Elden Ring players called Will Smith keep invading and slapping people

An Elden Ring character generated to look like Will Smith
(Image credit: Bandai Namco / NotTheRealSpartan)

This year’s Oscars incident has made its way into Elden Ring. Not content with invading other people’s games to square off in PvP matches, players are now imitating Will Smith’s notorious slap.

Several Elden Ring players named Will Smith keep invading other people’s games, slowly walking up to their opponents, and slapping them across the face before sauntering away. Afterwards, they disconnect from the game, leaving their opponent to nurse their wounds in a slight state of shock, much as Chris Rock did.

In one Reddit user’s game, a player called WILL SMITH invaded their session, approached them across a courtyard, swung a single punch, and promptly turned on their heels (thanks, PCGamesN). It wasn’t much of a showdown, but it does show the reach of the Oscars.

dude_just_slap_me_and_left from r/Eldenring

Another player – this time, simply called Will Smith without the caps – pulled the same stunt. They took things a little further, though, by stomping on the ground and unleashing the Troll’s Roar battlecry as a final touch. We’re guessing they were trying to mimic the tirade that Will Smith launched into after returning to his seat. Good for them; bonus points for accuracy.

will_smith_invades from r/Eldenring

Another player captured the opposite side of the joke, showing how they created a character that (kind of) looked like Will Smith, before launching into a duel, punching their opponent, and sitting down for a breather. Their rival wasn’t hugely impressed, however, deciding to kill them immediately afterward rather than let the joke do the talking.

creating_will_smith_and_the_slap_scenario_in_pvp from r/Eldenring

Over on the Elden Ring subreddit, users have reported running into similar Will-Smith-looking, slap-ready players. There's probably not a high chance you'll see them in your game, but there's at least a possibility.

You can join in on the fun, too. Elden Ring character names aren’t unique, meaning any number of players can take the Will Smith moniker. You can change your character’s name and appearance later in the game upon reaching the Roundtable Hold, if you’re desperate to start slapping with your current character.

Will Smith isn’t the only notable figure who’s been recreated in the game. Another Elden Ring player struck upon a character build that all but turned them into Darth Sidious, complete with a glowing red blade, force lightning, and black robes.

If customizing the game while sticking to the rules isn’t for you, however, check out our pick of the best Elden Ring mods to overhaul FromSoftware’s hit action RPG.

Callum Bains
Gaming News Writer

Callum is TechRadar Gaming’s News Writer. You’ll find him whipping up stories about all the latest happenings in the gaming world, as well as penning the odd feature and review. Before coming to TechRadar, he wrote freelance for various sites, including Clash, The Telegraph, and Gamesindustry.biz, and worked as a Staff Writer at Wargamer. Strategy games and RPGs are his bread and butter, but he’ll eat anything that spins a captivating narrative. He also loves tabletop games, and will happily chew your ear off about TTRPGs and board games.