With its 1.07 update (opens in new tab) to Elden Ring, FromSoftware has taken steps to ensure the game’s long-term health and multiplayer balance. The biggest change is the decoupling of PvP and PvE weapon balancing, though From has also buffed a huge variety of weapons and spells.
That first change is a long time coming for FromSoft—to my knowledge they’ve never attempted anything like this for the Souls series or Bloodborne. The capacity to separately adjust weapons for PvP and PvE content is crucial for live service games like Destiny, allowing devs to adjust pain points in one mode without overcorrecting in another. I don’t think Elden Ring is in any danger of becoming a live service game, but this is still a welcome change. I like Elden Ring’s PvP, but I don’t go seeking it out. It wouldn’t feel good to have a preferred singleplayer strategy hamstrung because hardcore PvPers found and exploited an annoying trick in a mode I hardly ever touch.
For this first round of PvP-only adjustments, FromSoft has made it more costly to block attacks, increased poise (stagger) damage across the board, nerfed most Ashes of War, and also nerfed a selection of AoE spells.
Other than that, FromSoft has buffed a large number of weapons and spells for both PvP and PvE. I’m a big fan of the Souls series’ katanas, but Elden Ring has really been dominated by its signature unique swords, Rivers of Blood (opens in new tab) and Moonveil (opens in new tab). It’s a salient critique of Elden Ring that though it has a broad arsenal, players gravitate to a small number of weapons, so this is definitely a move in the right direction. The full list of changes is as follows:
Table of Contents
PvP Exclusive balance adjustments
- Increased stamina attack power in PvP for all attacks against guarded foes, except for long-ranged weapons.
- Improved poise damage in PvP for every weapon’s normal attack, except for Skills and long-ranged weapons.
- With a few exceptions, the power of Ashes of War in PvP has been lowered across the board.
- The power of the following incantations in PvP has been decreased:
- Dragonfire / Agheel’s Flame / Glintstone Breath / Smarag’s Glintstone Breath / Rotten Breath / Ekzykes’s Decay / Dragonice / Borealis’s Mist / Unendurable Frenzy
General balance adjustments
- Increased poise damage when using two-handed normal attacks.
- Increased the speed of some Colossal Sword attacks.
- The speed and hit detection of Colossal Sword crouching and rolling attacks have been decreased.
- Increased the speed of some Colossal Weapon attacks.
- Decreased recovery time for Colossal Swords and Colossal Weapons, except for jump attacks, dual wielded attacks, and attacks while riding.
- Increased poise damage of Hammers, Great Hammers and some Colossal Weapons.
- Increased guard penetration for the following weapons:
- Celebrant’s Sickle / Nox Flowing Sword / Shotel / Eclipse Shotel / Vulgar Militia Shotel / Scythe / Grave Scythe / Halo Scythe / Winged Scythe
- The poise rating of some attacks has been increased for the following weapons:
- Greatswords / Colossal Swords / Curved Greatswords / Greataxes / Great Hammers / Great Spears / Halberds
- With some exceptions, poise of all armor has been increased.
- The effects of the Greatshield Talisman and Hammer Talisman have been increased.
- Some effects of the spell Scholar’s Shield, the Barricade Shield skill and the Shield Grease item have been adjusted as follows.
- The effects on shields with low guard boost have been adjusted upward.
- The effects on shields with high guard boost have been adjusted downward.
- The guard strength of the Fingerprint Stone Shield has been decreased.
- Decreased the status buildup done by dual wielded weapons.
Balance adjustments for Magic and Incantations
- Glintstone Pebble / Shard Spiral
- Lightning Spear / Flame Sling
- Increased attack power when charged.
- Rejection / Wrath of Gold / Black Flame
- Increased stamina attack power against guarded enemies.
- Crystal Burst / Triple Rings of Light
- Assassin’s Approach / Law of Causality
- Glintstone Icecrag / Freezing Mist / Frozen Armament
- Increased frostbite status buildup.
- Poison Mist / Poison Armament
- Increased poison status buildup.
- Glintstone Arc / Glintblade Phalanx / Carian Phalanx / Greatblade Phalanx / Magic Downpour / Loretta’s Greatbow / Loretta’s Mastery / Rennala’s Full Moon / Ranni’s Dark Moon / Ambush Shard / Night Shard / Unseen Blade / Roiling Magma / Rykard’s Rancor / Darkness / Elden Stars / Lightning Strike / Lansseax’s Glaive / Death Lightning / Giantsflame Take Thee / Bloodflame Talons / Unendurable Frenzy / Greyoll’s Roar
- Decreased FP consumption.
