• Elden Ring Nightreign director Junya Ishizaki admits The Forsaken Hollows expansion will be a "little bit harder" than the base game, but "it's not ridiculous or anything like that"
• Ishizaki says balancing the game for both casual and expert players was a challenge post-launch and remains a challenge for the DLC
• He adds that the DLC is what the team "would consider to be a fair challenge"

According to Elden Ring Nightreign director Junya Ishizaki, the game's The Forsaken Hollows expansion is "definitely a little bit harder" than the base game.

Speaking in an interview with GameSpot, Ishizaki discussed the challenge of balancing the FromSoftware game for all players, including both casual and hardcore experts, and admitted that "the main takeaway" the development team had post-launch was "trying to get the balancing right".

Ishizaki explained that this remains a challenge with The Forsaken Hollows.

"I think balancing is just so subjective, so a lot of our thoughts post-release working up to the DLC were how can we get the balancing in mind with what we were initially envisioning, and also with that balancing set, how can we take a different approach and devise new enemies, new characters, and stuff like that to play into that and utilise the new balancing that we are working with," Ishizaki said.

"Obviously, we don't want it to be so hard that new players can't get into it, but I think the original idea is that when the game initially had come out, there were even players who are veterans of some of the other games trying to figure out the new systems, trying to figure out how the game works. I think [we want our] ideas when we're working on the DLC content to be a reflection of that. So whenever people who have played the main game extensively go into the DLC content, they'll be able to have a bit of that feeling like they had when they first played Nightreign, where there's still a bit that they're trying to figure out."

In terms of how much of a challenge players will be faced with, Ishizaki admitted that The Forsaken Hollows is "definitely a little bit harder, but it's not ridiculous or anything like that, but that's still within what we would consider to be a fair challenge."

The paid downloadable content (DLC) was unveiled during Sony's latest Japan-focused State of Play and will offer two new playable Nightfarers, the Scholar and the Undertaker, along with two additional bosses.

The Forsaken Hollows releases on December 4.

• FromSoftware's parent company says Elden Ring Nightreign DLC is in the works
• It's due to release before the end of the financial year (March 2026)
• There are no details yet, but it could be revealed at The Game Awards next month

Kadokawa, parent company of developer FromSoftware, has officially confirmed that downloadable content (DLC) for Elden Ring Nightreign is in development at the studio, and it could release sooner than you think.

In its latest earnings report, Kadokawa gave a brief update on multiple projects underway at FromSoftware, re-establishing that The Duskbloods and Elden Ring Tarnished Edition will launch on Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026. The former was a highlight of the very first Switch 2 Direct presentation, while the latter received a significant delay into next year for "performance adjustments."

Those aside, it looks like there's going to be more Elden Ring Nightreign goodness in the not too distant future: "FromSoftware is currently developing Elden Ring Nightreign DLC (planned for release in FY2025)," reads a section of the earnings report.

We've known that FromSoftware planned to supplement Elden Ring Nightreign with post-launch content since it arrived in May. New modes and ways to play have been added via patches over the past few months, but it seems like this upcoming DLC will be more significant; potentially even an expansion.

What's important to note here is that the DLC is planned for the end of Kadokawa's financial year, which would be March 31, 2026. As such, it's likely we can expect a significant Elden Ring Nightreign content drop within the next few months.

Eager Nightfarers should potentially look ahead to The Game Awards, which will be broadcast live about a month from now on December 11. Nightreign was officially revealed at last year's event, so there's every chance an expansion could follow suit as part of this year's announcements.

• Elden Ring Tarnished Edition has been delayed to 2026
• The Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive version was expected to launch this year
• FromSoftware explained that the delay will "allow for performance adjustments"

FromSoftware has announced that it has delayed the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive Elden Ring Tarnished Edition to 2026.

In a post shared on social media today, the Dark Souls and Bloodborne studio explained that it was delaying the Switch 2 edition to next year because it needs more time "to allow for performance adjustments".

"While development on #ELDENRING Tarnished Edition continues wholeheartedly toward release, we have decided to move the launch to 2026 to allow time for performance adjustments. We apologize to players looking forward to the game and thank you for your patience and support," FromSoftware said.

The Tarnished Edition was announced earlier this year alongside the full Nintendo Switch 2 console reveal and was initially expected to arrive sometime in 2025.

This Switch 2-exclusive version of the Game of the Year 2022 winner will include the base game, as well as the spectacular Shadow of the Erdtree expansion.

Earlier this year, it was reported that the game wasn't running too well on Nintendo's new hardware, with many people who got to experience the game hands-on at Gamescom describing significant frame-rate issues (via Nintendo Life).

Hopefully, the additional time from the game's delay will allow FromSoftware to improve upon the performance issues.

• Elden Ring Nightreign receives a massive balance patch today
• It coincides with the release of the free Deep of Night expansion
• The new content provides even harder challenges

Elden Ring Nightreign's free Deep of Night expansion has arrived, taunting eager Nightfarers with the prospect of even harder challenges.

The new content adds several modifiers to your expeditions. The Nightlord boss is selected at random, and you won't know which it is until entering the boss room on the third day. Furthermore, weapons you pick up can have both positive and detrimental effects. Successfully clearing a Deep of Night expedition will increase your depth level, further raising the challenge and making it possible to get even more enticing rewards.

It sounds horrifying, but developer FromSoftware isn't averse to evening the odds, at least somewhat. To that end, publisher Bandai Namco has posted patch notes for the game that have gone live alongside the Deep of Night update.

There are a handful of bug fixes and general improvements on offer here, as well as some tweaking to Everdark Sovereign fights. But the highlight is the various changes and buffs made to Nightreign's playable Nightfarers, which should help to smooth out some of the frustrations you might have with your favorite. As a Duchess main, I can tell you that I'm pretty happy with the changes here.

You can read the full patch notes via the link above, but if you just want to glance at the Nightfarer changes, I've listed them below.

Wylder

• Increased Poise while casting Claw Shot.
• Increased Stamina damage dealt by Claw Shot to blocking enemies.

Guardian

• Increased Strength and Dexterity gain when leveling up.
• Increased the Steel Guard passive ability angle range.
• Increased the range of the Wings of Salvation Ultimate Art’s weapon portion.
• Increased the attack power of Halberd guard counters.

Duchess

• Increased Dexterity gain when leveling up.
• Increased the attack power of some Dagger attacks.
• Decreased the two-handed Dagger’s second heavy attack damage.
• This change does not affect charged attacks.
• Increased the duration of the Finale Ultimate Art.

Raider

• Increased the Greataxe’s and Great Hammer’s ability to stagger enemies with attacks.
• Increased the attack range of the Retaliation skill.

Revenant

• Adjusted the transparency of Revenant’s summoned spirits.
• Players can now pass through Revenant’s spirits Helen and Frederick.

Recluse

• Increased the offensive spells attack power of Magic Cocktail.
• Decreased the time required to cast spells using Magic Cocktail.

Executor

• Increased attack power while Cursed Sword is in use.
• Increased the attack power of the Cursed Sword weapon skill when the skill is in use and the blade is in its unleashed state.
• Increased the attack power of some attacks while Aspects of the Crucible: Beast is active.

You might have noticed that there are no direct changes for the Ironeye Nightfarer, the gang's ranged specialist.

I would guess this is because he's already an incredibly powerful option in a multiplayer environment thanks to his relatively safe play style and supportive attack-boosting buffs. Whenever I play with friends, we almost always have an Ironeye in the squad.

As a result, it's likely FromSoftware didn't feel the need to administer any changes to him at this stage.

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• Elden Ring Nightreign is finally getting a proper duos mode this week
• The update drops on July 30, along with numerous quality-of-life changes
• The latest round of Everdark Sovereign fights also arrives on July 31

The clouds part and the heavens shine through this week, as Elden Ring Nightreign is finally set to get one of its most heavily requested features, duo expeditions, in this week's update.

Announced via the official Elden Ring X / Twitter account, the update is set to land on July 30 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Duo expeditions will finally let groups of two queue into a game, without the need to carry along a third random player.

A proper duos mode initially wasn't planned for Elden Ring Nightreign, but following feedback, developer FromSoftware initially confirmed a duos mode would arrive at a later date shortly after launch.

We unfortunately don't have any details on how Nightreign will be balanced to support a party of two. Though after launch, solo expeditions were made much more manageable in a patch that reduced enemy health, boosted rune acquisition, and applied buffs unique to solo playthroughs. It's likely we'll see a halfway house between solo and full-squad expeditions here, then.

Duo expeditions aren't the only thing to look forward to in this week's patch, though. Players can also expect some quality-of-life features. In a follow-up post, the official Elden Ring X / Twitter account confirmed Relic filtering is getting a much-needed overhaul, with players now able to sort and search for Relics to a more granular degree.

Finally, FromSoftware has confirmed that the latest round of Everdark Sovereign bosses (even harder versions of the existing Nightlords) is set to arrive on July 31. These will be Tricephalos, Augur, Equilibrious Beast, and Fissure in the Fog.

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• DLC and two player support is coming to Elden Ring Nightreign
• This was confirmed by FromSoftware in a recent social media post
• The studio also revealed that the game has sold more than 3.5 million units

Elden Ring Nightreign developer FromSoftware has confirmed that the game will receive a two-player mode later this year.

The news comes from a recent post by the studio's Japanese-language X / Twitter account, which also revealed that the game had sold more than 3.5 million units.

"The total number of copies shipped worldwide for Elden Ring Nightreign has exceeded 3.5 million. Thank you to everyone who has been playing," the post, which we have machine translated, read.

"We will continue to provide post-launch support, including DLC ​​scheduled for release this year, as well as adding a two player mode," it continued.

The news of an incoming two player mode will likely come as a great relief for some. Currently, Elden Ring Nightreign only supports matches of one or three players. This unusual number makes it a little tricky to team up with friends, as you need get two people who own the game online and ready to play at the same time.

When you factor in the lack of cross-platform matchmaking, it can really limit your ability to play when you want to.

The announcement of some downloadable content (DLC) is significant too. Given the online nature of the game, it seems fair to expect that it will receive a number of updates and additions in the following weeks and months.

Finally, the post concluded by stating that "we plan to release enhanced versions of the existing 'Kings of the Night' from this month onwards, so we hope you will continue to enjoy the game."

It's a little unclear what this means, though it will likely be an updated version of some of the game's existing bosses.

If you're keen on trying the game before this new content arrives, Elden Ring Nightreign is available now for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Xbox One.

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With Elden Ring Nightreign, FromSoftware has created the definitive blueprint of how to use the parts of an existing game to craft an entirely different experience. In doing so, the developer has built a refreshingly freeing and flexible co-op experience that draws upon Elden Ring’s best bits while continuing to innovate and push FromSoftware into new territory, even if the matchmaking and co-op still feel partially stuck in the past.

FromSoftware has always reused aspects of its previous games for new IPs or titles. For example, Bloodborne and Dark Souls animations can be found in Elden Ring, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice bosses like the Blazing Bull were given a new paint job in Elden Ring to create the Fallingstar Beast. It’s a smart, efficient way to constantly generate new content and worlds without having to redo a bunch of work.

But here, the studio goes one step further and uses Elden Ring’s bones to craft a game in an entirely new genre, resulting in a clever roguelike with a lot more going on than first meets the eye. On top of that, unsurprisingly, Elden Ring Nightreign is an incredibly fun and addictive combat experience on par with FromSoftware’s other work.

A convergence of worlds

Set in an alternate timeline from the main lore of Elden Ring, in Nightreign, you play as one of eight Nightfarers. These are mysterious characters with their own combat specialisms that act as classes. They have been summoned to the land of Limveld and the Roundtable Hold. Upon meeting a mysterious hooded maiden, you are urged to survive three days in Limveld and defeat the Nightlord who appears on the third day. Fail and you begin your journey in Limveld again from the beginning of your first day.

During each day, you will drop into a random spot in Limveld and explore the map, gearing up as a ring of rain called The Night’s Tide closes in on you from all directions. Upon exploring during a 45-minute run, you will come across an assortment of castles, outposts, camps, and landmarks from Elden Ring that are filled with randomized enemies, loot, items, consumables, and, most importantly, bosses from the base game and even some of the older Dark Souls titles.

You can also find nods to other FromSoftware games, whether it be a character’s ability that resembles a Bloodborne weapon or reference to a beloved Souls NPC.

Despite seeing bosses and references from old games pop up, they never felt like eye-rolling fan-service moments. It was actually fascinating to see how these challenges from older games have been updated to keep up with Elden Ring’s combat, and there are compelling lore tidbits hidden away in the game that hint at what has caused these many worlds to collide and why these Nightfarers have been brought together.

Learning the lay of the land

While it takes a few runs through Limveld to attune to the game’s faster pace and freeform structure, by the time I tackled my first Nightlord, I was already addicted to the captivating concoction FromSoftware had cooked up.

Instead of a guiding path pulling you and your friends from location to location, Nightreign is all about learning how to make the most of each day in Limveld. Whether that is running from boss to boss at each landmark to stock up on Runes and upgrades to obtain new weapons or level up, exploring caves to find smithing stones to enhance your armaments, or traversing the map to find extra healing flasks to improve your survivability.

It is very easy to think Nightreign is a brainless boss rush, combat sandbox at first glance, but it is actually a considered roguelite that focuses on map knowledge, where to find the best loot, and when it is best to adjust strategies in a similar way to a battle royale or extraction game. The satisfaction of doing this also reminds me a lot of the best puzzle games like Return of the Obra Dinn or Blue Prince, where you finally decipher how a mechanic works or uncover a clue.

Learning the map and how to optimize my runs through Limveld was one of the most satisfying parts of Nightreign. It is not something I expected to be as vital as it is, but through talking with others in voice chat, sharing findings from our own individual runs, and combining ideas, we eventually found buried strategies.

Examples include figuring out how to max out our level or discovering how to obtain the most legendary weapons in a run to increase our chances of defeating the Nightlords. This sense of player discovery and word-of-mouth knowledge that was rife throughout Elden Ring’s launch is just as potent here in Nightreign, and it’s part of the magic that makes it work, especially if you are able to play with a large group of friends or Discord server.

The same goes for the game’s overarching progression, which revolves around randomized relics you unlock at the end of runs through Limveld. Three of these can be equipped before each run on each character in the Roundtable Hold and unlock small buffs like extra elemental damage, or bigger Nightfarer bonuses like enhancing Nightfarer abilities or allowing you to share the healing from your healing flasks with your co-op partners - giving you triple the healing if standing near each other.

I heard about abilities on these that I never saw from other people while playing during the review period, and the flexibility of Elden Ring’s many levelling systems, elemental damage types, weapons, and the Nightfarers themselves open up the possibility for hundreds, if not thousands, of build combinations and optimizations.

Play your way

Nightreign is about doing as much as you can with the little time you have, rewarding players who stick together and melt bosses in seconds. It encourages teams to combine abilities and attacks to stun foes quickly, while communicating to ensure they are all on the same page.

This makes it an incredibly hard game to play alone (which is an option that is available). While it can be done, the game’s enemy scaling and progression rewards teams that can complete as many objectives as possible, which just isn’t easy to do on your own.

I could spend ages talking at length about the Nightlords themselves, but in reality, fans already know what to expect, and the actual structure and systems in Nightreign are far more innovative. Even still, these Nightfarer fights are incredible spectacles, and some of the best FromSoftware has made. They are brimming with difficult moves to master and a combination of abilities and forms to learn, all set against an impressive, bombastic orchestral soundtrack for each one. FromSoftware simply doesn’t miss when it comes to combat and enemy design, and Nightreign is no different.

One area FromSoftware could have fumbled is the Nightfarers. While they could have felt like cheap forced classes, they are actually really flexible and well-rounded archetypes, with abilities that have a variety of uses. For starters, every Nightfarer can use any weapon or item. If you want to play the katana-wielding, parry-centric Executor with a dagger, you can, even though you won’t be as effective as you would be with a katana.

This means you can craft your build on the fly and you never feel locked into a certain playstyle, allowing you to adapt during your run through Limveld. Bows don’t have ammo, and weight isn’t factored in either, which gives the game’s combat a brisk speed and pace that isn’t found in Elden Ring. It also removes a lot of the barriers to enjoying the game’s wide variety of weapon types, as you can basically pick up anything and begin using it right away. Yes, they actually made ranged combat and magic fun here.

On top of that, the ability kits for each Nightfarer are multi-faceted with several uses that aren’t immediately obvious. For example, Ironeye, the archer, can use his Single Shot ultimate ability to fire a huge supersonic arrow. That arrow can be used to stun larger bosses, wipe out hordes of mobs, and also revive teammates instantly if they are downed. Not only can it do those things individually, but you can also do all three at once with a well-placed shot, and it has saved my team’s run many times.

Each character and their abilities can be used in many ways to deal damage and also support your party and discovering how to utilise them in new ways is just as satisfying as discovering Limveld itself. You can also easily use three of one Nightfarer or any combination and succeed, removing even more barriers, as you don’t need any particular Nightfarer to come out victorious (even if some of them have stronger abilities than others).

Some major barriers to Nightreign, however, do emerge after a few hours. Because so much of Nightreign comes from Elden Ring, it is imperative that you have that existing knowledge to enjoy what Nightreign is offering. You can’t sit and try to fight the Golden Hippopotamus again and again to learn its attacks, because the next time you run through Limveld, it could be in a different location or not spawn at all.

The same goes for the Nightlords. You can’t just skip to the third day and practice them over and over, you need to complete a full 45-minute run through Limveld to reach them again, which is taxing. So, you need to be familiar with Elden Ring’s combat and have completed both the base game and the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion because of the difficulty of some of those Nightlords.

While returning players will be able to pick things up after a few runs, it feels like Nightreign is built for the hardcore Soulslike players and addicts who have memorised every attack pattern in Elden Ring and across FromSoftware’s pantheon of titles.

Another key issue at the time of this review is the matchmaking and lack of crossplay. During the pre-release period, we had issues creating lobbies using passwords where matchmaking would fail or simply not put players together when we all tried to matchmake with the same password set. Nightreign definitely retains some of the dated multiplayer quirks of FromSoftware’s other games.

It is also unforgivable in my eye that in the year 2025 Nightreign doesn’t have crossplay, and because of the demanding nature of the game and the reliance on communication, I simply do not see how you can complete any of the Nightlord bosses reliably, especially the tougher ones, without friends whom you know and people you can talk to. I don’t necessarily think this is a straight-up weakness of the game, but it's a huge condition attached to the game that will prevent a lot of people from seeing everything it has to offer.

