/players 1–/players 8 in the chat log (values above 8 default to 8); on console, use the "Difficulty Scaling" option in the Gameplay tab instead. Online, there is no command — the player count is simply the number of real players in the game. Each additional player adds 50% monster life and XP (up to 450% at players 8), while the chance of monsters dropping nothing shrinks at 3, 5 and 7 players — meaning players 7 and 8 give identical drop rates.
Where the /players command works (and where it doesn't)
This is the single most common point of confusion:
- Offline single player (PC): type
/playersfollowed by a number in the message log. Values 1–8 have in-game effects; anything above 8 defaults to 8. - Console / controller: no chat command — open Options and set Difficulty Scaling in the Gameplay tab. Same effect, and it works on PS5, Xbox and Switch.
- Online multiplayer: the command does not work online, on any mode — ladder or non-ladder. Your "player setting" is the actual number of players in the game. This is why "players 8 not working" almost always means "trying to use it online".
What player settings actually scale
Three monster stats and one drop mechanic change with player count:
| Players | Monster life | Damage & attack rating | Experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100% | +0% | 100% |
| 2 | 150% | +6.25% | 150% |
| 3 | 200% | +12.5% | 200% |
| 4 | 250% | +18.75% | 250% |
| 5 | 300% | +25% | 300% |
| 6 | 350% | +31.25% | 350% |
| 7 | 400% | +37.5% | 400% |
| 8 | 450% | +43.75% | 450% |
Monsters keep the stats of the setting they were spawned at. If a monster spawns on players 1 and seven more players join afterwards, it stays a players-1 monster. The classic exploit: one player opens the Uber Tristram portal alone and spawns the Prime Evils on players 1 — the rest of the team then joins and fights the weaker versions.
No-drop: the mechanic that matters for farming
"No-drop" is the chance that a monster drops nothing at all, and it decreases every two player levels — at players 3, 5 and 7. Two consequences every farmer should know:
- Players 7 = players 8 for drop rates. Since no-drop only improves on odd counts, players 8 adds monster life and XP over 7 but nothing to drop chance. If you farm for drops and players 8 slows your kills, drop to 7.
- No-drop is rolled when the monster dies, using the current setting — and partied players near you count much more than un-partied players elsewhere in the game (players 5 with un-partied members is roughly equal to 3 partied players standing next to you).
Act bosses can drop up to 6 items, each rolling no-drop independently — so higher player counts push bosses toward their full loot. Champions, uniques, super uniques and the Ubers have fixed drops and ignore no-drop entirely.
The Countess exception: her special rune drop only triggers when her normal item drop fails — so for rune farming, kill her on the lowest player count you can. On high player counts she frequently drops zero runes.
Skills that scale (and don't)
- Static Field scales: it removes a percentage of the monster's current (player-scaled) life, so it stays powerful on players 8.
- Corpse Explosion, Death Sentry and Revive don't: they read the monster's base life, unchanged by player settings.
- Crushing Blow gets weaker: its damage is divided by (0.5 + 0.5 × players) — 100% effective on players 1, but only ~22% on players 8.
Is players 8 worth it?
The trade is always kill speed against reward. Players 8 gives 4.5× XP and (via 7) the best drop rates, but also 4.5× monster life — if your run takes twice as long, you gained nothing for farming and only ~2× for XP. Practical rules:
- Leveling: play at the highest count you can still clear quickly — XP scales smoothly at every level, unlike drops. See our leveling guide for the full picture.
- Farming drops: players 7 is the ceiling; go lower if your clear speed suffers. Dense zones like the Cow Level benefit most.
- Rune hunting at the Countess: players 1, always.