Elden Ring patch notes are here as a new update lands ahead of the Shadow of the Erdtree launch. With just hours until we can finally explore the long-awaited Elden Ring DLC in full, publisher Bandai Namco announces a list of changes for the open-world RPG. Many of these will be welcome tweaks whether you’re still working through the base game or diving into the expansion, so be sure to read on for the changes.
With the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree release date in touching distance now, this update is the last round of changes developer FromSoftware is making prior to launch, and you’ll want to take note – especially if you’re planning to do any co-op or PvP in the vast open-world game. There’s some new fashion to sport, along with tweaks to summoning pools and the colosseum, and a notable list of balance changes for fighting other Elden Ring players.
You’ll need to download this patch before you can play the DLC, so be sure to grab it as soon as possible – you can read our Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree review while you’re waiting. Along with adding support for the DLC, the patch also introduces five new hairstyles, which you can find during character creation or when redesigning your look with either by using the Clouded Mirror Stand or visiting Rennala to respec in Elden Ring.
There have also been tweaks to the inventory, with a new ‘recent items’ tab making it far easier to find what you’ve just picked up if you accidentally closed the pop-up too quickly. New items will also now be marked with an exclamation mark to make them more obvious. There are also new PC-specific settings allowing you to tweak the threshold at which your lock-on switches targets and add a keybind for opening the map.
Your active summoning pools will now carry over to new game plus, and you can also enable and disable individual summoning pools through a new ‘map functions’ menu, allowing you to avoid being called into any fights you don’t fancy dealing with. Specific tweaks have also been made to summoning pools within Mohgwyn Palace, presumably to help smooth out DLC summoning, and you can also now bring in Torrent during the final boss fight of the main game.
If you’re a PvP player, there are some notable changes to keep track of. Perhaps the most notable is that madness and sleep effects will both have a short cooldown on status buildup after they’re inflicted on a player, making them less relentless. Poise damage has also been adjusted across the board, while some weapons including heavy thrusting swords, spears, great spears, fists, and claws have had their damage dropped, along with a selection of the more popular skills.
Elden Ring patch 1.12 is out now on Steam and consoles. You can download it right away, so be sure to do so before starting Shadow of the Erdtree. Full details including a breakdown of every PvP change can be found courtesy of FromSoftware and Bandai Namco.
The publisher also warns that a new Elden Ring Steam Deck issue may cause your inputs to stop being registered if you leave your system inactive for more than five minutes. A hotfix for this will be released at a separate time.
You’ll also want to make sure that you’re ready to go on launch by ensuring you’ve reached the recommended level for the Elden Ring DLC – check out our pick of the best Elden Ring builds to help you get there in no time.
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