Should I play Elden Ring Nightreign?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility

Elden Ring Nightreign offers limited accessibility options. There are basic speed adjustments for the camera and aiming with ranged weapons. There are no difficulty settings, and the game is best played in a co-op party of three, where you can communicate, which may not be possible for everyone.

There is also no subtitle customization or HUD alteration options, and there are no specialist options for those with eyesight or hearing issues. While you can rebind some controls on console, you cannot rebind every button, potentially preventing some people from playing on custom controllers.

How I reviewed Elden Ring Nightreign

I played Elden Ring Nightreign for 30 hours, completing all of the game’s Nightlord bosses and experiencing most of the world and map events available. I played the game entirely in performance mode on PS5 with a DualSense Edge controller on a Gigabyte M28U gaming monitor and using SteelSeries Arena 3 computer speakers.

This review was conducted in an environment where I was able to team up with other creators and journalists reviewing the game to play with them and complete the game’s various challenges.

First reviewed May 2025

• Elden Ring is getting a movie adaptation, produced by A24
• Alex Garland is set to direct, but no plot or casting details have been confirmed
• TechRadar Gaming's Rhys Wood said: "I’m not exactly expecting a masterpiece"

Elden Ring was a huge success, receiving a perfect five-star review from TechRadar Gaming, as well as other outlets. Given its popularity, it's now headed to the big screen with director Alex Garland at the helm.

It appears Garland isn't resting on his laurels one bit. He's just written the hugely anticipated horror follow up 28 Years Later alongside Danny Boyle, while his recent A24 movie Civil War is among our best HBO Max movies, and his latest movie Warfare only just left theaters.

Now, he's got his eyes on the fantasy roleplaying game Elden Ring, collaborating with A24 once again. We don't know anything about Garland's direction or storyline just yet, so it's still early days.

Initial thoughts on the Elden Ring adaptation

It's natural to feel some level of apprehension when any game is adapted for the screen. We've seen mixed results, ranging from HBO's stunning The Last of Us TV series down to the abysmal Eli Roth Borderlands movie, where I wrote that "the era of good video game adaptations is officially over".

Perhaps I was being dramatic about that, but it's endlessly frustrating when some of our beloved video games are adapted so poorly.

One of the biggest concerns about the A24 adaptation is the sheer size of Elden Ring. Its open-world universe is huge, and while players can comfortably clock hundreds of hours on a video game, movies need to condense things considerably.

This was part of my concern when Prime Video adapted Fallout, but thankfully, the creative team there managed to bring the Wasteland to life very well indeed, so all hope is not lost.

Speaking about the Elden Ring movie, TechRadar Gaming's Rhys Wood said: "You can make a solid argument that Elden Ring is the crowning achievement of developer FromSoftware’s back catalog.

"But in all honesty, I can’t help but think translating the open-world action RPG to the silver screen is a fool’s errand. Even with a director as accomplished as Alex Garland attached to the project.

"Elden Ring, the game, is made special by its encouragement of player expression. From how players like to build their characters, to the order of discoveries they’ll make on that first playthrough, that’s something a linear fantasy movie simply isn’t going to be able to capture.

"I’ve no doubt that the Elden Ring movie will be a polished and well-made project with Garland at the helm, so I’ll keep an open mind for now, but I’m not exactly expecting a masterpiece."

Right now, the TechRadar team at large remains on the fence about Elden Ring's movie treatment, but perhaps we'll be proven wrong. Garland's history of knotty, weird movies could certainly suit the material well, but that won't help if it turns out to just be too unsuited to a movie runtime. We'll just have to wait patiently for more updates.

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• Ex-Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra has commented on the recent release of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
• The former president says remasters can't hold up against "modern masterpieces" like Elden Ring
• He adds, "We've had so many 'remasters' that nostalgia is limited"

Former Blizzard Entertainment president Mike Ybarra said he's "skeptical" about remasters like The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, comparing the game to the success of Elden Ring, which he argued has moved the bar too high for role-playing games (RPGs).

In a recent post on X / Twitter (via PC Gamer), the ex-Blizzard boss shared his thoughts on the Oblivion remaster, saying that he doesn't think remasters of old games can hold up against "modern masterpieces" like FromSoftware's Elden Ring.

"I'm skeptical about 20-year-old remasters," Ybarra said. "What was once fantastic, now remastered, will never hold up against modern masterpieces like Elden Ring. The bar has simply moved from safe open world RPGs to what Elden Ring brought us all.

"I would love to be proven wrong. But I'm not," he continued.

"I don't mean soulslike, I mean the discovery, the classes, the combat system, etc," Ybarra added. "Just a new level of quality."

When another user said that remasters like Oblivion "lack in innovation" and compensate in nostalgia, Ybarra responded, saying he believes gamers want something new.

"I hear you, but I think we've had so many 'remasters' that nostalgia is limited. I could be wrong. But I think the gaming community wants fresh and new more than ever," he said.

Despite Ybarra's comments, it's clear that there is room for both remasters and modern RPGs like Elden Ring and Assassin's Creed: Shadows. Just hours after the shadow drop launch of Oblivion Remastered, the game quickly garnered over 180,000 concurrent players on Steam.

As of writing, the game has reached an all-time peak player count of 216,784 players, according to SteamDB, and has an overall user rating of "Very Positive" on the platform.

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Elden Ring Nightreign’s first closed network test has come and gone, and there’s plenty to mull over from this earliest look at the multiplayer spin-off currently slated for release on May 30, 2025.

Now at the top, it’s important to establish that closed network environments such as this one aren’t necessarily designed to sell players on the game in the same way a demo or open beta might. With very limited time to play Elden Ring Nightreign’s network test, it was more a gauge of how well its servers can hold up to the scrutiny of thousands of players logged in simultaneously. And on that front, there do seem to be problems.

The first day of Elden Ring Nightreign’s closed network test was wrought with matchmaking issues, predominantly on PlayStation 5 where the vast majority of players simply weren’t able to play in that first time slot. However, once those issues were resolved for the following sessions, it was clear to see that the game has some pretty intrusive performance issues. At least on the console where Hardware Writer Dashiell Wood and I were able to play.

I’ll delve into that later, but how is Elden Ring Nightreign as a game? Well, it has its frustrations for sure, but by and large, it has the potential to be an incredibly fun and unique multiplayer experience, smartly blending the FromSoftware action RPG formula with elements from the roguelite and battle royale subgenres. I left the experience craving more, and I hope it won’t be too long before we can dive into another network test or potentially a full open beta.

The more things change...

The closed network test began in Elden Ring Nightreign’s version of the Roundtable Hold. What I loved here is that the layout feels simultaneously familiar and alien, which I’m willing to bet is the kind of feeling FromSoftware is aiming for. Rooms you know from Elden Ring now have all kinds of clutter, and some even lead to outdoor areas such as a training ground.

Nightreign swaps out the traditional character creation system for preset characters, of which four were available to play as in the closed network test. Wylder is your all-round jack-of-all-trades, the Guardian can bolster the defense of allies, the Duchess is a nimble damage dealer, and the Recluse is the go-to spellcaster.

While on a baseline level, all classes play similarly (there are no limitations on what weapons each character can equip, for example), it’s their base stats and skills that set them apart. On the stats front, each Nightfarer may start with more or less health and stamina than each other, as well as be better suited to certain weapon types.

For example, the Duchess benefits from a highly aggressive team; her special ability is being able to repeat the damage your team dished out to an enemy over the last few seconds. The Guardian is unsurprisingly a defensive powerhouse. His Ultimate ability launches him into the air where he’s able to divebomb enemies for massive crowd control damage. This also buffs the defense of surrounding party members.

Oh, what a night

The general loop of Elden Ring Nightreign is pretty straightforward, too. You’ll drop into the map where you’re tasked with gathering runes from enemies to level up, as well as acquire powerful weapons, consumables, and perks to make yourself stronger for what’s to come. You’ll do this for two in-game days with each featuring a boss at the end. The final third day then pits you against a Nightlord - a powerful major boss that you’ll need to be seriously kitted out for in order to win.

And win, you likely won’t. At least not on your first handful of attempts. Thankfully, Nightreign does have some form of permanent progression in relics. At the end of your run, whether you succeed or fail, you’ll gain a number of relics that can be equipped by our playable Nightfarers. These provide passive buffs that make your character stronger in a variety of ways, such as boosting attack power with certain weapon types or adding properties to your skills and ultimate abilities.

Relics are color-coded red, blue, green, and yellow, and each Nightfarer can only equip relics of their preset colors. The Duchess, for example, can hold three green relics. Wylder, meanwhile, can hold two red relics and a single blue one. It’s easy to see this system being expanded in the full game, potentially through allowing Nightfarers to hold a higher number of relics or giving them multiple loadouts to work with.

Boss rush

What was perhaps most surprising to me about Elden Ring Nightreign is its breakneck pacing. To make sure you’re powerful enough to take on subsequent days (as well as outrun the ever-encroaching circle which deals damage over time), you’ll need to be constantly dashing between landmarks and masses of enemies in order to loot up and gain powerful perks. This is about as far from a single-player FromSoftware experience as it could possibly be; there’s simply no time to stand around and smell the roses.

You’re especially encouraged to hunt down larger enemies and mini-bosses during your days’ exploration, as these will be your best source of powerful weapons, buffs, and runes that’ll make your life easier. If you can't keep up, you simply won’t have a chance against end-of-day bosses like the Centipede Demon (complete with its original Dark Souls boss music) or the Fell Omen.

I also highly recommend playing in a group of three friends with external voice chat if you can. Nightreign itself won’t feature any chat functions beyond a simple ping system, and you’re almost certainly doomed to fail by grouping up with random players. On my very first excursion, my two teammates immediately ran off in opposite directions and got themselves killed within seconds. Playing solo is an option, too, but I wouldn’t recommend it currently as the game doesn’t scale the difficulty back to suit a single player. One for all you challenge run aficionados, maybe.

Performance woes

Believe it or not, the hardest part of the Elden Ring Nightreign closed network test wasn’t its towering boss fights. No, it was its shoddy performance. The base game of Elden Ring also had its share of issues on both PC and console at launch, but I don’t remember it being quite this bad.

At present (and to be fair, this was an early look that’ll hopefully improve for the full game), the game is simply unable to maintain a stable framerate. It often took a dive during traversal and especially during boss fights, feeling firmly like it was between 20-30fps, well below that 60fps target.

The Fell Omen has an attack that spawns hundreds of raining arrows, and this absolutely tanked the framerate, which in turn made it harder to attack or dodge in a timely, responsive manner. As a multiplayer game, Elden Ring Nightreign needs to shirk these performance hitches for the full release or indeed any future pre-release sessions.

Despite these issues, I still did have a great deal of fun checking out Elden Ring Nightreign for the first time. Its wickedly fast pace and unique blend of gameplay mechanics make for an incredibly moreish experience. I’m keen to see the game evolve in the full release on May 30, when we’ll have access to more Nightfarers, more bosses, and hopefully a decent handful of cosmetics and build-defining weapons and relics.

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• Elden Ring Nightreign is launching on May 30, 2025
• There will be standard and deluxe editions as well as a Collector's Edition
• The Collector's Edition features a trove of physical goodies including a statue

It's great news for FromSoftware fans as the upcoming Elden Ring Nightreign - a multiplayer spin-off of the 2022 mega hit - finally has a release date. What's more, you can pre-order the game or one of its various special editions now.

Elden Ring Nightreign will officially launch on May 30, 2025 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PC via Steam. If you didn't get into the recent closed network tests for the game, at least you won't have to wait much longer to dive in.

You can also head over to the official Elden Ring Nightreign website to check out the various editions as well as pre-order the game for yourself. There are digital and physical editions available, as well as an eye-wateringly pricey Collector's Edition - as we've come to expect for Bandai Namco-published FromSoftware titles.

Here's a rundown of all the available editions, their pricing, and what they include:

• Standard Edition ($39.99 / £34.99): Includes the base game
• Deluxe Edition - Digital ($54.99 / £47.99): Includes the base game, a DLC code and digital art book and soundtrack
• Seekers Edition - Physical ($54.99 / £47.99): Includes the base game, all Deluxe Edition content and a steelbook
• Collector's Edition ($199.99 / £179.99): Includes the base game, all Deluxe Edition content, steelbook, eight Nightfarer cards, a hardcover art book and a 25cm statue of the Wylder Nightfarer character

Overall I'm extremely glad that Elden Ring Nightreign is confirmed to be a mid-budget title rather than a full-priced game. The relatively smaller scale of the game definitely fits that smaller price tag. Unless of course, you're particularly wedded to that Collector's Edition and the 10 inches of Wylder it provides.

If you're unfamiliar with Elden Ring Nightreign, it's a player-versus-environment (PvE) multiplayer titles that can be played solo or with a group of three players (two player co-op isn't supported, actually).

Each run consists of three days, and you'll need to rush through the map collecting loot and defeating enemies, all while avoiding being absorbed by an ever-shrinking circle (a la a battle royale game like PUBG Battlegrounds). The end of each night sees your squad face down a challenging boss before you can proceed to the next day. It sounds like manic fun and definitely a tick up from the slower pace of the main game.

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• Diablo 4 is reportedly coming to Nintendo Switch 2
• YouTuber 'eXtas1s' said Halo and Microsoft's Flight Simulator "aren't the only" Microsoft games coming to Switch 2
• It's claimed that Call of Duty, Tekken 8, Fallout 4, Starfield, and Elden Ring could get a Switch 2 port

A Diablo 4 port is reportedly coming to Nintendo Switch 2, according to a new leak.

The claims come from YouTuber 'eXtas1s' (thanks VGC) who recently discussed the Switch 2 and its potential software in his latest video.

'EXtas1s', who has accurately revealed upcoming Xbox Game Pass titles in the past, touched on recent rumors that Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Microsoft's Flight Simulator will be coming to the Switch successor but then went on to claim that Diablo 4 will also be coming to the console as well.

"These are two of the video games Microsoft will port to Switch 2, but they aren’t the only ones," eXtas1s said on Halo and Microsoft Flight Simulator.

“In fact, here’s a little bit of an exclusive or scoop I can tell you about. According to what I’ve been told, Diablo 4 is already in the works for Nintendo Switch 2, so it wouldn’t be surprising at all if Diablo 4 was released in 2025 on Switch 2.”

It was also suggested that a Call of Duty title could be available on the handheld at some point, as well as more games like Elden Ring, Starfield, Tekken 8, and Fallout 4. However, 'eXtas1s' said discussions around these ports were more speculative, so take this with a pinch of salt for now.

Last week, it was reported that many more third-party games are coming to the Switch 2, including Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, which according to leaker 'NatetheHate', will be among the first AAA titles to arrive on the console.

It was also suggested that Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will make their Switch 2 debut, though the latter is said to be launching in 2026.

Ubisoft also seemingly intends to bring support for two Assassin's Creed games to the handheld, including Assassin's Creed Mirage and Assassin's Creed Shadows.

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• Sony has acquired new shares in FromSoftware owner Kadokawa, making it the company's largest shareholder
• Sony now owns 10% of shares, including the shares previously acquired in February 2021
• The two companies also plan to discuss new initiatives, such as ways to adapt Kadokawa IP in movies, TV shows, co-produce anime, and expand its games

Sony has announced it is now the majority shareholder of FromSoftware owner Kadokawa.

A new press release was shared today, December 19, to confirm that Sony and Kadokawa have officially signed a "strategic capital and business alliance agreement" after Sony acquired 12,054,100 new Kadokawa shares for approximately 50 billion yen, around $318.6 million / £252 million.

With the new shares, Sony is currently Kadokawa's largest shareholder, now holding approximately 10% of its shares, including the shares Sony acquired in February 2021.

Through this new capital and business alliance, the PlayStation owner said that it and Kadokawa "intend to further strengthen our collaboration to maximize both companies' IP value globally" as well as "facilitate wider and deeper collaboration, such as potential joint investments in the content field, joint discovery of new creators, and joint promotion of further media mixes of both companies' IP."

The two companies also plan to discuss new initiatives for collaboration, including ways to adapt Kadokawa's IP into live-action films and TV dramas globally, co-produce anime works, expand Kadokawa anime works through Sony, and further expand the company's games.

"We are very pleased to conclude this capital and business alliance agreement with Sony," said Takeshi Natsuno, Kadokawa's chief executive officer. "This alliance is expected to not only further strengthen our IP creation capabilities, but also increase our IP media mix options with Sony's support for global expansion, allowing us to deliver our IP to more users around the world.

"We are confident that this will greatly contribute to maximizing the value of our IP and increasing our corporate value in the mid- to long-term. We intend to do our utmost to ensure that our collaborative efforts with Sony produce great results in the global market."

Reports that Sony was looking to acquire the Japanese publishing company and owner of the Elden Ring developer surfaced last month, but it wasn't until last week that Sony confirmed it had "made an initial statement of intent".

Sony's president, COO, and CFO Hiroki Totoki also commented on the new shares acquisition, saying: "Through this capital and business alliance, we will become the largest shareholder of Kadokawa, which consistently creates a wide variety of IP, including publications and books, such as light novels and comics, as well as games and anime.

"By combining Kadokawa's extensive IP and IP creation ecosystem with the strengths of Sony, which has promoted the global expansion of a wide range of entertainment, including anime and games, we plan to work closely together to realize Kadokawa's 'Global Media Mix' strategy, aimed at maximizing the value of its IP, and Sony's long-term vision, 'Creative Entertainment Vision.'"

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• Elden Ring: Nightreign will feature enemies from the Dark Souls series
• Game director Junya Ishizaki confirms this "small number" of enemies will be featured "thanks to the influence of the Night King"
• The Elden Ring spin-off game is expected to launch next year

FromSoftware has confirmed Elden Ring: Nightreign will feature enemies from Dark Souls.

The 10th-anniversary ceremony for The Game Awards 2024 was an exciting night filled with world premiere trailers and announcements, and among them was the surprise reveal of a brand new Elden Ring spin-off game called Nightreign, a standalone co-op roguelite experience coming in 2025.

The announcement arrived alongside an action-packed trailer, but eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice a few familiar faces from previous FromSoftware releases, notably Dark Souls 3's most formidable boss, the Nameless King.

Although the studio is keeping quiet about the bosses players will be able to encounter in Nightreign, game director Junya Ishizaki has now shared a teaser of what to expect.

Speaking to Famitsu (translated by Eurogamer) Ishizaki confirmed that the spin-off will feature a "small number" of enemies from the Dark Souls series "thanks to the influence of the Night King", adding that it reinforces the sense of "chaos" of the night.