- Glintstone Stars / Magma Shot / Bloodboon
- Decreased FP consumption and increased attack power.
- Aspects of the Crucible: Tail / Aspects of the Crucible: Horn / Ancient Dragons’ Lightning Spear / Fortissax’s Lightning Spear / Flame, Fall Upon Them
- Decreased FP consumption and increased stamina attack power against guarded enemies.
- Glintstone Cometshard / Comet / Cannon of Haima / Carian Greatsword
- Decreased FP consumption, increased attack power and stamina attack power against guarded enemies.
- Rancorcall / Ancient Death Rancor
- Decreased FP consumption and extended the lifespan of all vengeful spirits.
- Briars of Sin / Briars of Punishment
- Decreased the FP consumption and increased the blood loss status buildup on enemies.
- Increased casting speed.
- Gavel of Haima
- Reduced FP and stamina consumption, increased stamina attack power against guards and the power of the hammer portion of the attack.
- Shatter Earth
- Reduced FP consumption, increased poise damage and stamina attack power against guards.
- Increased certain portions of the spell’s hitbox and shortened recovery time.
- Rock Blaster
- Reduced FP consumption, increased poise damage and stamina attack power against guards.
- Increased certain portions of the spell’s hitbox.
- Starlight
- Reduced FP consumption and extended the duration of effect.
- Stars of Ruin
- Reduced FP and stamina consumption.
- Increased power when charged.
- Founding Rain of Stars
- Reduced FP and stamina consumption.
- Shortened time before damage is dealt.
- Extended the range of the star rain.
- Magic Glintblade
- Increased poise damage, attack power, and stamina attack power against guarded enemies when charged.
- Carian Piercer
- Reduced FP consumption, increased attack power, and stamina attack power against guarded enemies.
- Shortened the recovery time.
- Adula’s Moonblade
- Reduced FP consumption, and increased stamina attack power, and frostbite status buildup against guarded enemies with the sword’s slash portion.
- Gelmir’s Fury
- Reduced FP consumption and increased attack power.
- Increased casting speed and shortened recovery time.
- Adjusted the direction of the lava projectiles to make it easier to hit enemies located in front of the spell.
- Increased the damage dealt by the first part of the spell, and greatly increased the ability to stagger enemies.
- Zamor Ice Storm
- Increased attack power and frostbite status buildup.
- Increased casting speed and shortened recovery time.
- Shattering Crystal
- Reduced FP and stamina consumption.
- Increased poise damage and stamina attack power against guarding enemies.
- Increased power when charged.
- Increased casting speed.
- Crystal Release
- Reduced FP consumption, increased poise damage and stamina attack power against guarded enemies.
- Increased casting speed and shortened the recovery time.
- Increased attack range.
- Adjusted the poise increase timing during activation.
- Oracle Bubbles
- Can now be used while in motion.
- Streamlined attack range and increased attack power when charged.
- Extended the time it takes for the bubble to burst when not charged.
- Damage hitbox has been adjusted to be larger against players.
- Reduced the number of projectiles that can appear at the same time.
- Great Oracular Bubble
- Can now be used while in motion.
- Increased attack power.
- Increased tracking performance.
- Increased stamina attack power against guarded enemies.
- Explosive Ghostflame
- Increased attack power and stamina attack power against guarding enemies.
- Increased frostbite status buildup of the explosion.
- Range of the residual flame has been slightly increased, damage detection time has been reduced.
- Tibia’s Summons
- Reduced FP consumption and increased attack power.
- Increased casting speed, reduced recovery time.
- Discus of Light
- Reduced FP and stamina consumption.
- Increased the range, speed, and duration of the halo.
- Increased casting speed.
- Radagon’s Rings of Light
- Reduced FP consumption and recovery time.
- Frozen Lightning Spear
- Reduced FP consumption and increased the frostbite status buildup.
- Flame of the Fell God
- Reduced FP consumption, increased stamina attack power against guarded enemies.
- Increased attack power when charged.
- Shortened damage detection time of residual fire.
- Whirl, O Flame!
- Reduced FP consumption.
- Increased stamina attack power against guarding enemies.
- Increased ability to stagger enemies.
- Burn, O Flame!
- Reduced FP consumption.
- Shortened the time it takes for a flame pillar to be generated.
- Scouring Black Flame
- Increased stamina attack power against guarding enemies and increased poise damage when charged.
- Noble Presence
- Increased stamina consumption and increased stamina attack power against guarded enemies.
- Shortened recovery time.
