Being able to wield a weapon with both hands is a core combat feature ofjust about every FromSoftware RPG. InElden Ringjust about every melee weapon can be one-handed, leaving the other hand free for items, shields, or abilities. When defense isn’t your main concern, or when you want to use an Ash of War skill, two-handing weapons is typically the way to go.
Wielding a melee weapon with both hands not only increases overall damage output (at the cost of an off-hand), it also reduces the requirements needed to equip them. For example, a character with a low Strength stat canwield weapons normally unavailable to them, as long as they two-hand it. Though it functions the same way, the inputs for two-handing have changed forElden Ring.
Updated July 23, 2025 by Erik Petrovich: Elden Ring is a complicated game, and many players who are jumping in before the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC launches may find themselves lost on the complex control scheme. In Elden Ring, two-handing weapons is as simple as entering a basic input, but this is not very clearly explained to players. This guide to how to two-hand in Elden Ring has been updated to include a video tutorial on the system, which briefly explains how to two-hand weapons, if you can two-hand weapons while dual-wielding, and why you might want to two-hand a weapon.
New Game, New Two-Handing System
BecauseElden Ringadds so many new combat mechanics, like stealth and the ability to jump, the button layout had to be changed to suitthe more varied playstyle. In previous FromSoftware games, players needed only to press the Y button on an Xbox controller, or the Triangle button on a Playstation controller, to wield their right-handed weapon in both hands.
Elden Ringuses theA button/X button for jumping, so the input for interacting with the environment was changed to theY button/Triangle, which previously was used for two-handing. Though the method for two-handing weapons inElden Ringis more complicated than before, it also allows players to two-hand either their right or left-handed weapon, depending on which buttons they press.
How To Two-Hand Weapons In Elden Ring
To two-hand a weapon, firsthold down the Y button/Triangle button.Depending on whichhand’s weapon you want to two-hand,press either the right or left shoulder buttons (R1 or L1) while holding down the Y button/Triangle button. As one might expect, pressing the right shoulder or R1 button two-hands weapon on your right, while pressing the left shoulder or L1 two-hands the weapon on your left.
The best time to two-hand a weapon is when youdon’t have to worrytoo much about defending yourself or when you are in close range and have a window of opportunity to attack. If you want to go back to using your other hand for an item or a shield, simplyhold down the Y/Triangle button again and press the shoulder button (R1 or L1) that corresponds with the weapon’s original hand.