What this means, we can't be sure, but the developer has since shared a teaser on social media hinting at the game's plot, which reads, "In the Night, ancestral foes await - remnants of a fire that once burned bright."

At this time, it's unclear if enemies from other FromSoftware games will appear in Nightreign, but there may be references to Bloodborne's Lady Maria and a grappling hook similar to the one used in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice featured in the game (via IGN).

There's no release date for Elden Ring: Nightreign just yet, but a network test is scheduled for next year.

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• Elden Ring Nightreign was one of The Game Awards 2024's biggest surprises
• It's a roguelite co-op experience for up to three players
• It'll release sometime in 2025, with a network test happening next year

One of the biggest surprises from The Game Awards 2024 was the announcement of FromSoftware's next game: Elden Ring Nightreign.

While certainly not a full-blown sequel to the 2022 game of the year, Nightreign instead brings a bespoke co-op experience for up to three players. The game's official landing page describes it as: "a standalone adventure within the Elden Ring universe, crafted to offer players a new gaming experience by reimagining the game's core design."

The 'reimagining' part seems pretty accurate there, as the announcement trailer was largely gameplay focused and showed off abilities that looked like they'd otherwise be straight out of a fanmade mod pack. We see playable characters fly long distances by holding onto a hawk's talons. Another ability sees us slamming down on a group of enemies from above. There's even a Sekiro-style mantle that honestly would've been a godsend in the base game.

Elden Ring Nightreign seems to be adopting a 'roguelite' style of progression. One key phrase on the landing page strongly hints at this, saying: "Overcome a relentless environmental threat that sweeps through a land that changes between each game session and defeat the magnificent boss of that night!"

It also notes that we'll get to play as "uniquely skilled heroes," indicating a shift away from player-created characters to more tailor-made builds. It'll be interesting to see how these heroes synergize with one another during co-op play, though I imagine it'll be perfectly playable solo should one prefer.

Otherwise, there's plenty for FromSoftware heads to mull over in this announcement trailer alone. For instance, a newly revealed NPC appears to be the Gloam-Eyed Queen, an important figure often spoken about in Elden Ring's lore that has yet to make an in-game appearance.

Oh, and Dark Souls 3's Nameless King shows up as a boss fight. No, really, it's literally the Nameless King - dragon, massive spear, lightning and all. FromSoftware is known to re-use its assets from project to project (which I'm not saying is a bad thing, mind), but it's never quite been this blatant. I'm pretty sure Dark Souls' Centipede Demon made a cheeky appearance, too.

A PC Gamer hands-on preview managed to get a few more details about the upcoming game. Director Junya Ishizaki states that players will need to keep ahead of a "battle royale-style wall of deadly rain" and that an average run - including the concluding boss fight - will take around 30 minutes to complete.

If you're at all worried about the prospect of Elden Ring Nightreign being a live service title, don't fret. Ishizaki explains: "We wanted to have a game that felt like a complete package out of the box on the day of purchase, so everything is unlockable... it's not what we'd consider a live-service game."

Elden Ring Nightreign is slated to release sometime in 2025 and is coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One and PC. Good news for those eager to play the game, too, as PC Gamer reports a network test will also be coming next year.

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Sony has confirmed its interest in acquiring FromSoftware's parent company Kadokawa Group.

Last month, it was reported that Sony was looking to acquire the Japanese publishing company and owner of the Elden Ring developer, with two sources familiar with the ongoing matter claiming that the talks between the PlayStation owner and Kadokawa were ongoing.

Now, speaking in a recent interview with Yahoo Japan, Sony was able to verify the rumors but refused to talk in detail about the acquisition.

"It is true that we have made an initial statement of intent," Sony said (via IGN and translated via DeepL). "We would appreciate it if you would allow us to refrain from further comment."

According to a new report from Bunshun (translated by Automaton via GamesRadar) following Sony's confirmation, one veteran Kadokawa employee claimed that others in the company are "thrilled at the prospect of an acquisition" as there are a "number of employees who are dissatisfied" with the administration under CEO Takeshi Natsuno.

"They expect that if Sony were to acquire the company, they would get rid of the president first," the employee said.

In the same report, however, one economic analyst suggested that a possible acquisition of Kadokawa would not be beneficial for the company.

"Kadokawa will lose its independence, and management will become stricter," said Takahiro Suzuki.

"If they want to keep developing their business as freely as they have until now, [the acquisition] would be a bad choice. They’d have to be prepared for publications that don’t lead to IP creation being put under scrutiny."

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• Sony is reportedly in talks to acquire Kadokawa, the owner of FromSoftware
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• Sony currently has a 2% stake in Kadokawa

Sony is reportedly looking to acquire the Japanese publishing company Kadokawa, the owner of Elden Ring developer FromSoftware.

According to a recent Reuters report, two sources familiar with the matter claimed that talks between the PlayStation owner and Kadokawa are ongoing.

The sources said that if the talks are successful, a deal could be signed "in the coming weeks".

Sony currently has a 2% stake in Kadokawa and a 14% stake in FromSoftware itself. It also has ownership of the Demon's Souls and Bloodborne franchises, while FromSoftware owns the rights to Elden Ring and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

Kadokawa is also the owner of developer Acquire, the studio behind the recently released Mario & Luigi: Brothership on Nintendo Switch and Octopath Traveler.

The publisher acquired the studio in February this year, at the time saying that it has "multiple game titles in the development pipeline, both for consoles and mobile platforms" and is looking to "further strengthen the ability to create IP in games".

Elsewhere, The Game Awards has announced the nominees for The Game Awards 2024, which is set to take place next month.

For the first time in 10 years, downloadable content (DLC) and expansions are eligible for major awards, including Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, which has been nominated in several categories including Game of the Year.

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FromSoftware has released a new update for Elden Ring which introduces a number of adjustments to Shadow of the Erdtree's final boss.

Promised Consort Radahn is generally considered to be the toughest foe in the expansion by players who have managed to come face-to-face with him, so some who have been having trouble with him will be glad to know that the final boss has now been considerably nerfed.

As detailed in the patch notes for version 1.14, FromSoftware has changed the action pattern of the boss when the battle first starts - which could mean he'll no longer dive headfirst towards you when you enter the arena - and some attack moves have also been adjusted, though it's not mentioned which ones.

Some of Radahn's attacks have also been reduced in damage and stamina, as well as the attack range of some non-weapon-based attacks, which could mean his phase three abilities, and the visibility of some attack effects have been improved.

Aside from the highlight of the patch, the update has also made adjustments to PvP equipment and skills, while a selection of base game equipment, incantations, and spells have received their usual tweaks.

Elden Ring - Version 1.14 Patch Notes:

Final Boss Adjustments

• Changed the action pattern when the battle starts
• Adjusted some attack moves
• Decreased the damage of some attacks
• Decreased stamina damage of some attacks
• Decreased the attack range of some non-weapon-based attacks
• Improved the visibility of some attack effects

PvP-exclusive balance adjustments

Equipment:

• Decreased the damage of Backhand Blades against other players (The Smithscript Cirque's throwing attacks are not affected by this change)
• Decreased the damage of Spears’ dual wield attacks against other players
• Decreased the damage of the Pata weapon against other players
• The “Spread Crossbow” weapon will no longer cause the headshot damage motion when hitting another player

Skill:

Scattershot Throw

• Decreased damage against other players
• This skill will no longer cause the headshot damage motion when hitting another player

Discus Hurl

• Decreased the damage animation value generated by this skill when hitting another player

Weed Cutter

• Decreased the poise value of follow-up attacks when using this skill against other players

General balance adjustments

Equipement:

• Increased the attack speed of the uncharged version of the first heavy attack for the following weapon types:
  Dagger / Throwing Blade / Straight Sword / Great Sword / Colossal Sword / Heavy Thrusting Sword / Curved Sword / Twinblade Sword / Katana / Great Katana / Axe / Flail / Great Spear(Except Serpent-Hunter) / Halberd / Reaper / Whip (Except Urumi) / Hand-to-Hand Arts / Beast Claw.
• After performing left handed attacks with weapons of the Great Katana category, cancelling into subsequent attacks using the right handed weapon will now take longer.

Hand-to-Hand Arts weapon type

• Increased damage
• Shortened the recovery time between some normal attacks and follow-up attacks

Colossal Sword weapon type

• Increased the move distance when attacking
• Increased the speed of the first normal attack

Backhand Blade weapon type

• Decreased the attack speed of normal attacks from a crouching position

Small Shield and Medium Shield weapon types

• Increased the damage negation of some shields when blocking physical attacks
• Increased the guard strength of some shields

• It will now take longer to be able to cancel into most actions after performing one-handed normal attacks with the Swift Spear.
• Extended the Smithscript Dagger’s throwing attacks range.
• Increased the attribute scaling of Rellana's Twinblade for lower Intelligence and Faith attributes.

Rellana’s Cameo Talisman

• Reduced the delay before the damage enhancement activates
• Increased damage enhancement

Weapon Arts

Light

• Increased attack speed

Darkness

• Increased attack speed

Dynastic Sickleplay

• Reduced stamina consumption
• Increased poise damage of follow-up heavy attacks
• Increased the movement distance of the first follow-up heavy attack
• Adjusted the damage animation recovery time when the second follow-up heavy attack hits another player

Shield Strike

• Cancelling other actions to perform this weapon art will now take longer

Moon-and-Fire Stance

• Increased the light wave range, poise damage, and attack speed of the stance’s normal attack
• Increased the poise damage from the stance’s heavy attack
• Adjusted the damage animation recovery time when a stance’s heavy attack hits another player

Devonia's Vortex

• Increased attack power
• Extended the attack range of the Great Hammer’s spin
• Increased poise value and poise generation speed
• Adjusted the damage animation recovery time when a charged attack hits another player

Spell

Rellana's Twin Moons

• Increased attack range for the first and second attacks
• Reduced the knockback distance of the second attack

Incantation

Aspects of the Crucible: Thorns

• Increased attack power
• Increased attack power, stamina attack power against guarding enemies
• The close-range hitbox now follows the movement of the player

Aspects of the Crucible: Bloom

• Increased attack speed, increased size of the hitbox
• Shortened recovery time between using this incantation and follow-up actions

Divine Bird Feathers

• Decreased the minimum delay between consecutive hits
• Increased range

Furious Blade of Ansbach

• Cancelling this incantation into rolls will now take less time
• Increased poise damage
• Increased enemy knockback distance

Midra's Flame of Frenzy

• Increased attack speed
• Increased Frenzy status buildup range against enemies
• Decreased Frenzy status buildup when using this skill

Bayle's Flame Lightning

• Increased attack power

Bug Fixes

• Black Pyreflies items will now correctly reappear when resting at a site of grace.
• Fixed a bug where performing a Light Greatsword heavy attack while jumping did not consume stamina.
• Fixed a bug where unintended Weapon Skills could be used when equipping the Ballista in the left hand.
• Fixed a bug that caused critical hit damage dealt to Taylew the Golem Smith when using certain weapons the be lower than intended.
• Fixed a bug that prevented the player from acquiring runes when an enemy was killed while holding a shield.
• Fixed a bug where casting the Inescapable Frenzy Incantation using the Staff of the Great Beyond would cause its hitbox to be generated incorrectly.
• Fixed a bug where whiffed backstabs with the Pata weapon had a smaller fist hitbox that intended.
• Fixed a bug where some attacks of the Lizard Greatsword weren’t registered as strike attacks.
• Fixed a bug where Euporia could increase the attack power of other weapons when its luster is restored.
• Fixed a bug where the restored luster effect of Euporia was sometimes displayed on different weapons.
• Fixed a bug where the power of some Weapon Skills of a right-handed Falx changed depending on the level of the weapon equipped in the left hand.
• Fixed a bug where the enchantment effects of certain skills were being applied to some attacks that did not use weapons.
• Fixed a bug that could cause incorrect player motions to be performed when using lock-on for the following Skills.
• Wild Strikes / Spinning Strikes / Unending Dance
• Fixed a bug that caused the Rolling Sparks Skill to go through some terrain.
• Fixed a bug where the Blades of Stone Spell did not hit targets at a different height level correctly.
• Fixed a bug where some attacks of the Bayle’s Tyranny Incantation did not hit multiple enemies.
• Fixed a bug that caused the attack of the Bayle’s Tyranny Incantation to go through certain terrain.
• Fixed a bug where Godfrey’s Icon Talisman did not apply to some Skills, Spells, and Incantations.
• Fixed a bug that prevented the player from becoming translucent when the Crepus’ Vial Talisman is equipped and the Unseen Form Spell is used.
• Fixed a bug where the hitboxes of some attacks of Rellana, Twin Moon Knight were different than intended.
• Fixed a bug where the “Leave” option could not be selected in the inventory menu for some equipment.
• Fixed a bug that made some Site of Graces difficult to touch under certain circumstances.
• Fixed a bug in some areas where the invasion spawn-in position was different than intended.
• Fixed a bug where the displayed name of certain areas was different than intended.
• Fixed a bug in which, under certain circumstances, the combat state was not released after defeating an invading NPC.
• Fixed a bug that prevented some effects from being displayed correctly.
• Fixed a bug where the Watchful Spirit Incantation’s attacks were sometimes invisible to other players in multiplayer.
• Fixed a bug where the effects of some tools and incantations were not correctly applied when trying to deflect or cancel.
• Several performance improvements and other bug fixes
• Corrected a descriptive error in the game’s credit that was incorrectly added in patch 1.12

Possible unstable performance fixes

• For the PS5 version of the game, unstable framerate may be improved by using the "Rebuild Database" option from the device’s safe mode. 
• In some PC versions, Ray Tracing may be unintentionally enabled and cause unstable performance. Please check the Ray Tracing setting in the "System" > "Graphics " > "Ray Tracing Quality" from the title screen or in-game menu.
• In the PC version, the message "Inappropriate activity detected" may appear without cheating. To fix this issue, please verify the integrity of the game's files before restarting the game.
• In the PC version, unstable framerate may be caused by third party applications that control mouse behavior.  Deactivating these third party applications may improve performance.

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Learning how to start Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree can be tricky if you’re still on your first playthrough. Elden Ring was already one of the best soulslike games, and its lengthy additional campaign - which launched in June 2024 - makes it even better with brutal boss fights, breathtaking new areas, and no shortage of fantastic new weapon types to try out.

There’s just one problem. In true From Software fashion, it’s not immediately clear how to start the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. While certainly not as cryptic as what we had to do in Dark Souls to get to its Artorias of the Abyss expansion, there are nonetheless some hoops we need to jump through in Elden Ring in order to access the Shadow Realm.

The process of getting to the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC mainly requires the player to defeat a number of bosses, and it’s recommended that you have a character build between Levels 100-150 given the drastic increase in enemy health and difficulty throughout the expansion. Read on to learn how to start the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC campaign. 

Tools and requirements

• A PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, or PC
• A physical or digital copy of Elden Ring
• Shadow of the Erdtree DLC purchased and downloaded from your store of choice

Steps for how to start Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC

• Defeat Starscourge Radahn at Redmane Castle 
• Defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood in Mohgwyn Palace 
• Touch the cocoon in Mohg’s boss arena after defeating him 

Step by step guide

FAQs

Final thoughts

You now have all the knowledge you need on how to start the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. While defeating two tough bosses seems like a strict requirement, think of it as a rite of passage; if you’re able to defeat both Radahn and Mohg, you stand a chance at tackling the DLC’s tougher challenges.

FromSoftware has rolled out a new Elden Ring patch addressing a number of Shadow of the Erdtree bugs.

Update 1.13.2, which is more of a small hotfix, is available now and is the second patch to be released in just over a week, aimed at once again tweaking Spirit Ash Summons. 

As the studio explains in the patch notes, the update has fixed a bug "where summoned spirits where not correctly receiving the attack power and damage negation increase effect from Revered Spirit Ash Blessing" in the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion.

The hotfix has also addressed a bug that was affecting the amount of status increase in a number of spirits that was "different than expected", including for Banished Knight Engraval, Warhawk, Gravebird, Cleanrot Knight, Blackflame Monk Amon, and more. 

In the massive 1.13 update, which was released on July 30, FromSoftware introduced significant changes to the majority of the game's Spirt Ashes and made it so they could no longer stagger as easily, while some also received a health and attack power buff.

The patch also changed the default selection that shows up when trying to summon Torrent after it's died, allowing players to revive the Spectral Steed much faster during certain boss battles.

Hidden among the lengthy patch notes, FromSoftware also explained that some players may be experiencing unstable framerates on PC due to third-party applications that could be running in the background, such as mice.

Elden Ring Version 1.13.2 - Patch Notes:

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug which caused the Death status ailment from the Skill "Death Flare" to be applied to the Skill "Deadly Poison Spray".
• Fixed a bug that caused the power of some attacks used by the NPC "Red Bear" to be higher than intended.
• Fixed a bug that prevented players from invading other players' worlds in some areas of Scadu Altus under certain circumstances.
• Fixed a bug that allowed Cooperative multiplayer in some areas of Scadu Altus with no area bosses present.
• Fixes to adjustments regarding Revered Spirit Ash Blessing and some spirits introduced in App Ver. 1.13 App Ver. 1.13/Regulation Ver. 1.13.1
• Fixed a bug where summoned spirits were not correctly receiving the attack power and damage negation increase effect from Revered Spirit Ash Blessing.
• Fixed a bug in which the amount of status increase in the following spirits was different than expected - Warhawk／Spider Scorpion／Bigmouth Imp／Gravebird／Stormhawk Deenh／Banished Knight Engval／Fire Knight, Hilde／Battlemage Hugues／Depraved Perfumer Carmaan／Blackflame Monk Amon／Demi-Human Swordsman Yosh／Cleanrot Knight Finlay／Nightmaiden & Swordstress

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The Thrustmaster eSwap X2 is the latest Xbox controller from the Oregon-based brand. Typically best known for its simulation hardware, including flight sticks and some of the best racing wheels you can buy, it’s no slouch when it comes to gamepad innovation. And on that note, I’ve spent the last week or so being seriously impressed by the eSwap X2; specifically, the limited edition Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree model.

If you’re unfamiliar with the gamepad itself, the Thrustmaster eSwap X2 is a modular Xbox controller. Its unique selling point lies in its swappable analog stick and d-pad modules, which allow players to opt for a PlayStation-like symmetrical stick layout should they prefer. In fact, our managing editor, Rob Dwiar, was a huge fan of the controller, too. In his four-star review, he praised the eSwap X2’s flexibility and responsiveness. I have to agree here, as the controller ended up being ideal for my latest Elden Ring playthrough.

