originally posted by dark-breed:

backups of the savefile are always a good idea since with this game the cloud save can malfunction and can reset your savefile or damage it too.

Omg how is this game running for this long and still have a risk that big 😭

Originally posted by Kitsunegari:

Wouldn't be a bad idea, but you can't get invaded unless you summon help.

Good to know, thank you!