- Beast Claw
- Increased the range of the shockwave.
- Gurranq’s Beast Claw
- Added a hitbox to the first part of the spell.
- Increased attack power when charged.
- Stone of Gurranq
- Reduced stamina consumption.
- Increased attack power and stamina attack power against guarding enemies.
- Extended the impact area of projectiles.
- Scarlet Aeonia
- Reduced FP consumption.
- Increased attack power, poise damage and stamina attack power against guarding enemies.
- Landing attack range has been increased and its recovery time decreased.
- Adjusted the poise increase timing during activation.
- Frenzied Burst
- Increased poise damage and attack power when charged.
- Howl of Shabriri
- Extended the duration of the effect that increases attack power and lowers defensive power.
- Inescapable Frenzy
- Reduced FP and stamina consumption.
- Shortened recovery time.
- Increased grapple range.
- Dragonclaw
- Reduced FP consumption.
- Increased stamina attack power against guarding enemies.
- Improved directional control.
- Dragonmaw
- Reduced FP consumption.
- Increased stamina attack power against guarding enemies.
- The hitbox around dragon’s neck area has been enlarged to make it easier to hit enemies at close range.
- Black Blade
- Reduced stamina consumption.
- Improved turning performance and shortened recovery time.
- The sword and the wave attack have been changed so that they hit at the same time.
- Attack power, stamina attack power and poise damage of each part have been decreased.
- Decreased the number of times the wave part hits large enemies.
- Bestial Sling
- Reduced the stone fragment scatter randomness.
- Increased stamina attack power against guarding enemies.
- Reduced between two hits and adjusted the detection so that two hits are always made at close range.
- Decreased poise damage.
- Rotten Breath / Ekzykes’s Decay
- Reduced Scarlet Rot status effect buildup.
Balance adjustment of Skills
- Glintstone Pebble / Surge of Faith / Gold Breaker / Regal Beastclaw / Nebula (Bastard’s Stars) / Sacred Phalanx
- Sword Dance / Vow of the Indomitable / Eochaid’s Dancing Blade
- Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
- Sacred Order / Shared Order / Soul Stifler / Knowledge Above All / Barricade Shield
- Taker’s Flames / Miquella’s Ring of Light
- Added damage detection to the weapon part.
- Prayerful Strike / Great-Serpent Hunt
- Increased power and poise damage
- Wild Strikes / Spinning Strikes
- Shortened the time between various actions and the activation of skills
- Slightly increased attack power.
- Ground Slam / Golden Slam / Erdtree Slam
- Reduced the time between using the skill and being able to roll.
- Increased attack power.
- Stamp (Upward Cut) / Stamp (Sweep)
- Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
- Increased attack power.
- Reduced the timing between the end of the skill and performing actions other than the strong attack.
- Impaling Thrust
- Increased motion speed and attack power.
- Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill
- Reduced the timing between the end of the skill and being able to attack and to roll.
- Piercing Fang
- Increased motion speed, attack power and poise damage.
- Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
- Reduced the timing between the end of the skill and being able to attack and to roll.
- Spinning Slash
- Increased poise damage against enemies when used with the following weapons: Greatsword, Curved Greatsword, Twinblade, Greataxe, Spear, Great Spear, Halberd, and Reaper.
- Charge Forth
- Increased directional control and motion speed.
- Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
- Blood Tax
- Increased motion speed and attack power.
- Increased HP deprivation effect.
- Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
- Repeating Thrust
- Increased motion speed. Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
- Giant Hunt
- Increased poise damage.
- Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
- Loretta’s Slash
- Increased poise damage for the first attack.
- Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
- Poison Moth Flight
- Increased poison status buildup and its power against poisoned enemies.
- Increased the duration and damage of poison.
- Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
- Stormcaller
- Increased motion speed, attack power and poise damage.
- Increased skill size and poise damage.
- Sacred Blade
- Increased motion speed and range of the blade.
- Added damage detection to the weapon part.
- Increased effect duration and attack power that gives the weapon holy power.
- Bloody Slash
- Increased status buildup and attack power.
- Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
- Lifesteal Fist
- Increased motion speed and attack power.
- Increased attack range against other players.
- Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
- Eruption
- Increased the range and duration of lava.
- Added a hitbox to the part of the attack where the weapon is slammed.
- Fixed the timing of the poise increase during activation.
- Gravitas
- Increased poise during casting.
- Storm Blade
- Increased motion speed and range of the blade.
- Added damage detection to the weapon part.
- Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
- Flaming Strike
- Increased attack power.
- Increased duration and attack power that grants the weapon a fire attribute.
- Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
- Lightning Slash
- Increased duration and attack power that grants the weapon a lightning attribute.
- Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
- Reduced the delay between using the skill and being able to attack.
- Vacuum Slice
- Increased motion speed and range of the blade.
- Reduced FP consumption
- Added damage detection to the weapon part.
- Sacred Ring of Light
- Increased range and speed of the projectile halo have been increased.
- Added damage detection to the weapon part.
- Blood Blade
- Increased power.
- Added damage detection to the weapon part.
- Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
- Phantom Slash
- Improved directional control.
- Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
- Spectral Lance
- Increased attack power.
- Reduced long range damage falloff.
- Chilling Mist
- Increased motion speed.
- Increased the duration of the weapon’s frostbite effect.
- Poisonous Mist
- Increased motion speed.
- Increased the duration of the weapon’s poison effect.
- Shield Bash
- Increased stamina attack power against guarded enemies.
- Enchanted Shot
- Kick
- Increased poise damage and stamina attack power against guarding enemies.
- Cragblade
- Extended effect duration.
- Increased attack power, poise damage and stamina attack power against guarding enemies.
- War Cry
- Extended effect duration.
- Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
- The power of strong attacks during the duration of the effect has been increased when using the following weapons: Straight Sword / Curved Sword / Katana / Axe / Hammer / Flail / Spear / Great Spear / Halberd / Reaper / Fist (one-handed) / Claw (one-handed)
- Troll’s Roar
- Increased attack power.
- Fixed the timing of the poise increase during activation.
- Braggart’s Roar
- Extended the duration of the effect.
- Increased attack power, defense, and stamina recovery speed.
- Endure
- Extended effect duration.
- Added an effect that prevents staggers caused by blood loss and frostbite status effects.
- Extended effect duration.
- Reduced the time between skill activation and being able to perform actions other than attacking.
- Holy Ground
- Increased HP recovery amount.
- Raptor of the Mists
- Flame Spit
- Improved projectile range.
- Tongues of Fire
- Reduced stamina consumption.
- Great Oracular Bubble
- Extended the amount of time that the large bubble stays in place.
- Tracking performance and range of the large bubble have been improved.
- Viper Bite
- Increased attack power and poison status buildup.
- Extended poison effect duration and increased damage caused by poison.
- Moonlight Greatsword
- Reduced stamina consumption for strong and charged attacks.
- Added damage detection to the weapon part.
- Siluria’s Woe
- Increased motion speed, attack power and poise during activation.
- Added damage detection to the weapon part.
- The projectile now penetrates enemies and some objects when charged.
- Reduvia Blood Blade
- Increased attack power.
- Added damage detection to the weapon part.
- Glintstone Dart
- Increased range, speed and attack power of magic attacks.
- Magic attacks now penetrate enemies when not charged.
- Night-and-Flame Stance
- Increased attack power.
- The attack direction may now be adjusted up and down when using a normal attack.
- Added damage detection to the weapon part.
- Ruinous Ghostflame
- Increased the duration, attack power and poise damage of the effect that gives the weapon a magic attribute.
- Shortened the time between various actions and the activation of the skill.
- Reduced time between the skill activation and being able to perform actions.
- Spearcall Ritual
- Increased attack power.
- Reduced damage detection time.
- Wolf’s Assault
- Increased poise during casting.
- Thundercloud Form
- Increased directional control.
- Regal Roar
- Extended effect duration.
- Reduced the time between strong attacks while under the effect.
- Reduced time between the skill activation and being able to perform actions.
- Blade of Death
- Increased effect duration that reduces maximum HP.
- Destined Death
- Increased motion speed
- Extended the duration of the effect that reduces maximum HP.
- Alabaster Lords’ Pull
- Increased attack power.
- Increased poise during casting.
- Onyx Lords’ Repulsion
- Increased repelling effect power.
- Increased poise during casting.
- Oath of Vengeance
- Extended effect
- Added an effect that prevents staggers caused by blood loss and frostbite status effects.
- Ice Lightning Sword
- Increased weapon attack power.
- Increased the duration and attack power of the effect that grants the weapon a lightning attribute.
- Reduced time between the skill activation and being able to perform actions.
- Claw Flick
- Increased attack power.
- Increased poise damage of the finger expansion.
- Golden Tempering
- Added a timing for interrupting the attack during a series of strong attacks while under the effect.
- Increased strong attack motion speed, poise damage, and stamina attack power against guarding enemies during the effect.
- Increased the duration and attack power of the effect that grants the weapon a holy attribute.