Now, that is partly because the limited edition Shadow of the Erdtree variant of the eSwap X2 got me in the mood for a new run. Its tasteful use of the DLC’s key art, color scheme and iconography certainly make it one of the best-looking controllers on the market today. Yet after finishing my second Shadow of the Erdtree playthrough with the eSwap X2, I’ve grown to love the controller for far more than just its aesthetics. And I reckon it’s easily one of the best Xbox controllers to have been released in years. 

Elden Thing

I review gaming hardware for a living but I’m also a huge fan of the best soulslike games. As a result I can confidently say that a quality controller can help to improve your chances in fiendishly difficult content like Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. But what exactly sets the Thrustmaster eSwap X2 apart from, say, the pack-in Xbox Wireless Controller?

Of course, the modular nature of the eSwap X2 - aside from its accessibility advantages - will better suit the preferences of many players. Still, I find that it's actually the X2’s buttons and sticks where it has a clear advantage over Microsoft’s official gamepads. Yes, even compared to the premium Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2.

The eSwap X2 features satisfying, ultra-responsive mechanical face buttons with practically immediate actuation. The manufacturer estimates that presses here are roughly 64% faster than traditional membrane face buttons. So where exactly does Elden Ring come into this? For all the above qualities I’ve outlined that the eSwap X2 provides, I believe it’s an excellent choice and certainly one of the best controllers for the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.

The rapid actuation of the bumpers, d-pad and face buttons means that you can perform actions that much faster. In multiple boss fights, such as against Bayle the Dread and Putrescent Knight, I found I was able to quickly escape a harrowing situation thanks to these quicker inputs. 

Overall, I felt I had an edge when it came to healing, dodging and jumping to avoid attacks, swapping weapons and even just attacking in general. It may seem like a miniscule amount of time gain in the moment, but I felt as if the responsiveness offered by the Thrustmaster eSwap X2 genuinely helped me get better at the game.

The same goes for the phenomenal d-pad and left and right bumpers, which all share a similarly clicky and tactile feel to that of the face buttons. Customizability is a big win here, too, with four remappable back buttons and binary trigger stops in case you prefer a shorter travel time.

Now I’d love to say that the Thrustmaster eSwap X2 is a controller that you can and should just go out and buy. But unlike another favorite of mine, the GameSir T4 Kaleid, the eSwap X2 isn’t exactly affordable. Coming in at $169.99 / £169.99, it’s firmly in premium price territory alongside the Elite Series 2. As a result, it’s simply not even going to be considered by many folks outside of big sales periods.

As I’ve alluded to, though, the Thrustmaster eSwap X2 is fantastic for more than just Elden Ring and its DLC. I’ve found it to be an excellent choice for fighting games like Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising and Street Fighter 6 thanks to that impressive responsiveness. It’s also my current go-to controller as I prepare for Final Fantasy 14’s latest Savage raid tier. So I’d highly recommend you keep the eSwap X2 on your radar - particularly when sales periods hit over the Holiday season - if you’d like to own a controller that can seriously elevate your enjoyment of both single-player and competitive multiplayer games. 

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Elden Ring players might be experiencing framerate issues on PC because of their mouse.

That's according to developer FromSoftware, who said in the most recent patch notes for Version 1.13 that it had discovered an possible unstable performance issue affecting PC players' FPS, due to third-party applications that may be running in the background (via PC Gamer).

"In the PC version, unstable framerate may be caused by third-party applications that control mouse behavior," FromSoftware explained. 

It's unclear if the developer is planning on introducing a fix in a future patch, but it did offer up a work around that may stabilize the issue temporarily.

"Deactivating these third-party applications may improve performance," it said. "The version number of this update shown at the lower right corner of the Title Screen will be as follows: App Ver. 1.13. Regulation Ver. 1.13.1."

When Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree expansion was released in June, some players were experiencing similar performance problems. At the time, FromSoftware offered a similar resolution, saying, "In the PC version, the frame rate may not be stable when playing the game while running a mouse-control related app. In that case, please try playing the game after stopping the mouse-control related app."

It looks like the issue has persisted for over a month now, however, given the latest patch notes. In response to the possible solution, one user said, "Your game runs poorly on all devices. From consoles to ultra high-end PCs. And you lack Ultrawide support or DLSS/FSR/XESS. Things modders implemented."

Patch 1.13 went live across all platforms earlier this week and was largely aimed at introducing much-needed balance fixes for weapons, spells, and summons. While the majority of Spirit Ashes saw significant nerfs across the board, the update also changed the default selection that shows up when trying to summon Torrent after it the Spectral Steed has died, making things less overwhelming during boss fights.

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FromSoftware has released a new Elden Ring patch, addressing a number of balance issues across the board.

Version 1.13 is now live across all platforms and features some huge changes, aimed mainly at weapons, spells, and summons. In particular, the majority of the available Spirit Ashes have all been nerfed, and will now no longer stagger as easily, while some have received a boost in health or attack power.

The patch notes explain that that the update has increased the attack power and damage negation of summoned spirits, however, this excludes the Mimic Tear when the Revered Spirit Ash Blessing is at [5] or more and when upgraded to +8 or higher.

It also looks like the developer has adjusted the placement of NPC summon signs in certain boss fight arenas, and to make things less overwhelming during intense battles, it has changed the default selection of the "OK / CANCEL" prompt to a default position of "OK" that shows up when trying to summon Torrent after it the Spectral Steed has died.

Earlier this month, FromSoftware said that it was aware that some Latin American translation staff were not credited in the end credits of the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion and confirmed it would be adding them "as soon as possible in an upcoming patch".

It looks like the credits are still missing with the latest patch, but the developer did note that the "issue will be corrected in the next update." You can read the full patch notes below.

Elden Ring - Patch Notes Version 1.13

PvP-exclusive balance adjustments:

Equipment

• Increased poise damage of normal attacks for the following weapon types:
  Light Great Swords / Backhand Blades / Hand-to-Hand Arts / Beast Claws
• Increased poise damage of dual wield attacks for the following weapon types:
  Straight Swords / Thrusting Swords / Curved Swords / Katanas / Spears / Whips / Fists / Claws
• Increased poise damage of the Claws of Night throwing attacks.
• Decreased the backstep invulnerability window when the Fine Crucible Feather Talisman or the Talisman of All Crucibles are equipped.

Skills

Savage Lion's Claw

• The second hit of the follow-up attack is now easier to land.
• Decreased damage animation of the first attack against other players.

Raging Beast

• Decreased invulnerability window against other players' attacks.

Blind Spot

• Decreased invulnerability window against other players' attacks.

Palm Blast

• Decreased poise amount generated when charging this skill.

Spell and Incantations

Miriam's Vanishing

• Decreased invulnerability window against other players' attacks.

Knight's Lightning Spear

• Increased attack power of the initial lightning spear.
• Decreased attack power of the spears launched after the first one.
• Decreased poise damage of all spears generated by this spell.

General balance adjustments

• Increased damage animation of the Light Greatsword charge attacks against enemies (other than players).
• Increased the stats & status of the following NPCs that can be summoned in some areas:
  • Needle Knight Leda / Pureblood Knight Ansbach / Thiollier
• Increased the attack power and damage negation of summoned spirits, excluding the Mimic Tear, when the Revered Spirit Ash Blessing is at [5] or more.
• Increased the attack power and damage negation of summoned spirits, excluding the Mimic Tear, when upgraded to “+8” or higher.

Armament

Increased attack power scaling when upgrading the following armaments: Repeating Crossbow / Spread Crossbow / Rabbath's Cannon

Shield of Night

• Increased damage negation when blocking physical attacks.

Euporia

• Increased Holy damage when the weapon has its luster restored.
• Decreased the number of attacks required to restore the weapon’s luster.
• Increased the duration of the luster restoration effect.

Golden Lion Shield

• Increase guard strength.

Golem Fist

• Added a damage hitbox to the hand portion of the ranged fist attack.

Smithscript Greathammer

• Increased poise damage of the swing portion of throwing attacks (the projectile is unchanged).

Spread Crossbow

• Decreased the generated status buildup when used with Bolts that have status effects.

Ailment Talisman

• After the onset of a status ailment, the status build up (or duration) of said ailment will now also be reduced immediately by a certain amount.

Clarifying Horn Charm / Clarifying Horn Charm +1 / Clarifying Horn Charm +2

• Increased Focus resistance.

Skill

Savage Lion's Claw

• Increased attack power and poise damage of the first attack.

Swift Slash

• Reduced movement distance when using this skill
• Extended recovery time.

Overhead Stance

• Increased attack power against enemies (other than players).

Aspects of the Crucible: Wings

• Increased attack power.
• Increased directional control, as well as amount of poised generated when using this skill.

Lightspeed Slash

• The additional light attacks are now affected by the attack power and ability scaling of the weapon.

Rancor Slash

• Increased attack power of the vengeful spirits.
• Increased stamina damage against guarding enemies.

Revenger's Blade

• Increased directional control for follow up attacks after a strong attack.

Horn Calling

• Increased attack power against enemies (other than players).

Horn Calling: Storm

• Increased attack power against enemies (other than players).

Weed Cutter

• Increased the speed of attacks.

Romina's Purification

• Increased poise value when using this skill.

Red Bear Hunt

• Increased attack power.
• Increased poise value when using this skill.

Rancor Shot

• Decreased status buildup generation when used with Arrows that have status effects.

Repeating Fire

• Adjusted attack power to compensate for increase in weapon damage

Feeble Lord's Frenzied Flame

• Reduced Frenzy status effect buildup against enemies.

Revenge of the Night

• Increased poise damage and attack power when this skill is used immediately after guarding against an enemy attack.

Spell

Glintblade Trio

• Increased attack power.

Blades of Stone

• Adjusted attack power of the first, second and third charge attacks.
• Increased attack power of the non-charged attack.
• Increased attack power of the first hit of the charged attack, and reduced attack power of the second and third hits.
• Increased attack range and attack speed.

Glintstone Nail(s)

• Increased attack power and improved enemy tracking.

Impenetrable Thorns

• All generated Impenetrable Thorns will now track enemies.
• Decreased attack power and poise damage.
• Decreased the Hemorrhage status buildup and stamina damage against guarding enemies.

Rings of Spectral Light

• Increased attack power and Frostbite status buildup.

Vortex of Putrescence

• Increased attack power and Frostbite status buildup.

Incantation

Minor Erdtree

• Increased HP recovery amount.

Land of Shadow

• Improved enemy tracking.

Spira

• Increased attack speed.

Watchful Spirit

• Improved enemy tracking.

Divine Beast Tornado

• Increased attack power.
• Enemies hit by the tornado will now be launched upwards.
• The tornado will be less likely to disappear due to collision with the terrain.

Rain of Fire

• Increased attack power.
• Reduced the interval between each hit.

Roar of Rugalea

• Increased poise damage and attack power.

Furious Blade of Ansbach

• Increased attack power.

Rotten Butterflies

• Increased Scarlet Rot status buildup.
• Reduced the interval between damage ticks.
• Increased attack range.

Ash

• Wandering Noble: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Noble Sorcerer: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Nomad Ashes: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Putrid Corse: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Skeletal Militiaman: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Skeletal Bandit: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Albinauric: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Winged Misbegotten: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Demi-Human: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Clayman: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Oracle Envoys: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Man-Fly: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Lone Wolf Ashes: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Rotten Stray Ashes: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Giant Rat Ashes: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Warhawk: Increased HP, physical attack power and Fire attack power. Increased Stance status.
• Land Squirt: Increased HP. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Spirit jellyfish: Increased HP, physical attack power and poison status ailment buildup on enemies. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Spider Scorpion: Increased physical attack power, poison status ailment buildup on enemies and damage negation except for strike and fire attributes. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Fingercreeper: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Fanged Imp: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Bigmouth Imp: Increased HP and Fire attack power. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Gravebird: Increased HP and magic attack power. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Soldjar of Fortune: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Archers: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Greatshield Soldiers: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Page: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Vulgar Militia: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Marionette Soldier: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Avionette Soldier: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Kaiden Mercenary: Increased HP and physical attack power. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Mad Pumpkin Head: Increased physical attack power. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Fire Monks: Increased HP and Fire attack power. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Ancestral Follower: Increased physical attack power. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Horned Warrior: Increased HP and damage negation except for pierce attacks. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Azula Beastman: Increased HP and lightning attack power. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Man-Serpent: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Crystalian: Will no longer stagger as easily. Increased physical attack power.
• Kindred of Rot: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Bloodfiend Hexer's: Increased hemorrhage status ailment buildup on enemies. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Glintstone sorcerer: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Twinsage Sorcerer: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Inquisitor: Increased HP. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Godrick Soldier: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Raya Lucaria Soldier: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Leyndell Soldier: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Radahn Soldier: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Haligtree Soldier: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Mausoleum Soldier: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Messmer Soldier: Increased Hp and physical attack power. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Stormhawk Deenh: Increased HP and physical attack power. Will no longer stagger as easily. Increased duration of effect to increase the attack power given to allies.
• Banished Knight Oleg: Increased physical attack power and damage negation against physical attacks. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Banished Knight Engval: Increased physical attack power and damage negation against physical attacks. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Bloodhound Knight Floh: Increased HP, physical attack power and damage negation against physical attacks. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Black Knight Captain Huw: Increased physical attack power and damage negation against physical attacks. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Black Knight Commander Andreas: Increased damage negation and guard boost against Holy and Physical attacks. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Fire Knight Hilde: Increased Fire attack power. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Fire Knight Queelign: Increased Vigor and Faith.
• Swordhand of Night Jolán: Increased Vigor and Dexterity.
• Jolán and Anna: Increased Vigor and Dexterity.
• Battlemage Hugues: Increased physical attack power and magic attack power. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Latenna the Albinauric: Increased HP, physical attack power, and magic attack power. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Perfumer Tricia: Increased HP. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Depraved Perfumer Carmaan: Increased fire attack power. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Omenkiller Rollo: Increased HP, physical attack power, and Fire attack power. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Blackflame Monk Amon: Increased HP and Fire attack power. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Curseblade Meera: Increased HP and physical attack power. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Demi-Human Swordsman Yosh: Increased HP, physical attack power, and magic attack power. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Ancient Dragon Knight Kristoff: Increased Lightning attack power and damage negation against Physical, Lightning, and Holy Attack affinities. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Redmane Knight Ogha: Increased physical attack power and damage negation against Physical and Fire attack affinities. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Lhutel the Headless: Increased physical attack power and damage negation against physical attacks. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Cleanrot Knight Finlay: Increased physical attack power and damage negation against Physical, Magic, and Holy Attack affinities. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Black Knife Tiche: Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Divine Bird Warrior Ornis: Increased HP and damage negation against Physical attacks except Pierce attacks. Will no longer stagger as easily.
• Ancient Dragon Florissax: Increased Arcane. Increased damage negation against all affinities. Increased Skills and Incantations usage rate. Increased the speed and poise values during some attacks.
• Finger Maiden Therolina Puppet: Increased Vigor and Faith.
• Jarwight Puppet: Increased Vigor.
• Dolores the Sleeping Arrow Puppet: Increased Vigor.
• Nepheli Loux Puppet: Increased Vigor and Strength.
• Dung Eater Puppet: Increased Vigor.
• Nightmaiden & Swordstress: Increased HP and physical attack power.

Bug Fixes

• Changed the default selection of the OK / CANCEL prompt that shows up when using the “Spectral Steed Whistle” while the spectral steed is dead. The default selection position is now OK.
• Adjusted the placement of NPC summon signs in certain boss fight areas.
• Changed the NPC summon signs in certain boss fights to allow the user to summon NPCs simply by pressing the action button once.
• Fixed a bug where the damage of some normal attacks of the Dark Moon Greatsword were lower than intended.
• Fixed the physical attack attribute menu display of the “Warpick” weapon.
• Fixed a bug where some attacks of the “Swift Spear” weapon were different than expected in terms of power, damage motion and hitbox generation timing.
• Fixed a bug that prevented the “Twinblade Talisman” from affecting the Perfume Bottles weapon type when equipped and used in the left hand.
• Fixed a bug where the physical attack attributes of some attacks of the Thrusting Shields weapon type were different than expected.
• Fixed a bug that allowed the use of Arrows / Great Arrows / Bolts / Great Bolts that should not be usable for the following weapon types:
  Light Bows / Long Bows / Greatbows / Crossbows / Ballistas
• Fixed a bug where the effect of increasing the power of the Incantation “Light of Miquella” of the “Circlet of Light” helmet was not applied correctly.
• Fixed a bug that caused FP consumption when using the "Unending Dance" Skill while not meeting the ability requirements of the weapon "Dancing Blade of Ranah".
• Fixed a bug where the physical attack attribute of some attacks of the “Deadly Dance” Skill was different than expected.
• Fixed a bug where the physical attack attribute of the “Scattershot Throw” Skill of the “Claws of Night” weapon was different than expected.
• Fixed a bug where the following Skills did not change correctly when performed with or without FP.
• Dynastic Sickleplay / Raging Beast / Repeating Crossbow Fire
  • Fixed a bug where a different Rage Art was sometimes performed when following up with a strong attack after using the “Raging Beast” and “Dynasty Sickleplay” Skills.
• Fixed a bug that caused certain Skills to perform differently than expected under certain circumstances.
• Fixed a bug that prevented some Spells / Incantations that can be used in the air from being used in the air under some conditions.
• Fixed a bug that caused the "Golden Arcs" Incantation to generate attacks slower when cast with the left hand.
• Fixed a bug where the “Rain of Fire” Incantation sometimes did not hit enemies.
• Fixed a bug where the “Furious Blade of Ansbach” Incantation did not apply Hemorrhage status build up.
• Fixed a bug where under some circumstances, the move distance when casting some Spells / Incantations was different than expected.
• Fixed a bug that sometimes interrupted the cast of the “Roar of Rugalea” Incantation.
• Fixed a bug where the “Cherishing Fingers” magic attack sometimes did not hit.
• Fixed a bug in the behavior of the Mimic Tear spirit when casting Spells, Incantations and Skills.
• Fixed a bug where  NPCs could be summoned when the maximum number of cooperative multiplayer members had been reached.
• Fixed a bug that caused some items to display different icons than expected.
• Fixed a bug where exiting the game or going through a loading screen immediately after defeating “Count Ymir, Mother of Fingers” could make the dropped items unobtainable.
• Fixed a bug that prevented the player from performing Critical hits on some enemies.
• Fixed a bug in which some attacks on certain enemies were interpreted differently than expected.
• Fixed a bug that prevented rune gains when defeating some enemies.
• Fixed a bug that prevented some enemies from working properly under certain circumstances.
• Fixed a bug where the Multiplayer area borders were different than intended in some areas.
• Fixed a bug where the player would spawn in a different place than intended when invading another player’s world
• Fixed a bug in the map menu that caused some NPC icons in the Realm of Shadow to not display properly.
• Fixed a bug in the design of the map of Realm of Shadow and the “Map Fragment” icon.
• Fixed a bug where some cutscenes were not displayed correctly under certain circumstances.
• Fixed a bug where some sound effects did not play correctly.
• Fixed a bug where some effects were not displayed correctly.
• Several performance improvements and other bug fixes.

