Elden Ring patch adds NPC markers, quests, bug fixes, and balance changes
Bandai Namco and FromSoftware have released patch 1.03 for Elden Ring, and it’s a biggie.
Headline changes include map tracking for characters you’ve met, new questlines, a new NPC, and a slew of balance adjustments — including what appears to be a nerf for the all-powerful Mimic Tear ash — and bug fixes.
You’ll now be able to record an icon and the name of any NPC you meet on the map as soon as you encounter them, which should help keep track of your adventure. The new NPC is called Jar-Bairn. Elden Ring Wiki has some notes on this character already, if you don’t mind the spoilers.
There are new questlines for the characters Diallos, Nepheli Loux, Kenneth Haight, and Gatekeeper Gostoc, too.
Vague as ever, FromSoftware also notes that it has “added some summonable NPCs in multiple situations.”
Most notable among the bug fixes are those that tackle Elden Ring’s widely reported problems with stat scaling on some weapons. Performance improvements are claimed but not detailed; hopefully they will improve things for PC players.
On the balance side, Smithing Stones have been made easier to acquire with both an increased drop rate and availability at early-game shops. Shields, several sorceries, and offensive cracked pot items have all been buffed, while there are nerfs to the spirit summoned with Mimic Tear Ash and to speedrunners’ favorite skill, Ash of War, Hoarfrost’s Stomp.
The update targets all platforms and, naturally, you’ll have to apply it before playing online.
You can find the full patch notes below.
Read more on polygon.com
