Elden Ring Update Patch Notes Reveal a Much Bigger Update than Expected

Elden Ring‘s creators FromSoftware and Bandai Namco announced recently that the pair would be putting out an update for the game ahead of the release of Shadow of the Erdtree, and at the time, they gave players a brief overview of some of the highlights included in that update. It adds some new hairstyles for players to equip as well as some added inventory features to help categorize your soon-to-be-expanded collection of gear, but what neither party said about the update was that it’s actually much, much bigger than that. The patch notes for the free Elden Ring update released today have tons of balance changes to make note of, too, before you bring your favorite builds into Shadow of the Erdtree.

Thankfully for Shadow of the Erdtree players, most of your builds probably won’t be impacted if you’re just sticking to PvE. A bunch of PvP-exclusive balance changes were included in this update, but the ones affecting PvE gameplay were far lesser comparatively.

That said, you can check out the patch notes for the pre-Shadow of the Erdtree update below, and you can check out our review of the DLC here to get an idea of what awaits you in the Realm of Shadow.

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.

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 behaviour in the map menu.
• Added key assignments to open the map in the Key Settings menu.

PvP-Exclusive Balance Adjustments

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
• Ajusted 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 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.