Steam-only adjustments

• Fixed a bug where “Anti-aliasing Quality” was unintentionally set to “High” each time the game was restarted.

Correction of end credits

• In update 1.12, an error was included in the credits of the game. This issue will be corrected in the next update.

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An Elden Ring speedrunner has put up a $10,000 bounty for beating an absurdly difficult challenge for the game's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC expansion.

As reported by GamesRadar, streamer Distortion2 is kicking off a new speedrunning category centered around Shadow of the Erdtree. Named 'Rune Level 1 DLC%', it actually goes far beyond just a level restriction.

While runners do have to remain at Level 1 throughout their playthrough, they're also limited to weapons found in the DLC's Land of Shadow map. That means that, no, you can't bring in that +10 Moonveil katana that's carried you through the base game.

On top of this, players must defeat every single remembrance boss - which includes some truly nightmarish fights like the Scadutree Avatar and Commander Gaius - as well as Bayle, vile Bayle. Oh, and if all that wasn't enough, while you're assumedly free to collect power-increasing Scadutree Fragments throughout the DLC area, you're limited to leveling up your blessing once per boss defeated.

Distortion2 explains his reasoning behind this limitations in the challenge's announcement video. "Just rune level 1 wasn't really hard enough in my mind," he explains, "as we all know how strong some weapons from the base game can be."

He adds that the Scadu blessing limitation was a way to prevent runners from scouring the map for Scadutree Fragments as seems to be the preferred method in standard speedrunning categories.

Best of all, the Rune Level 1 DLC% challenge is open to everyone. So if you fancy yourself a share of that $10,000 bounty (it's $4,000 for the top spot), you can head over to the category's Discord server to download a custom PC save file that'll get you started. If you think you're enough of a gamer to tackle this monumental challenge, you've got until August 11 to set your best time.

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PlayStation Store's Summer Sale is officially here, offering big discounts on some of the best games.

The annual Summer Sale is back this month with hundreds of titles now on offer for users across PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Running until August 14, this year's promotion includes discounts on a total of 4,770 items on the US PlayStation store and 4,520 items on the UK PlayStation Store, although some offers will be removed prior to the sale's end date.

Some of the best discounts also apply to some of our favorite games available on PlayStation, including the critically acclaimed role-playing game from FromSoftware, Elden Ring which is now priced at $41.99 / £34.99. 

This offer only applies to the base game, however, so you'll need to pay full price for the recently released Shadow of the Erdtree expansion.

Other games on offer also include 2023's best horror games, Resident Evil 4 and Alan Wake 2, and fantastic Soulslike Lies of P. There are also featured titles that have been released this year, such as one of the best fighting games you can play right now, Tekken 8, and even Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

You can take a look at some of our recommended discounts below:

• Elden Ring - $41.99 / £34.99 (-30%)
• Red Dead Redemption 2 - $19.79 / £18.14 (-67%)
• Grand Theft Auto 5: Premium Edition - $14.99 / £14.99 (-50%)
• Grand Theft Auto 5 (PS5) - $19.99 / £17.49 (-50%)
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• Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth Twin Pack - $74.99 / £71.24 (-25%)
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• Alan Wake 2 - $38.99 / £32.49 (-35%)
• Lies of P - $35.99 / £29.99 (-40%)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 - $38.49 / £38.49 (-45%)

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Elden Ring is an enormous game and - in true FromSoftware fashion - has reams of dialogue, item descriptions, and environmental details for lore heads to obsess over. Surely it'd be wonderful if all that detail was immediately to hand in a comprehensive book, right?

That's where Grace Given: The Mythology of Elden Ring comes in, a 500-page lore book published by Tune & Fairweather, penned by popular Soulsborne lore YouTuber Geoff 'SmoughTown' Truscott, and featuring eye-popping works by artists like MenasLG, Chris Lewis Lee, Shimhaq and Elliott Wells.

The book's pre-order page is live now, and it'll help you get a better idea of just how premium a project it is. Top edge-gilded pages, flocked velvet slipcase, and hundreds of pages featuring in-depth lore detail and tons of gorgeously crafted artwork - it seems to be a fitting collector's item for the most dedicated Tarnished.

And then there's the price tag, which is as eye-watering as the fate of General Radahn. Expect to pay $279 / £215 for the base collector's edition (pre-orders of which are open until August 10, 2024). A nicer limited edition, bound in genuine leather and including a signed collectible art print, can be pre-ordered for $773 / £602. Lastly, there's also the Benefactor edition which includes all previous goodies and a page dedicated to the names of those who purchased it. This will run you $1,104 / £860. A pricey package all around, then.

It's an expensive piece of merch, to be sure, but it does look to be a very high-quality product. Fancy bells and whistles aside, I can personally vouch for creator SmoughTown's content for its informative and highly entertaining nature. Plus, the store page is already showing off plenty of high-quality artwork which leads me to believe that those who can afford it will undoubtedly have a real page-turner on their hands.

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A brand-new Elden Ring patch has been deployed, fixing a number of bugs and balance issues, while also nerfing some of the game's most powerful builds.

FromSoftware released version 1.12.3 today, July 4, and is a surprisingly large update that aims to address a bunch of problems, including some that may have been bothering players. 

Specifically, the patch has made changes to two of Shadow of the Erdtree's most challenging bosses, the Golden Hippopotamus and Commander Gaius, by changing the placement of them in their respective arenas so they don't instantly overwhelm you as you pass through the entrance. 

This should also give players a chance to summon one of their many spirits to help in battle before the bosses overwhelm them within seconds.

In addition to a long list of bug fixes, the Swift Slash skill has had its damage and damage animation nerfed in PvP, while the Carian Sorcery Sword has had its Intelligence scaling increased at the cost of its base damage. 

The Lightning Perfume Bottle and Frenzyflame Perfume Bottle, two popular weapons among players, have also been significantly nerfed. According to FromSoftware, the damage output for each weapon was a bug that was dealing double damage "under certain circumstances", so say goodbye to this overpowered build. You can read the full patch notes below.

Elden Ring - Version 1.12.3 patch notes

PvP-exclusive balance adjustments

• Decreased the damage and damage animation of the shearing vacuum effect of the “Swift Slash” Skill.

General balance adjustments

• Increased the Intelligence scaling of the Carian Sorcery Sword and slightly decreased the base damage.
• Extended the throwing attacks range for the following weapons:
• Smithscript Dagger / Smithscript Cirque
• Changed the placement of the bosses in the re-fight against the Golden Hippopotamus and Commander Gaius bosses to be in the same position as in the first fight.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused the Rolling Sparks Skill to deal more damage than expected.
• Fixed a bug that caused the Rolling Sparks and Wall of Sparks Skills to deal no damage while some special effects were applied to the player.
• Fixed a bug where some special effects of a right-handed weapon would also be applied to the following Weapon Skills when cast with the left hand:
  • Feeble Lord's Frenzied Flame
  • Discus Hurl
• Fixed a bug where successfully guarding while attacking using the Thrusting Shield weapon type would consume less stamina than intended.
• Fixed a bug that prevented players from cancelling the attack recovery of two-handed strong attacks by rolling for certain weapons of the Backhand Blades weapon type.
• Fixed a bug that caused the Lightning Perfume Bottle and Frenzyflame Perfume Bottle weapons to deal double damage under certain circumstances.
• Fixed a bug where the Arcane scaling of the Bloodfiend's Arm weapon was higher than intended when setting an affinity. The status buildup of the heavy attack was also reduced.
• Fixed a bug where the Faith scaling of the Gazing Finger weapon was not being applied correctly.
• Fixed a bug where the damage animation of some attacks of the Fire Knight's Greatsword against players was different than expected.
• Fixed a bug where the attack affinity of some attacks of the Fire Knight's Greatsword were different than expected.
• Fixed a bug that caused some affinities for the following weapons to be higher than intended:
  • Smithscript Dagger
  • Smithscript Cirque
  • Smithscript Axe
  • Smithscript Greathammer
  • Smithscript Spear
  • Golem Fist
  • Smithscript Shield
• Fixed a bug that caused enemies to heal when the Maximum HP reduction gradual HP reduction effect applied by Black Knife Tiche wore off.
• Fixed a bug that caused summoned NPCs to behave differently than expected under certain circumstances.
• Fixed a bug where the unblockable bite attack of the Golden Hippopotamus boss would connect with players more easily than intended.
• Fixed a bug that caused text to display differently than expected.
• Several other performance improvements and bug fixes.

Possible unstable performance fixes

• For the PS5 version of the game, unstable framerate may be improved by using the "Rebuild Database" option from the device’s safe mode.
• In some PC versions, Ray Tracing may be unintentionally enabled and cause unstable performance. Please check the Ray Tracing setting in the "System" > "Graphics Settings" > "Raytracing Quality" from the title screen or in-game menu.
• In the PC Version, the message "Inappropriate activity detected" may appear without cheating.
  To fix this issue, please verify the integrity of the game's files before restarting the game.
• In the PC version, unstable framerate may be caused by third-party applications that control mouse behavior. Deactivating these third-party applications may improve performance.

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FromSoftware has released a new patch for Elden Ring following the release of the game's one and only expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree.

Since the downloadable content (DLC) launched last week, some players have been expressing frustration with difficulty scaling when it comes to enemies, with others claiming the Shadow of the Erdtree is too hard.

While some boss fights are significantly harder than others present in the base game, the DLC does feature a separate leveling system to even out the playing field.  

Players can seek out new items called Scadutree Fragments, which can be used to increase their Shadow Realm Blessings in order to strengthen their character. There are also Revered Spirit Ash Blessings, which will increase the ability of summoned spirits and the player's spectral steed.

Seemingly in response, the developer has gone ahead and released a small patch, buffing the attack and damage negation for the Scadutree Blessings "for the first half of the maximum amount of Blessing enhancements", while the second half will now be more "gradual".

In addition, the attack and damage negation granted by the final level of Blessing enhancements has been slightly increased. You can read the full patch notes below.

What's more, FromSoftware has also released a guide for those struggling with the difficulty. In a new Steam post, the studio more or less implores players to seek out Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes to help bolster their builds. 

They even included a helpful map for those not sure where to start looking, as well as provided some useful tips on how to acquire them, for instance, by killing certain enemies who carry glistening pots above their heads.

Elden Ring Version 1.12.2 - Patch Notes

To adjust the Expansion’s balance, a calibration update has been released.

Calibration Update 1.12.2 change list

Attack and damage negation curve scaling of the Scadutree Blessing has been revised.

• The attack and damage negation has been increased for the first half of the maximum amount of Blessing enhancements, and the second half will now be more gradual.
• The attack and damage negation granted by the final level of Blessing enhancements has been slightly increased.

The calibration update can be applied by logging into the multiplayer server.

If the Calibration Ver. listed at the bottom right of the title menu is not "1.12.2", then select LOGIN and apply the latest regulations before enjoying the game.

About graphics settings (PC version only)

We have confirmed a bug where the raytracing settings are automatically enabled if you have previously loaded saved data from previous game versions.

If your framerate is unstable, please check in the 'SYSTEM' > 'Graphics Settings' > 'Raytracing Quality' settings from the title menu or in-game menu to check if it has been unintentionally set to 'ON'. Once set to 'OFF', Ray Tracing will no longer be automatically enabled.

Other balance adjustments as well as bug fixes are also planned for a future patch.

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Elden Ring's director Hidetaka Miyazaki says he may consider including "beginning to end, total co-op" in future FromSoftware games. 

Speaking in an interview with PC Gamer ahead of the release of Elden Ring's expansion Shadow of the Erdtree, the FromSoftware president was asked to comment on the popular Seamless Co-op mod.

If you're unfamiliar, Seamless Co-op allows players to party up with their friends in one continuous multiplayer session and provides a different experience when exploring the Lands Between.

While Elden Ring does feature a co-op system, it's fairly limited and doesn't allow you to constantly play with friends. 

According to Miyazaki, he's not against players using the mod on their adventures and explained that when designing the game's summoning mechanic, he wanted it to be more casual.

"It's definitely not something we actively oppose or want to downplay, wanting to go through the whole game together," said Miyazaki. "In terms of where we were with Elden Ring, it was simply a case of wanting that more loose, casual style — drop in, defeat a boss, drop out. It doesn't put any technical restrictions on the player, it just sort of lets them complete this focus and then move on, so to speak."

Miyazaki also went on to reveal that FromSoftware may consider changing its approach to co-op with future titles, considering the mod's popularity.

"That's not to say we won't consider other ways like you and your friend played, from beginning to end, total co-op—that's not to say we won't consider ideas like that with our future games."

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree launched on June 21 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. We gave the expansion 4.5 stars, with Hardware Editor Rhys Wood calling it "quite anomalous among modern-day downloadable content" and "FromSoftware’s biggest and arguably best DLC expansion to date."

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FromSoftware has deployed a brand-new Elden Ring patch ahead of the release of the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion.

The highly-anticipated downloadable content (DLC) finally launches tomorrow (June 21) for PC and console, but ahead of time, the studio has gone ahead and introduced a bunch of new features for players to enjoy.

With Patch 1.12, players will find not only a collection of quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes, but they'll also discover five new hairstyles have been added to the game that can be accessed using the character creator screen, or in-game using the Clouded Mirror Stand or Rennala's Rebirth feature.

The update also adds a new "Map Functions Menu" to the Map Menu, on top of new Summoning Pool features. According to the patch notes, Active Summoning Pools will now be carried over to New Game+, and Individual Summoning Pools can now be enabled / disabled in the newly added Map Functions Menu.

Other new inventory features include a new tab called "Recent Items", newly obtained items will be marked with a "!", and support for the Arabic language. 

What's probably the most exciting addition to the patch notes is the ability to now summon your spectral steed, Torrent, during the final boss against the Elden Beast, which should prove to be massively helpful. You can read the full patch notes below.

Elden Ring version 1.12 Patch Notes 

New Features

• Added support for the SHADOW OF THE ERDTREE DLC.
• Five new hairstyles have been added to the game. They can be selected during character creation, using the Clouded Mirror Stand or using Rennala's Rebirth feature.
• Added "Map Functions Menu" to the Map Menu.
• New Summoning Pool features:
  • Active Summoning Pools will now be carried over to NG+.
  • Individual Summoning Pools can now be enabled / disabled in the newly added Map Functions Menu.

- If "Include Distant Areas" is selected when using the Small Golden Effigy, summoning pools within the Mohgwyn Palace will not be selected for summoning, even if you have activated them.

- If you are within the Moghwyn Palace and select “Nearby Only” when using the Small Golden Effigy, you will be able to be summoned within the area.

New Inventory features:

• Newly obtained items will be marked with a "!“.
• A new tab called "Recent Items" has been added to review recently obtained items.
• Display settings can be changed from the Display tab in the system menu.
• Added new feature to summon spectral steed during the Elden Beast the boss battle.
• Added new feature to the colosseum: crafted consumable items that have been used during a battle will be replenished at the end of your session.
• Added support for Arabic language.

Steam-only new features

• New Keyboard/mouse settings:
  • Added "lock-on change threshold" setting of mouse controls.
  • Added a setting to change cursor movement behavior in the map menu.
  • Added key assignments to open the map in the Key Settings menu.

PvP-exclusive balance adjustments

The adjustments in this section do not affect single-player or cooperative play.

Weapons adjustments

• After being affected by madness and/or sleep status effects, the status effect build-up will be halted for a short period of time.
• Increased the poise damage of some attacks against other players of the following weapon types:
  • Greatswords / Colossal Swords /Curved Greatswords / Greataxes / Hammers / Flails / Great Hammers / Colossal Weapons / Great Spears / Halberds
• Adjusted poise damage of some dual wield attacks against other players by of the following weapon types:
  • Greatswords / Axes / Great Axes / Hammers / Great Hammers / Halberds / Reapers
• Increased poise damage against other players from dual-wielded attacks of the following weapon types:
  • Axes / Hammers / Halberds / Reapers
• Increased poise damage of Axes against other players
• Decreased the damage of dual-wield attacks against other players of all weapon types.
• Decreased the poise damage of some attacks against other players of the following weapon types:
  • Daggers / Straight Swords / Thrusting Swords / Heavy Thrusting Swords / Curved Swords / Katanas / Twinblades / Axes / Spears / Reapers / Whips / Fists / Claws
• Decreased the Poise value of some attack motions against other players of the following weapon types:
  • Greatswords / Colossal Swords / Curved Greatswords / Greataxes / Hammers / Flails / Great Hammers / Colossal Weapons / Great Spears / Halberds
• Decreased the damage of some attacks against other players for the Heavy Thrusting Swords weapon type.
• Decreased the damage of dual wield attacks against other players for the following weapon types:
  • Spears / Great Spears
• Decreased the damage animation motion of the following weapon types when another player is stunned by a two-handed heavy running attack:
  • Fists / Claws
• Decreased the effects of "Baldachin's Blessing" and "Radiant Baldachin's Blessing" to increase the Poise value and Physical damage negation in PvP.

Skill adjustments

• Spinning Slash - Decreased damage.
• Flaming Strike - Decreased damage.
• Rain of Arrows - Decreased damage and poise damage.
• Cursed-Blood Slash - Decreased damage.
• Transient Moonlight - Decreased damage.
• Lightning Storm - Decreased poise damage.
• Spearcall Ritual - Decreased poise damage.
• Ancient Lightning Spear - Decreased damage.
• Radahn's Rain - Decreased damage and poise damage.
• Spinning Weapon - Decreased damage animation motion when stunning other players.

Incantations adjustments

• Black Flame's Protection - Decreased physical block rate.
• Bestial Sling - Decreased poise damage.

General balance adjustments

The adjustments in this section affect both the PvE and PvP aspects of the game.