- Reduced time between the skill activation and being able to perform actions.
- Last Rites
- Increased effect duration.
- Increased attack power.
- Effect against Those Who Live in Death has been revised upward.
- Unblockable Blade
- Reduced FP consumption.
- Increased motion speed.
- Loretta’s Slash (Loretta’s War Sickle Ash of War)
- Increased attack power.
- Increased damage of the first attack
- Increased poise damage.
- Corpse Wax Cutter
- Reduced FP consumption.
- Increased motion speed, range and speed of the blade.
- Added damage detection to the weapon part.
- Zamor Ice Storm
- Increased attack power.
- Increased attack power to the weapon part.
- Dynast’s Finesse
- The directional control of the follow up strong attack has been improved.
- Death Flare
- Increased the duration and attack power of the effect that grants the weapon a holy attribute.
- Magma Guillotine
- Increased poise damage and stamina attack power against guarding enemies for the first attack.
- Corpse Piler
- Slightly increased attack power.
- Bloodblade Dance
- Added damage detection immediately after activating the skill.
- Devourer of Worlds
- Familial Rancor
- Increased range of the vengeful spirits that chase down foes.
- Rosus’s Summons
- Thunderstorm
- Increased motion speed.
- Increased the duration and attack power of the effect that grants the weapon a lightning attribute.
- Unblockable Blade
- Increased attack power.
- Reduced time between the skill activation and being able to perform actions.
- Ordovis’s Vortex
- Increased attack power, motion speed and poise damage.
- Increased poise during casting.
- Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
- Barbaric Roar
- Extended effect duration.
- Reduced the time between using the skill and performing various actions.
- Increased strong attack power when used with Claw or Fist weapons during the effect.
- Reduced strong attack power when used with Twinblade weapons during the effect.
- Shield Crash
- Reduced the amount of status buildup when used with weapons that have status effects.
- Seppuku
- Increased damage taken upon activation.
- Reduced the bleed status buildup effect granted to weapons.
- Bloodboon Ritual
- Reduced the range of the damage animation trigger on other players. Damage is unchanged.
Bug Fixes
- Added a process to remove the Ash of War from weapons that cannot normally be combined with certain Ashes of War.
- Fixed a bug that prevented users from obtaining items such as Great Runes, Crystal Tears, Cracked Pots, and Ritual Pots when the number of items in the inventory and the storage had reached the maximum limit.
- Fixed a bug that prevented users from obtaining Crystal Tear. If you fail to obtain a Crystal Tear, the item will be added to your inventory when moving within the vicinity of the place where you should have obtained it.
- Adjusted player character control when under certain damage animations.
- Fixed a bug that prevented charging some Incantations while casting them with a left-handed Sacred Seal in mid-air.
- Fixed a bug that prevented performing a normal attack from a dash immediately after landing from a jump when the weapon is two-handed.
- Fixed a bug where various action inputs were ignored when changing weapons while moving.
- Corrected the description of the Colossal Sword’s physical attack attribute.
- Fixed a bug where the timing to change the attack direction was narrower than expected for some attacks with Greataxes.
- Fixed a bug where the attack direction could not be changed when performing a charged attack with the Ruins Greatsword weapon.
- Fixed a bug where the Highland Axe’s effect was not applied to the skill Shriek of Milos.
- Fixed a bug where the effects of the Warrior Jar Shard and the Shard of Alexander were not applied to the skill Sorcery of the Crozier.
- Fixed a bug where the effect of the Roar Medallion was not applied to the Regal Roar Ash of War.
- Fixed a bug where the skill Viper Bite could inflict poison instead of deadly poison.
- Fixed a bug where the range of one of the three rocks was longer than expected when casting the Spell Rock Sling with a left-hand staff.
- Fixed a bug where recovery time after casting Beast Claw could not be shortened by magic or incantations.
- Fixed a bug where when attacking an enemy who cannot be grabbed by the incantation Inescapable Frenzy, the attack will be repelled if the enemy is holding a shield.
- Fixed a bug where HP or FP could be recovered when changing equipment to certain types of armor under certain circumstances.
- Fixed a bug that could cause death and result in the player becoming stuck in some locations.
- Fixed some terrain bugs that allowed users to reach unexpected locations with certain procedures.
- Fixed a bug where the rendering and collision detection of some maps were different from expected.
- Fixed a bug where bolts fired with the Hand Ballista weapon missed the lock-on target when the game was running at a frame rate below a certain level.
- Fixed a bug that could prevent online multiplayer from working properly on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions.
- Several other performance improvements and bug fixes.