Wo Long: How to dismiss companions

If you’re coming from pretty much any Souls-like, the presence of companions is going to feel weird. They draw a lot of aggro and will make the game a lot easier, which won’t be what everyone wants from a Team Ninja game. Thankfully, there’s a way to dismiss companions in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, that way enemies keep their focus on you. This will also make some bosses that are pushovers with help much more trouble, so it’s likely that a lot of players will want to go things solo just as they’re used to.

Early on in Wo Long, you’ll find an item in your inventory called the Willow Branch. Unlike most items in the game, the Willow Branch can be used infinitely. Whenever you have companions with you, simply use the Willow Branch from your inventory or via your item bar and your helpers will bid you farewell and you can play without having them help out. This will make the game significantly more challenging, which a lot of genre fans will likely appreciate. So it’s a welcome inclusion in a game that’s often much easier than the developer’s previous titles.

Note: For more, check out our Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty guides and features hub.

Dismiss your companions in Wo Long

That’s all you have to do to dismiss your companions in Wo Long. As many of the levels have companions present automatically, you may be using the Willow Branch a fair amount. I do advise its use to anyone coming from Nioh, as they may be quite bored otherwise. After all, a boss fight isn’t going to be all that challenging when you’ve got two companions distracting the boss from you while you run up and hack away at its flank. Using the Willow Branch will absolutely make the game feel more in line with the Nioh games instead of offering the less-threatening experience inherent to having AI helpers.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is available on Steam and PC Game Pass.