• Adjusted turning speed when using dual wielded Heavy Thrusting Swords.
• Increased Dexterity scaling when assigning Ashes of War with corresponding weapon Affinities.
• Increased Stamina consumption when guarding against attacks of the following weapon types:
  • Greatswords / Curved Greatswords / Great Axes / Great Hammers
• Increased the speed of some attacks of the following weapon types:
  • Axes / Greataxes / Hammers / Flails / Reapers
• Increased the damage of charged attacks of the following weapon types:
  • Axes / Greataxes / Some Colossal Weapons
• Increased the turning speed of normal attacks of the Reapers weapon type.
• Increased damage of the Whips weapon type, except the "Ulmi" Whip.
• Increased the speed of consecutive attacks for the following weapon types:
  • Light Bows / Long Bows
• Increased the poise damage of the Torches weapon type.
• Increased the duration of the effect of Mohg’s Great Rune that increases the attack power when a bleeding status effect is triggered by a nearby summoned spirit.
• Decreased the heal amount reduction from the Flask of Crimson Tears and increased the heal-on-attack effect when using Malenia’s Great Rune.
• Increased the attack power of Arrows, Greatarrows, Bolts, and Greatbolts that can be crafted through Item Crafting.
• Decreased the turning speed of dual-wielded weapons for the following weapon types:
  • Spears / Great Spears
• Decreased poise generation speed during some attacks of the following weapon types:
  • Great Spears / Halberd Spears
• Decreased the effect that increases the power of spells of Terra Magica.
• Decreased the effect duration of the Cerulean Hidden Tear.

Armament Adjustments

• Troll Knight's Sword - Increased damage.
• Zamor Curved Sword - Increased damage.
• Increased movement distance of some attacks.
• Forked Hatchet - Increased damage.
• Ripple Blade - Decreased the status buildup enhancement that scales with the Arcane attribute.
• Serpent-Hunter - Increased the speed of crouching attacks.
• Ripple Crescent Halberd - Decreased the status buildup enhancement that scales with the Arcane attribute.
• Albinauric Staff - Increased attribute scaling.
• Gelmir Glintstone Staff - Increased attribute scaling.
• Prince of Death's Staff - Increased attribute scaling.
• Golden Order Seal - Increased attribute scaling.
• Clawmark Seal - Increased attribute scaling.
• Dragon Communion Seal - Increased attribute scaling.

Skill adjustments

• Kick - Increased the poise amount when using this skill.
• Spinning Slash - Decreased the status buildup of your weapon when using this skill.
• Storm Assault - Decreased the poise generation speed.
• Stormcaller - Decreased the poise generation speed.
• Storm Stomp - Decreased the poise generation speed.
• Glintblade Phalanx - Decreased poise damage.
• Loretta's Slash - Decreased the poise generation speed.
• Bloody Slash - Decreased the poise generation speed.
• Strong shot - Increased the speed of some attacks.
• Sky Shot - Increased the speed when doing consecutive attacks.
• Enchanted Shot - Increased the speed of some attacks.
• Parry - Increased Parry hitbox generation speed.
• Storm Wall - Increased Parry hitbox generation speed.
• Thops's Barrier - Increased Parry hitbox generation speed.
• Buckler Parry - Added attack recovery time after using this skill.
• Taker's Flames - Decreased the fire’s poise damage. Removed the fire’s knocking down effect.
• Moonlight Greatsword - Increased the poise damage of heavy and charged attacks, but decreased the poise damage of the generated magic wave.
• Thundercloud Form - Decreased poise damage.
• Magma Shower - Decreased the poise generation speed.
• Thunderstorm - Decreased damage.
• Bubble Shower - Decreased damage and poise damage.
• I Command Thee, Kneel! - Increased the poise value during the active part of the Skill. Decreased the poise generation speed.
• Bloodboon Ritual - Decreased the generated status buildup.
• Loretta's Slash - Decreased the poise generation speed.
• Bear Witness! - Increased damage and poise damage.
• Contagious Fury - Decreased the amount of attack power generated by this skill.

Bug Fixes

• In the inventory menu, added the amount of FP consumed for Skills in the "Ashes of War" display information.
• Reduced the time it takes for some gestures to become cancelable by rolling.
• Adjusted the input speed in some menus, such as conversation menus, to prevent accidental skips.
• Fixed a bug that caused damage to the player and friendly summons when using the "Last Rites" Skill under specific circumstances.
• Fixed a bug that caused higher-than-expected poise damage when performing left-handed attacks with Thrusting Swords.
• Fixed a bug with Spinning Slash Skill that generated poise when used with Twinblades.
• Fixed a bug in The Queen's Black Flame Skill that did not apply poise when using this skill.
• Fixed a bug where the characteristics of some weapons were not working properly against mounted enemies.
• Fixed a bug that caused a Bleed buildup when using the Spinning Strikes Skill while under the effect of the Bloodflame Blade Skill, even if the attack did not hit the enemy.
• Fixed a bug that caused some Skills to perform incorrectly when specific actions were performed.
• Fixed a bug that caused unexpected behaviors when some incantations were used in quick succession.
• Fixed a bug where the spectral steed did not trigger a death fall under certain circumstances.
• Fixed a bug that prevented players from getting hit by other players under certain circumstances in Multiplayer.
• Fixed a bug in the Colosseum that allowed Critical hits against players in specific death animations.
• Fixed a bug where the Mimic’s Veil effect was not properly reflected to other players under certain circumstances.
• Fixed a bug that caused other players summoned as hunters to immediately return after being summoned under certain circumstances.
• Fixed a bug in Multiplayer where some spirits could be locked on even after they disappeared.
• Improved Multiplayer stability under certain circumstances
• Fixed a bug that caused specific maps to render differently than expected under certain circumstances.
• Fixed a bug where the damage of some equipped weapons was incorrectly displayed in various menus.
• Fixes a bug that prevented marking sites of Grace in the map menu under certain circumstances.
• Fixed a bug where item names and the cursor were not displayed correctly in the inventory menu under certain circumstances.
• Fixed a bug where event actions were available while being in the map menu.
• Fixed a bug in the map menu that caused specific terrains to be displayed differently from the actual terrain.

Steam-only adjustments

• Changed the initial layout of "Key Settings" in "Keyboard and Mouse Settings" in the system menu.
  Note: If you have created save data before this update, your layout will not be affected.
• Fixed a bug where the mouse cursor would blink in the title menu, causing the game to be unstable under certain circumstances.
• Fixed a bug where a submenu with no items would be displayed after a right-click during the tutorial.

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So you’ve prepared your character for Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. You’re in the optimal level range, you've maxed out your weapons and spirit ashes and – most importantly – you've prepared a fashionable ensemble of armor in which to strut into the Shadow Realm in style.

But there’s one other thing you could be doing to prepare for the gargantuan Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, and that’s making sure you’ve got the right Xbox, PlayStation, or PC controller for the job.

We hear you: “My Xbox Wireless Controller works just fine. Why would I need another one?” And that’s why we’ve put together this guide to the best controllers for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Having played through and reviewed the DLC, we’re confident in saying that it’ll give even the most seasoned Soulsborne veterans an ironclad challenge, and the following list details a bunch of controllers with features that can make your life in the Shadow Realm just a little easier. 

Best controller for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree - PlayStation

Victrix Pro BFG

A top contender for the best controller for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, the Victrix Pro BFG is a phenomenal, premium gamepad that ranks among our best PS5 controllers. Why? Well for starters, it’s impressively customizable, featuring detachable modules that you can swap around using the included screws and miniature screwdriver. Swapping these is blissfully simple, and for a game as difficult as Elden Ring, it helps to be able to configure a controller layout you’re comfortable with.

On top of this, it’s got fully customizable rear paddle buttons, used for binding secondary inputs. Want to cycle through spells and items, use a healing Flask of Crimson Tears or perform a tricky double jump with Torrent, all without taking your thumbs off the sticks? You can do that with the Victrix Pro BFG.

Its price tag of $179.99 / £179.99 / AU$269 does put this PS5 controller (it's also compatible with PS4 and PC) on the premium end of the spectrum, but we think it’s worth the price of admission, especially in the face of Shadow of the Erdtree. Also, it’s still cheaper than both the DualSense Edge ($199.99 / £209.99 / AU$339.95) and Scuf Reflex Pro ($219.99 / £219.99 (around AU$315)). 

Best controller for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree - Xbox

Nacon Revolution X Pro

The Nacon Revolution X Pro remains a fantastic alternative to the official Xbox Wireless Controller, with plenty of features and packed-in extras. And while overall build quality doesn’t quite match Microsoft’s own offering (though it is still plenty sturdy), we consider the Revolution X Pro to be one of the best Xbox controllers available today.

Out of the box, you’re getting an entire set of swappable parts, including thumbstick caps and metallic shafts. We found the analog stick customization here to be extremely valuable in Elden Ring, especially for the DLC’s trickier jumps and specific, quickfire movements during boss encounters. The Revolution X Pro’s large face buttons and smartly-designed d-pad are all big winners here too. And to top it all off, you’re also getting remappable rear buttons, as on the Victrix Pro BFG.

The Nacon Revolution X Pro comes in at $99 / £99, but if that’s a bit much, then it’s hard to go wrong with the standard Xbox Wireless Controller. But those with more of a budget may also wish to consider the Victrix Pro BFG, which has a dedicated Xbox version now available.

Best controller for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree - PC

GameSir T4 Kaleid

The GameSir T4 Kaleid isn’t just one of the best controllers for Elden Ring you can buy today, it sits at the very top of the pile of gamepads you can purchase for under $50 / £50. Don’t let its relatively low asking price fool you; the T4 Kaleid is a near-immaculate controller with some fantastic features.

Players will benefit from drift-resistant Hall-effect thumbsticks, and a set of superbly tactile micro switch face buttons. Additionally, the controller features a dedicated multifunction button, allowing you to perform quick adjustments, such as fine-tuning stick dead-zones and trigger input distance, on the fly. Those micro switch buttons in particular offer peak responsiveness, which is crucial given Elden Ring’s reliance on player reflexes and the timing of actions like dodging and healing up.

Of course, one benefit of playing Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree on PC is that both PS5 and Xbox-facing controllers all largely work here. So, if you’d prefer something more premium than the GameSir T4 Kaleid with build quality to match, you could consider the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra with its incredibly useful in-built display.

Best controller for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree - Alternatives

Any of the above can be considered the best controller for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, and below you'll find today's best deals on a selection of other excellent gamepads that are well-suited for the new, challenging DLC expansion. If the above options aren’t quite to your liking, have a look at some of our other favorites below. 

I realized something while playing through Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree; it’s been a proper long while since we’ve had an honest-to-goodness FromSoftware soulsborne expansion or installment of downloadable content (DLC). Seven whole years, to be exact, since Dark Souls 3’s The Ringed City expansion, and while that’s certainly a fondly remembered content pack, it pales in comparison to the overwhelming scope and ambition present in Shadow of the Erdtree.

Simply put, Shadow of the Erdtree is massive. Game director Hidetaka Miyazaki has compared the size of the DLC’s map to that of the base game’s Limgrave area. This isn’t inaccurate (so long as you’re also factoring in the Weeping Peninsula and maybe even a bit of Caelid), but the sheer variety of biome design and a smattering of huge legacy dungeons make Shadow of the Erdtree feel so much larger than that aforementioned size comparison.

With that in mind, it’s also accurate to say that Shadow of the Erdtree is absolutely just ‘more Elden Ring,’ and that includes both the good and the bad. Compelling new weapon types and phenomenal level and boss design are occasionally marred by performance issues and the odd 10-string-hitting standard enemy that made me want to yeet my controller into the abyss.

Still, such issues aren’t nearly enough to muddy the experience I had with Elden Ring’s DLC. Most DLC packs, at best, typically offer a handful of extra levels or bits of gear to unlock. But Shadow of the Erdtree isn’t ‘most DLC packs.’ There’s enough content here to practically be considered a game in its own right; now I just wish there was a standalone version available. 

And if you're planning on grabbing the expansion (which you totally should) you might also want to visit our guide to the best controllers for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree to prepare yourself in a hardware capacity.

Between the Lands Between

The narrative of Shadow of the Erdtree takes place a good ways into the base game; you’ll need to have beaten Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood before access to the DLC area opens up in the latter’s arena. There, you’re greeted by a new non-player character (NPC) by the name of Needle Knight Leda, who invites you to the Shadow Realm in an ongoing search for Miquella the Kind. If you’re even remotely brushed up on Elden Ring’s lore, you’ll know that Miquella is one of the game’s most impactful characters despite never once making an in-game appearance… that we know of, at least.

The search for Miquella will take you all across the Shadow Realm, which feels like a compact, dark reflection of The Lands Between. In place of the Erdtree, the colossal Scadutree looms in the far distance, appearing far more broken and warped when compared to the shining radiance of the former. 

Similarly, areas in the Shadow Realm are typically analogous to Lands Between counterparts, but they always feel a little off. Deliberately so. The Gravesite Plains, for example, appear to be a more run-down and wartorn variant of Limgrave, while the Cerulean Coast by contrast feels like an amalgamation of Liurnia’s waterlogged environs and Caelid’s rot-stricken swamps. There are still plenty of surprises to be had in terms of environmental design, however, with some late-game areas in the DLC looking utterly breathtaking visually and unlike anything we see in the base game.

It’s worth noting, though, that these are some of the most detail-dense areas in the entirety of Elden Ring, and that means that performance often takes a hit on both console and PC. One area in particular, later in the DLC, is particularly dense with objects and plenty of foliage, causing the framerate to noticeably plummet. It’s far from unplayable, though do expect your framerate to occasionally dip to around 30-40fps on the console version’s Performance mode while you’re here. 

Fight like a lion

Shadow of the Erdtree’s art direction is unsurprisingly on point, then, but how are the dungeons? As in the base game, Shadow of the Erdtree features several legacy dungeons spread throughout the map, named so for their being what you’d expect from classic FromSoftware level design.

FromSoftware is on point here once again in Shadow of the Erdtree, with dungeons made up of intricately-woven pathways, rooms infested with monsters and valuable loot, and intelligently-placed shortcuts that make backtracking much less of a pain. And while there’s very little here to match the sprawling, mazelike, and ingenious design of the base game’s Stormveil Castle or the Academy of Raya Lucaria, Shadow of the Erdtree’s legacy dungeons nonetheless offer more of that treacherous, exploratory level design you’ve been craving for two-plus years since Elden Ring’s launch.

The first legacy dungeon you’re likely to visit is Belurat, a clearly once prosperous city populated by the beastlike Omen, now brought to ruination by war and tyranny at the hands of Messmer - the DLC’s flagship antagonist. As mentioned, Belurat and legacy dungeons like it fall just shy of the intricacy found with some of the base game’s locales. That is until you reach the Shadow Keep and Specimen Storehouse - a sort of two-parter legacy dungeon that combines a dangerous fortress with towering verticality. It’s one of the highlights of the DLC and took me hours (and not an insignificant number of deaths) to fully explore and pick clean of lootable goodies.

Friendship ended with Ranni the Witch, now Dryleaf Dane is my best friend

Shadow of the Erdtree, like all prior FromSoftware expansions, features a generous collection of new weapons, armor sets, and items for you to obtain, all littered throughout the Shadow Realm. And much like the base game, you’ll need to pick the map apart with a fine-toothed sawblade if you want to find its most valuable treasures.

Naturally, the new weapons are the highlight here, and I ended up swapping between a bunch of them by the time I finished the DLC. An early stalwart was Milady, a light greatsword that manages to balance the power of a chunkier weapon with the agility of lighter ones. I was also a huge fan of the Dancing Blade of Ranah, a pair of swords that come with a unique Ash of War skill that turns your Tarnished into a whirling dervish of death (provided you remember to dodge attacks in time).

But for me, the cream of the crop has to be the Dryleaf Arts - a weapon in the form of handwraps obtained early on from a monk NPC named Dryleaf Dane. I’ve wanted a true hand-to-hand weapon option in Elden Ring since launch. And unlike fist weapons like the Caestus, the Dryleaf Arts offer a unique martial arts fighting style that feels exceptionally powerful. It’s what I ended up running with for the majority of my playtime with the DLC, and I’m really looking forward to bringing them into a fresh New Game Plus run.

One last thing to note on the weapon front is that FromSoftware has rather generously made most stat requirements to be on the lower side. This means that no matter your build going into the DLC, you’ll by and large have the stats to give everything a go, making it very easy for players to find a new favorite to bring back into the base game.

And, if you’re finding the Shadow of the Erdtree’s enemies and bosses to be a little too tough, new items within the Shadow Realm - namely Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ash - can boost your attack and defensive stats permanently (though only while you’re in the DLC area). I found these helped to even the odds in the most difficult encounters, but I also felt like I needed them to even stand a chance, thus highly encouraging thorough exploration of the map to find these items. 

18 inches of Messmer, and his friends

I’ve saved the best element of Shadow of the Erdtree for last - that being its almost universally excellent boss fights. One thing that was apparent as I progressed through the DLC is that there’s a great amount of variety when it comes to its strongest opponents.

For example, Belurat’s boss, Divine Beast Dancing Lion, is astoundingly creative, angrily hurling its body in all directions in an attempt to hurt you. As you whittle away at its health, it’s able to bring several elemental effects into the arena, including lightning storms and icy blizzards. And in a very nice touch, if you defeat the boss while one of these elements is in play, its associated weather effect will remain after the fight.

Then, capping off the Castle Ensis legacy dungeon is Rellana, the Twin Moon Knight. This towering humanoid foe wields a pair of swords that are imbued with Fire and Magic elements as the fight progresses, unlocking her deadliest abilities. I spent a long while on Rellana, and if I had to guess, I think she’ll be the ‘gatekeeper’ boss of this expansion, presenting an early difficulty spike similar to Bloodborne’s Father Gascoigne or Dark Souls’ Ornstein and Smough - albeit much harder than either of those encounters.

Overall, the high quality of these fights had me begging for a boss rush option for Elden Ring, each one managing to throw in surprises when it comes to their design and move set. Some of them do still suffer from a particularly irksome post-Dark Souls 3 design element in that they’ll have seemingly endless combos that are a nightmare to fully avoid. However, as in the base game, a huge part of these fights is the learning process, and boy does it ever feel good to finally put down a boss that’s been giving you hours of conniptions.

Overall, Shadow of the Erdtree is must-play content for fans of Elden Ring. It manages to condense that open-world experience elegantly on a smaller scale. There’s more than enough content here to justify the higher price tag (relative to your average piece of DLC), and the experience was so fulfilling that I’m dying to tackle it all again with a completely different build in mind. If you loved Elden Ring, you’ll simply adore what’s on offer in Shadow of the Erdtree. 

Should I play Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

How we reviewed Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

My playthrough of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC took just over 30 hours on Xbox Series X using the Victrix Gambit controller. This included thoroughly exploring most areas and defeating all bosses required for progression as well as many optional ones. After besting the DLC’s final boss, there were still some parts of the map left unexplored. So if you’re a completionist, expect to spend upwards of 50 - possibly even 60 - hours in order to see and do absolutely everything. 

FromSoftware president and Elden Ring creator Hidetaka Miyazaki has said he's still looking to make his "ideal" fantasy role-playing game.

Speaking in a recent interview with PC Gamer, Miyazaki explained that despite the game's critical success, Elden Ring, nor any other Soulsborne game, has yet to achieve his vision of the fantasy RPG he's always wanted to create.

"Back when doing interviews about Elden Ring, I think I mentioned that I'm still in the process of making my ideal fantasy RPG," Miyazaki said. "And while Elden Ring is not quite it, it's pretty close. It's getting close."

When prompted to expand on what his "ideal" RPG would look like, Miyazaki couldn't offer any specific design details, but that it also comes down to already knowing what's going to occur in the game.

"It's hard to say without giving spoilers for my next idea or our next games," he said. "But I think one thing that's not necessarily missing, but makes it difficult to achieve my ideal, is that when I play it, I know everything's going to happen. I already know everything that's going on. 

"So in terms of enjoying the game from a player's perspective, I'd love to not know that, and for somebody else to make my ideal fantasy game, please, if possible. Then I can enjoy it just as a player."

FromSoftware is preparing for the launch of Elden Ring's first and only expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree. The downloadable content (DLC) drops later this week and is confirmed to be the "largest expansion to date" and will include all-new weapons, equipment, skills, and magic, along with new boss encounters that can be discovered in a brand-new map.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree launches on June 21 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. 

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If, like many Elden Ring players, you're struggling to defeat Mohg in preparation for the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, there is a glitch you can make use of to bypass the fight entirely. Best of all, it still works as of the latest patch.

YouTube user xlForsaken outlines the multi-step glitch in a video that's just shy of four minutes long. To start, players will need to head to the Dynasty Mausoleum Midpoint site of grace - the closest to Mohg's boss arena.

Walk up the hill and take the elevator upward to the entrance of the arena. From there, the xlForsaken demonstrates a series of jumps that are somewhat out of bounds. One jump in particular is aided with the help of the Hand of Malenia sword's unique skill: Waterfowl Dance. However, this one can be executed with a standard jump from a sprint - it'll just need to be timed immaculately.

You can see the particular route xlForsaken takes from there in the video above, ending with a drop out of the map's boundaries that somehow kills all enemies in the area including Mohg himself. After this, you can respawn at the site of grace and - should you be reading this after Shadow of the Erdtree releases - access the Cocoon of the Empyrean without needing to sully your hands with Mohg.

Fair warning, though. While this Elden Ring glitch seems to be working right now, as evidenced by comments on the video as little as a day or two ago, there's every chance that developer FromSoftware may have it patched out when the DLC arrives on June 21. The team does love to make players work for access to DLC expansions, so it's not beyond them to make sure everyone needs to fight Mohg fair and square.

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FromSoftware has released a brand new story trailer for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree ahead of the expansion's launch next month.

The three-minute cinematic, which you can watch below, finally provides a deeper glimpse into the story while also offering lots of lore for fans to sink their teeth into. 

We also have an official blurb for the downloadable content (DLC), which reads, "The shadow of the story can now be told. Learn the history of the Realm of Shadow, the unseen land that will be revealed on June 21, 2024."

The trailer is stunning and showcases the DLC's main antagonist, Messmer the Impaler, in all his fiery glory as he unleashes tyranny upon the Land of Shadow. We also get a glimpse of some horrifying new creatures, a shot of a group of NPCs in unique sets of armor, as well as snippets featuring what appears to be both Marika and Miquella in certain moments in history.

It also looks like the official Elden Ring website has been update to provide a deeper description of the Shadow of the Erdtree.

"The Land of Shadow. A place obscured by the Erdtree," it reads. "Where the goddess Marika first set foot. A land purged in an unsung battle. Set ablaze by Messmer’s flame.

"It was to this land that Miquella departed. Divesting himself of his flesh, his strength, his lineage. Of all things Golden. And now Miquella awaits the return of his promised Lord."

FromSoftware has previously confirmed that the DLC will be "largest expansion to date, where players must unravel the hidden mystery of the world from the acclaimed fantasy action RPG." 

It will also add new weapons, equipment, skills, and magic, along with new boss encounters who can be found in an entirely new map which players can "seamlessly travel back and forth between".

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree will arrive next month on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. 

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Elden Ring players may have discovered a hidden element that is related to the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.

Following the release of the latest trailer for Shadow of the Erdtree, which confirmed the DLC's release date, FromSoftware CEO and creative director Hidetaka Miyazaki revealed that despite Elden Ring being out for two years, there remained "a small element that I feel has not yet been discovered." 

Naturally, this information had hardcore Soulsborne fans on the hunt through The Lands Between in search of this "small element" and it looks like it could've already been found (via PCGamer).

User Cudakid210 shared their discovery on the game's Reddit page in a new post, showing the Candletree Wooden Shield, a light blue shield with a white tree symbol painted over it, which can be found hidden behind an illusory wall in the Sage's Cave found in Altus Plateau. 

The item description reads, "A tall, medium-sized wooden shield. Light for its size, and easy to handle. Thought to represent a surreptitious prophecy of cardinal sin, the lit candle-tree design was forbidden."

NEW DISCOVERY! Candletree as the sigil of a faction in the land of shadow? Seriously how much of this was planned from the start!? from r/Eldenring

What's interesting about the otherwise ordinary shield is the fact that fans have spotted that the "candle-tree design" painted on the shield is the same one that shows up in the Shadow of the Erdtree trailer, and is the symbol of Messmer, the DLC's main antagonist and ruler of the Lands of Shadow.

The Redditor showed the comparison with screenshots from the trailer, and it's hard to mistake the very obvious clue for Shadow of the Erdtree that has been present in Elden Ring since the game launched and perhaps part of the lore written by Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin.

The other mention of "a surreptitious prophecy of cardinal sin" may also have some relevance to the plot of the upcoming DLC, but fans will have to wait and see.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is set to launch on June 21 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. FromSoftware has now confirmed that the DLC is the "largest expansion to date, where players must unravel the hidden mystery of the world from the acclaimed fantasy action RPG."

If you're looking for something similar to Elden Ring, be sure to check out our guides to the best Soulslike games, as well as our list of the best RPGs.

If you've played any amount of Elden Ring, you may have heard stories of a player by the name of 'Let Me Solo Her.'

The character went viral after clips surfaced of the mysterious Tarnished using the game's co-op system to aid other players in fighting what's largely considered to be its hardest boss fight: Malenia, Blade of Miquella. And they do almost stark naked, with nothing but a Cold Uchigatana, the Rivers of Blood Katana, and the rather humorous Jar helmet.

Now, the player behind the character (referred to as 'LMSH') has caught up with IGN to discuss his future plans regarding both the Malenia boss fight and the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, which is currently set to launch on June 21.

Discussing the fight through email, LMSH tells IGN he's now logged around 1,200 hours into Elden Ring, and in regards to Malenia, has "probably defeated her about 6,000-7,000 times by now."

So many successful runs are bound to have any player wanting something else, and indeed this may be the case with LMSH. After thousands upon thousands of clears, he admits that "I've had my fill of fighting Malenias lol," while also praising the fight as a "great joy" to play through.

LMSH also talks about his excitement for the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. "Soulslike games have a history of their DLCs being the best part of the game," he states, "and I trust that Mr. Miyazaki [Elden Ring's director] will give us another masterpiece to enjoy."

He also hopes that Messmer the Impaler, who appears to be the content's flagship boss fight, will provide as much of a challenge as encounters in FromSoftware's repertoire. Though he understandably remains unsure as to whether or not he'll continue soloing the content for other players.

"Everyone knows that FromSoft likes to make the DLC bosses the strongest (for example, Gael). I welcome the challenge and hope newer fans of the genre will also enjoy the difficulty as well," says LMSH, "I'm not too sure if I will solo the newest boss yet. I will have to see what the boss will be like."

Need something to play while waiting on the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC? Consider checking out our list of the best soulslike games for similarly excellent titles in the same subgenre.

Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki has confirmed that there are currently no plans for a sequel or extra downloadable content (DLC) beyond the release of Shadow of the Erdtree, but says “We definitely don't want to snuff out that possibility.”

Speaking in a new interview with IGN, Miyazaki was asked if the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree DLC will be the end of the brutal action-role-playing game’s story. To this, the director said that “there might be more ideas in the future,” even if nothing is in the works right now.

“We don't want to say this is the end of the Elden Ring saga for now. I think we said a similar thing at the end of Dark Souls 3. We didn't want to flatten those possibilities or put a pin in them just at that time,” Miyazaki said. “And it's a similar story with Elden Ring. We don't want to discourage the possibilities for that. There might be more ideas in the future.

“We don't have any current plans to make a second DLC or a sequel, but we definitely don't want to snuff out that possibility,” he continued. “We think that there could well be something [in] the future.”

In case you missed it, yesterday (February 21), the first trailer for Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC was revealed, which showcased the expansion’s new area - the Land of Shadow - as well as a number of daunting foes players can expect to take on. One of these is an intimidating boss called Messmer the Impaler, and a statue of him is being included as part of the newly revealed Collector’s Edition version of the DLC. 

Perhaps most excitingly, the trailer also confirmed the DLC’s release date of June 21, so there’s really not too long to wait before fans can dive back in. 

For more games like Elden Ring, be sure to check out our roundup of the best soulslike games. You can also check out more games with vast worlds to explore in our list of the best open-world games on PC. 

Bandai Namco Entertainment has finally revealed its initial gameplay trailer for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.

The long-awaited Elden Ring DLC expansion was initially revealed via key art last year. Now, we know that the add-on is finally releasing on June 21, 2024, with the trailer showing that it will be coming to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. Players will need to own the base game to be able to access the Shadow of the Erdtree content.

Shadow of the Erdtree transports the Tarnished (our protagonist) to the Land of Shadow. The official website notes that its developer "FromSoftware’s largest expansion to date, where players must unravel the hidden mystery of the world from the acclaimed fantasy action RPG." As is expected of the developer's run of DLC, then, we can expect Shadow of the Erdtree to provide more expansive answers to some of the game's murkier elements of lore.

The trailer showcases all new areas, weapons, spells, and terrifying boss encounters. Bandai Namco Entertainment states that this will be all-new content not found in the base game. However, familiar Elden Ring mechanics seem to remain, such as fast travel in the open world and a smattering of dungeons for players to explore and (likely) promptly perish within.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree will also launch with pre-order bonuses and a Collector's Edition. Players who pre-order the DLC will receive the unique 'Ring of Miquella' gesture which will become available "later in the expansion." So, unfortunately, the gesture isn't something folks will be able to access today.

The Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Collector's Edition looks like quite the package. It's headlined by a 1.5ft / 46cm statue of Messmer the Impaler. This character appears as a boss in the trailer and appears to be an entirely new character, with no current mention of them in the game or its unofficial Wikis. The Collector's Edition also comes with a 40-page hardcover art book and a voucher for the DLC's soundtrack.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is available to pre-order now for $39.99 / £34.99. The Collector's Edition can also be pre-ordered for £224.99 (around $283.95), but its US pricing has yet to be confirmed.

Excited for Shadow of the Erdtree? Be sure to check out our guides to the best soulslike games, the best single-player games, and the best RPGs while waiting for that June release.

Elden Ring speedrunner LilAggy has pulled off what you’d be forgiven for thinking might be impossible - a complete run of the game without getting hit, while also randomizing every enemy, boss, and item (aside from the key ones).

The rules of the challenge were brutal, to say the least. Of course, the main part was simple, if not exceedingly difficult in of itself - don’t get hit. Hits were classified as either damage or staggers from enemies or traps (not environmental or self-inflicted non-lethal damage), but an exception was made for Mohg, Lord of Blood’s ‘Nihil’ attack, since it’s impossible to avoid. 

Otherwise, all of the game’s enemies were random, meaning there was always the chance of meeting the notoriously Malenia right at the start of the adventure, and all items - apart from key items like Great Runes - were jumbled up, too. This means that unlike in non-randomized Elden Ring challenges where players are able to plan out their builds and grab everything they need to become an unstoppable menace right from the get-go, LilAggy had to work with whatever materialized, for better or worse. 

This, combined with the requirement to beat the tutorial boss, Grafted Scion, being banned from quitting out of the game or using the Memory of Grace item to escape tricky situations, and having to re-randomize the game after every loss, you can understand why this took over a thousand attempts. 

The winning run, which was streamed on Twitch over the weekend, took around four and a half hours to complete in total. Randomized hijinks included replacing Margit, the Fell Omen (generally speaking, one of the easier early story bosses), with the Godskin Duo - a tough pair of bosses who are tricky to deal with at the best of times. The finale saw Radagon swapped out for the Fallingstar Beast, and Elden Beast replaced by an Erdtree Avatar, which, on the whole, are certainly more approachable fights. 

There’s no doubt that this is one of the hardest possible challenges any player could hope to pull off in Elden Ring, so to say it’s an achievement would be an understatement. We’ll have to wait and see what daunting tasks the streamer dares to take on when the DLC expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, eventually releases.

For more games like Elden Ring, be sure to check out our list of the best RPGs, as well as the best PC games.  

Tencent is reportedly working on a mobile version of FromSoftware's popular action role-playing game Elden Ring.

According to a recent Reuters report, three sources told the publication that the Chinese tech company is currently developing a mobile adaptation of the 2022 title after acquiring licensing rights from FromSoftware that same year.

The prototype is said to be being worked on by a dozen people but progress is slow, with Tencent aiming to release the game as a free-to-play title with in-app purchases similar to HoYoverse's massively popular gacha game Genshin Impact. 

Sources didn't reveal what sort of in-app purchases would be featured in the mobile version of Elden Ring, but, if we were to speculate, it could translate to some form of in-game currency system that would allow players to buy items in a digital store, similar to Genshin Impact.

However, due to Elden Ring's more traditional business model, which gives players full access to all of the title's features after purchasing it at full retail price, these new design goals seem "at odds" with Tencent's idea.

Tencent and FromSoftware haven't commented on the report and haven't yet announced any sort of mobile game port of Elden Ring. 

Elden Ring is just the latest major Intellectual Property (IP) Tencent has licensed to create free-to-play mobile games and is well known for its success with PUBG: Mobile and Call of Duty: Mobile. 

Just yesterday (February 5), the company announced (via Reuters) that it was canceling its mobile game based on Square Enix's Nier franchise after nearly two years of development.

Following critical acclaim, FromSoftware announced in February 2023 that a downloadable content (DLC) expansion called Shadow of the Erdtree was in active development. Unfortunately, although development is going well according to the studio's parent company Kadokawa, there's still no release date. 

Last month, an update to Elden Ring's Steam page triggered speculation from fans about an imminent launch date announcement for the DLC, but FromSoftware has yet to reveal anything of the sort.

If you're looking for something new to play while you wait for the DLC, we've got a guide to the best Soulslike games available right now, along with our picks for the best single-player games.

Elden Ring isn’t an easy game at the best of times, but one player has taken on the bizarre challenge of rolling around on the floor in real life every time they roll during a boss fight, which looks just as funny - and arduous -  as you’d imagine. 

In a video posted to YouTube yesterday (January 15), GoodGameEthan shared the start of what’s shaping up to be an incredibly difficult (and exhausting) journey. So far, the player has taken on Margit, Godrick, the Red Wolf of Radagon, Rennala, and the Draconic Tree Sentinel (as well as the Solider of Godrick) while using these new rules. 

As well as having to physically roll during boss fights, the player is also forbidden from using the spectral steed, Torrent, wielding ranged weapons (including magic), calling for summons, wearing armor, and parrying. All of these things combined mean that GoodGameEthan is essentially locked into an aggressive playstyle, which enforces close-range combat on every boss while also being extremely vulnerable to damage. 

Basically, dodge-rolling is more important than ever, but with the requirement to roll in real life every single time one is performed in-game, the battles can become easily disrupted. It might even be impossible for the player to roll fast enough in real life to keep up with the action at times.

Up to now though, GoodGameEthan has made a solid start, although as you’d expect, some bosses were easier than others. Specifically, the Draconic Tree Sentinel posed an enormous issue, and with its fast moments and ranged attacks, which demand players to swiftly dodge a lot of moves in quick succession, it’s not hard to see why. However, after some perseverance, even this pesky foe fell eventually. 

GoodGameEthan ended the video teasing that the challenge will continue, and I for one am incredibly curious to see if they’ll end up taking on the notoriously difficult Malenia, whose speedy slices are an issue even without the roll-in-real-life rule. It’s one way to pass the time before the Shadow of the Erdtree downloadable content (DLC) eventually releases, I suppose.

For more games like Elden Ring, be sure to check out our recommendations for the best open-world games on PC, as well as the best RPGs. 

Elden Ring has received a peculiar update to the DLC portion of its Steam page, as spotted by Twitter user Ziostorm1. An 'unknown app' to the section which can be viewed via SteamDB. But there's no way to know what it could be for. But, as expected, it has started to trigger a lot of speculation about whether or not it could be the highly anticipated Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. 

Due to the fact the update has come out of nowhere, alongside being the first file added to this section of the Steam page following a pre-order bonus bundle added in May 2022, it's impossible to state explicitly that this could be something to do with the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. But, this hasn't stopped fans from speculating about an imminent release or at least an upcoming update. 

After it was originally announced in February 2023, information on the upcoming DLC has been incredibly thin on the ground. In December, it was announced that the launch of the DLC was a "little ways off" but "proceeding smoothly," yet we haven't heard anything since - let alone whether or not it is anywhere near ready for release. 

Because of this, it's impossible to assume that this unknown app does suggest the DLC is on its way, but an update may be imminent. Plus, the anniversary of Elden Ring's release is coming up on February 24, which would be an appropriate time for an update on the DLC, if not the launch. 

With that said, it's currently all speculation, and there is a slight chance this file could allude to nothing exciting, so it's best to keep an eye out for any further updates as the anniversary gets closer. 

We've got a guide to all the best single-player games if you're searching for another worthwhile adventure to embark on. However, for something more cooperative, we've got a list of the best multiplayer PC games as well as the best co-op games so you'll be able to share the adventure. 

The best soulslike games are unique beasts within the action RPG space. Offering a high amount of challenge and reward in equal measure, soulslikes can be intimidating, but provide an unparalleled level of satisfaction for conquering their often massive levels and even massive-r bosses.

The best soulslike games follow in the footsteps of developer FromSoftware. The Japanese outfit kicked off the challenging subgenre with 2009’s Demon’s Souls and continued to impress with masterpieces like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and, of course, Elden Ring. It’s a type of game that’s ripe for experimentation and various inspired settings, which is exactly what the following games in our list have done so successfully, taking FromSoftware’s original ideas and running with them.

Soulslikes typically follow a very similar game flow. You’ll make your way through a variety of (often interconnected) locales, slaying enemies and looting valuable weapons and items as your reward for exploration. Bookending each is usually a boss fight that’ll really put your learned skills to the test. Dying in soulslikes will typically set you back to the last checkpoint you reached, deprived of your currency, and with all enemies respawned, so their level of challenge is largely on the higher end.

And while that sounds frustrating, the very best soulslike games are remarkably captivating. They encourage you to sharpen your skills or consider alternate routes if you’re struggling. But best of all, massive communities gather around these games, eager to share stories of their playthroughs and help others to the other side of particularly demanding encounters. The best soulslike games are as engaging as they are collaborative, and we’ve rounded up the cream of the crop in our list below.

Best soulslike games 2023

Bandai Namco entered the soulslike chat in 2019 with Code Vein, a lavishly grim anime-inspired game that is completely underrated. Code Vein brought some pretty unique mechanics to the table for its time, including the freedom to swap between several varied classes, and the Blood Code system which allows players to unlock and master various perks and abilities.

Speaking of fashion, Code Vein also has one of the most robust and impressive character creation processes across all the best soulslike games. You might think it’d be somewhat limited given the anime aesthetic, but this simply isn’t the case. There are tons of face shapes, hairstyles, and fully customizable accessories to help you create a shonen hero or heroine of your very own, and it’s a huge reason I like to revisit Code Vein years after its initial release.

It certainly isn’t perfect, though, lacking the stellar level design the subgenre is known for, and featuring some truly wild difficulty spikes that’ll have you reeling. Some forced story sequences may also grate if you’re not into its overtly anime stylings. However, it’s still a game well worth checking out as it’s a soulslike that may have passed you by. And if you do enjoy it, consider checking out the excellent Scarlet Nexus, a more combat-heavy character action game made by the same team. 

The Nioh series represented Team Ninja’s first attempt at the soulslike format, and its approach was polished to a fine art in Nioh 2. It's got arguably the best combat out of any game in the best soulslike conversation, more closely resembling something like Ninja Gaiden than the measured sword-and-board pace of a more traditional entry among the best soulslike games.

Shields are simply not a thing in Nioh 2. Instead, you’ll have a range of fantastic weapon types to choose from. There are standard katanas, of course, but even more appealing are weapons like the long-ranged kusarigama (essentially a sickle on a chain) and the terrifyingly powerful switchglaive. And yes, that is as cool as it sounds.

Nioh 2 may have some of the best combat, then, but the game does make you work for it. It’s a punishingly difficult title even by the subgenre’s standards, with no shortage of bosses feeling like they’d be late-game encounters in a FromSoftware game. It can be rough, but pushing through Nioh 2’s hardest challenges is easily one of the most elating feelings in all of gaming.

Team Ninja’s Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty builds on what the developer accomplished with Nioh 2, providing slick, fast-paced combat with some notable improvements including a superbly satisfying parry mechanic and a new Morale system that powers you up the more you explore a stage, encouraging exploration and risking dangerous encounters with mini-bosses throughout.

For those dipping a toe into the best soulslike games for the first time, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is an ideal one to start with. While the challenge is there (especially so on the unlockable higher difficulty levels), its early game provides a very accessible difficulty curve with just a couple of notable boss roadblocks. Your first playthrough of Wo Long is much more forgiving than any other game on this list, and plentiful checkpoints mean that failure will never set you back very far. 

• Read more: Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty impressions

Remnant 2 takes a decidedly different approach to combat from most of the best soulslike games. It’s heavily based around ranged weapons like assault rifles, shotguns, and pistols. This makes for a pretty drastic change of pace compared to the up-close-and-personal approach of most other soulslike games. But it’s one that works wonders, nonetheless.

Remnant 2 is a dimension-hopping adventure that’ll see you travel to some pretty wondrous and varied locations. One of the first is a desolate alien wasteland, strewn with all manner of sci-fi buildings and gadgetry. Another is quite Bloodborne-esque and sees you trudging through cobbled city streets amidst a maddened, bestial populace.

Combat and variety go hand-in-hand to make Remnant 2 a very different, very memorable experience. The game is perfectly playable solo, but strongly encourages co-op play with up to three players with its procedural level generation and repeatable dungeons. 

• Read more: Remnant 2 review

A reboot/sequel to the oft-forgotten 2014 soulslike of the same name, 2023’s Lords of the Fallen is practically night and day in terms of quality. Like its predecessor, the game still bears a relatively slow pace that encourages you to be aware of your surroundings, but it’s nowhere near as trudging; your character no longer feels like they’re wading through treacle while they jog around.

However, Lords of the Fallen brings an innovative mechanic to the subgenre by way of its twin-world system. The realms of Axiom and Umbral are layered upon one another, with the latter invisible to the naked eye. By making use of your lantern, the world of Umbral is revealed to you, and you can use it to temporarily access platforms and passageways hidden away in Umbral. Or, alternatively, you can elect to traverse over to Umbral entirely to fight more dangerous foes and garner even more valuable items.

Lords of the Fallen also approaches player death in an incredibly smart way. Perishing in Axiom doesn’t mean an end to your run. Instead, you’ll respawn in Umbral and have a chance to make your way back to the living world. This more forgiving failure state makes Lords of the Fallen quite a strong candidate for your first soulslike game if you’ve yet to jump into the subgenre proper. 

• Read more: Lords of the Fallen review

We are cheating a bit here, as Elden Ring is a game developed by FromSoftware, making it a ‘soulsborne’ (a collection of FromSoftware-developed titles that includes the Souls series as well as Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice) rather than a soulslike. That said, we’d be remiss not to include what is arguably the most welcoming and polished product the subgenre has to offer.

Elden Ring’s big innovation is a truly open world, The Lands Between, which players can freely explore at their own pace. There are a handful of bottlenecks in the form of massive dungeons and bosses, of course, but the map is designed in such a way that particularly curious players can bypass these simply by straying long enough from the critical path.

Elden Ring is by no means an easy game, but it’s that encouragement of exploration that makes it all the more accessible. Struggling with a boss? You can always explore the surrounding environs to strengthen your character and potentially find some sweet new weapons, armor, and spells. The opposite is also true; if you fancy testing your mettle in a tougher area, the interconnected world means more dangerous locales can be reached right from the start of the game. 

• Read more: Elden Ring review

Lies of P has a premise that admittedly sounds a little ridiculous at first. A soulslike game inspired by Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio, it’s a concept that works surprisingly well, adapting the iconic story with its own uniquely bleak flavor. Lies of P sees you navigate the city of Krat - and its various landmarks such as a factory and an opera house - amidst the Puppet Frenzy; a malady that’s causing the city’s puppets to go haywire and slaughter the population.

Lies of P is one of the more linear entries on this list, with levels occurring one after another in a strictly straightforward manner of progression. However, each individual level is dense with nooks and crannies hiding away valuable weapons, items, lore, and sidequests.

The combat in Lies of P is similarly brilliant. You’re able to mix and match your weapon’s blade and hilt to change up its overall speed, moveset and special attacks. This allows for a huge variety of builds. Fighting enemies also heavily relies on a parry mechanic which negates damage and causes them to stagger, opening them up for a big damage payout. It’s certainly a divisive mechanic and the strict timing required alone makes this one of the harder soulslike games out there. But it’s well worth pushing through the roadblocks Lies of P presents in order to fully experience one of the best games of 2023. 

• Read more: Lies of P review

Best soulslike games: FAQs

How we made our best soulslike games list

There's only one FromSoftware game in our best soulslike games list. That's because the term 'soulslike' alludes to titles not created by the subgenre's originator. As such, we endeavored to include games that successfully scratch that Soulsborne itch.

I've played each game in this list to completion at least once, with a total playtime spanning hundreds of hours. For many, this also encapsulates New Game Plus runs and higher difficulty levels equipped with improved and upgraded weapons, armor and accessories.

While most may not reach the high level of polish or carefully considered design, many of the games here offer quality experiences that have something FromSoftware's games don't. Whether that be an enticing mechanic or various styles and narrative theming, we've made sure to include soulslike games that are still more than worth your time and money.

For more excellent titles, consider checking out our guides to the best PS5 games and best Xbox Series X games.

Elden Ring isn’t exactly an easy game, but one player has been working tirelessly for the last year and a half to assist players struggling to reach the credits.

Spotted by Eurogamer, Reddit user supersaiyanvidel - who goes by ‘LetMeSoloThem’ in-game - announced on the r/gaming subreddit that as of two days ago, they’ve helped a whopping 5,000 people take down the brutal double bill of final bosses, Radagon and Elden Beast. 

The fact that these two fights happen back to back with no break to fully heal or save makes them particularly challenging, especially since the second one - Elden Beast - has some particularly hard-to-avoid attacks. 

If their name sounds familiar, chances are that you’ve heard of LetMeSoloThem’s inspiration, LetMeSoloHer. LetMeSoloHer achieved online fame last year for helping thousands of players take down Malenia, who most consider to be Elden Ring’s hardest boss due to her fast and brutal attacks, as well as the fact that she can heal herself, inflict the dreaded Scarlet Rot (a health-depleting status effect), and has two back-to-back phases. Their character wore a signature pot on their head and donned no armor, a fashion statement which latest hero LetMeSoloThem has also gone for. 

Although Malenia is notoriously difficult, she’s an optional boss who’s not required to roll credits. Radagon and Elden Beast, on the other hand, are. In their Reddit post, supersaiyanvidel said of the players they helped: “I think they just needed a bit of a helping hand to get over the finish line. I don’t judge people on how they want to enjoy the game! It’s better than them giving up right before they get the ending they spent the whole game trying to achieve.”

Supersaiyanvidel also gave their thanks to those they’ve assisted: “It has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and I’m sincerely grateful. This marks the end of a chapter but I just wanted to say, thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the players that summoned me.”

Black Friday is almost here, and if you’re on the lookout for any Black Friday gaming deals, we’ve got you covered. Be sure to check out our hub for Black Friday video game deals for some great discounts on games like Elden Ring.

There’s good news and bad news for those who are anxiously anticipating the release of Elden Ring’s DLC expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree. The good news is that development on it is going well, according to FromSoftware’s parent company, Kadokawa. The bad news is that there’s still no release date for it. 

Shadow of the Erdtree is a mysterious one. Announced at the end of February this year, we’ve been given next to no information about it since then, apart from its name and one gorgeous piece of promotional art featuring a blond-haired individual on the back of the spectral steed, Torrent. While fans have been speculating about who this character is and what the story of the DLC could be for months, we’re yet to be told anything concrete by developer FromSoftware.

It’s still not FromSoftware that has given this latest development update, in fact. This news comes from Kadokawa’s recent earnings report, which was published today (November 2). The report states: “The release timing of DLC for Elden Ring has not yet been announced, but development is proceeding smoothly.”

In a later section of the report, it reiterates: “We are currently working hard on the development of DLC for Elden Ring but we have not announced a release date at this time.”

With that, it’s once again simply a waiting game for fans who are eager to dive into their next challenge. Generally speaking, DLC for FromSoftware’s soulsborne games is even harder than the base content, so anyone who struggled to take down the notoriously difficult Malenia, Elden Beast, or any of the rest will likely want to steel themselves and prepare for the worst. What an equally terrifying and thrilling prospect.

If you’re looking for more fantastic games to play before the release of Shadow of the Erdtree, you can find some recommendations on our lists of the best open-world games on PC, as well as the best PS5 games and best Xbox Series X games.

A sword previously uncovered in Elden Ring’s files and thought to be totally missing from the actual game has been discovered in the Lands Between, and it turns out it was hiding in plain sight all along. Unfortunately, for anyone keen to get their hands on a fancy new weapon, its purpose is purely decorative.

For context, this sword was highlighted a couple of months ago in a video by YouTuber Ziostorm, who explained that although an icon of it - and two other swords with identical hilts - had been datamined, there were no references to them in the game. They had no names or content IDs. 

Now, as GamesRadar+ reports, the story has evolved. First spotted by Twitter user @Pinopinisimo and highlighted by Ziostorm, one of these swords is actually one of the worn, non-functional weapons that can be found placed at gravestones in the game.

“Remember this cut sword from Elden Ring? We finally have a match for it. It seems the gravestone swords you can find across the Lands Between were originally meant to be a weapon the player could use," Ziostorm speculated.

Replying to this tweet, @Pinopinisimo wrote: “I had that [sword] stuck in my head for weeks after I watched your video, so you can imagine how I jumped from my chair when I noticed it.”

It's not known if there ever were any plans for the sword to be useable, or if it was always intended to be a fancy piece of outdoor furniture.

Elden Ring is an enormous game, so it’s not entirely surprising that players might still be able to find new secrets in its world, even 19 months after its release (no, I can’t believe it’s been that long, either). Even so, it’s really cool, and the mystery isn’t entirely over, as the two other swords with identical hilts still haven’t been found. 

For more games like Elden Ring, be sure to check out our list of the best open-world games on PC. You can find even more amazing game recommendations on our roundup of the best PS5 games.

How much would you be willing to pay for some cool, official merch of your favorite game? If your favorite game is Elden Ring and your answer was £1,400 (about $1,700), then you’re in luck, because that’s how much the most expensive item from the new ARK/8 x Elden Ring collection costs. 

ARK/8 is a luxury streetwear brand, and its latest collection features several Elden Ring-inspired pieces of clothing, ranging from shirts, sweaters, hoodies, and more. They all look undeniably cool - the bomber jacket, for example, is completely covered in the map of the Lands Between, while an enormous, fluffy, faux fur coat features the same print on the lining, and a patch on the back embossed with the Great Runes.

Most of the items don’t really scream ‘Elden Ring’, either - the designs are quite subtle. In an interview with NME, creative director Dimitri van Eetvelde explained that this was a purposeful decision, as the company doesn’t “want to cater only to hardcore [gaming] fans”.

“We really want more of the mainstream to think ‘Oh, I love that jacket’ – the Elden Ring jacket, for example, they could totally love it from a visual standpoint and buy it without realizing it’s an Elden Ring piece,” van Eetvelde told NME.

However, as mentioned at the top, none of these items come cheap. The aforementioned faux fur coat is the most expensive of the bunch, at £1,400 (roughly $1,697), while the bomber jacket is £875 (around $1,061). Even the cheapest item - a black t-shirt with an Elden Ring boss door printed on the back of it - isn’t exactly kind on wallets, coming in at £100 (about $121).

Even so, these items are all available to buy and pre-order now if you really want to kit yourself out. I think I’m just going to stick to waiting for the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, though.

For more brilliant game recommendations, be sure to take a look at our lists of the best PC games, as well as the best PS5 games.

Elden Ring is not an easy game, but it’s now been proven that with enough tenacity, even a goldfish can have what it takes to become Elden Lord, as one aquatic friend has beaten not one, but two of the game’s main bosses.

As GamesRadar+ reports, YouTube creator and Twitch streamer PointCrow (real name Eric Morino) recently released a video showing how he managed to ‘train’ his pet fish Tortellini to become an (almost) unstoppable Tarnished warrior. He first enlisted the help of modder and programmer AtSign to create a program that could digitally track where Tortellini was in his tank. Each part of the tank was assigned a controller input, so while Tortellini swam around, he could essentially press different buttons and take on his noble quest.

From this point, the YouTuber had the brave fish take on increasingly harder bosses, starting with Margit, the Fell Omen. Given Margit is often the first boss that Elden Ring players fight, he’s not the trickiest foe in the game, but I, for one, still had to give that fight a few attempts before I could get past it for the first time. Tortellini was the same - after a few tries, he vanquished his first enemy.

Next, he was faced with a trickier boss - Godrick the Grafted. With two deadly phases, Godrick can be a nightmare to fight if you don’t keep on your toes (or fins, I guess). In his second phase, the boss can cover a wide area with fire, which does significant damage if you don’t get out of the way. Still, Tortellini proved his might by adeptly dodging oncoming attacks and pulling off some well-timed heals, and after a number of attempts, he was victorious.

After this, the difficulty was cranked up a notch further, and Tortellini was faced with Elden Ring’s hardest boss, Malenia. After many, many attempts (and new weapons), he wasn’t able to defeat the whole boss, but he did manage to beat her first phase, which is an impressive feat for a person, never mind a fish. What a talented boy. 

For some new game recommendations, be sure to check out our list of the best open-world games on PC. You can also read our recommendations for the best single-player games.

One particularly daring Elden Ring player managed to lose 10 million runes in one fell swoop after two full days of grinding thanks to the game’s most unforgiving foe - gravity.

As GamesRadar+ reports, this tragic tale was documented in its entirety over on the Elden Ring subreddit, where Reddit user DementedEnjoyer announced that they had “wasted nearly an entire day of my life” grinding for four million runes with a level eight character (seemingly by wiping out the entire population of Giant Crows at Mohgwyn Palace). It was at this point that they asked the internet what they should do with the runes, and they settled on a monstrously difficult challenge - complete the rest of the game using only a bow, and without spending any of the runes to level up until they beat the final boss. 

It wasn’t just four million runes on the line, though - before continuing on their adventure through the Lands Between, DementedEnjoyer continued to do irreparable damage to the Giant Crow population, and ended up with a tidy 10 million runes. For reference, that would have been enough to take their Tarnished character to level 166.

UPDATE POST from the tarnished who wasted an entire day farming 4 mil runes at lvl 8 from r/Eldenring

Even if you’ve not played Elden Ring before, I’m sure you’ll be aware that FromSoftware’s action-RPG is full of deadly enemies and brutal bosses, and you’d think that there’d be a very strong chance that DementedEnjoyer would end up losing their hard-earned runes to one of those, but no. In a painful (but hilarious) final update, they shared a clip of them trying their very best to navigate safely down a steep drop to reclaim their runes (which had already been dropped, for some reason), and slipping, causing them to lose everything. It hurts to watch.

FINAL UPDATE from the tarnished who wasted two days farming 10 million runes on a lvl 8 character and refused to level up until he beat the final boss from r/Eldenring

Needless to say, in that moment, the challenge came to a swift end, and based on the lack of updates since, it seems that DementedEnjoyer has decided against giving it another go, and I can’t say I blame them.

If you’ve had your fill of exploring the Lands Between, you can take a look at our list of the best open-world games on PC to find something new to immerse yourself in. You can also check out our selection of the best PS5 games available now.