Elden Ring’s first major patch sees FromSoft belatedly admit singleplayer is all sorts of unfair, adds an auto-resurrect and buffs the levelling curve

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The action-RPG Elden Ring Nightreign has been released, and my initial impression is that it’s incredibly challenging. Over the weekend, I gave it several attempts, opting to go in largely unprepared. This proved to be a mistake: every encounter concluded with one of my party members engaging something they shouldn’t have, leading to a crushing defeat at the hands of something colossal.

At least in multiplayer mode, there was a minuscule chance of survival. Singleplayer? You might want to wish yourself luck. This has been noted as an issue during previews, but it’s become apparent that Nightreign is ruthless in single player games, relentlessly piling challenge upon challenge onto the player.

The director of the game previously dismissed such concerns, emphasizing that the game was designed for multiplayer. However, FromSoftware has since admitted that they may have somewhat overlooked the balance in single-player mode. A new update has been released, and it exclusively adjusts the following aspects of the single-player experience:

  • The effect ‘Automatic Revival Upon Defeat’, which allows revival once per night boss battle, has been added to solo expeditions.
  • The amount of runes gained has been increased for solo expeditions.

During each Nightreign mission, it lasts for three consecutive game days, and at the conclusion of every day, you engage in a battle against a nightly boss. On the third day, the most formidable enemies known as night lords appear. These encounters are the most challenging in the game; although they don’t guarantee escape from difficult situations, having one automatic revival certainly boosts the odds for solo players.

The second adjustment could potentially be more impactful: essentially, Nightreign will allow individual players to progress through levels faster. If I were to identify a recurring issue in my unsuccessful Nightreign attempts, it would be insufficient leveling up before encountering certain challenges. Therefore, this update should bring about a significant improvement.

Additionally, changes made to the singleplayer mode aren’t the only updates; there are also general balance tweaks to high-tier Relics designed to benefit all gamers. The quantity of these rare Relics that drop on the third day has been boosted, and the odds of obtaining high-tier Relics from Scenic Flat stones bought at the in-game marketplace have been enhanced as well.

Apart from some minor bug corrections detailed in the comprehensive patch summary, there’s an improvement made specifically for the Steam version’s performance under low graphics conditions. It is essential that all players update their game with this patch prior to engaging in online play.

It’s clear that this update will impact single players, as I, myself, can attest that I won’t be tackling Nightreign solo – I barely manage with two companions currently. Interestingly, there are gamers who have previously faced Nightreign solo, but given my age and experience, I share the sentiment expressed by Wes Fenlon: this is the first FromSoftware game where I wish there was an easy mode available.

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2025-06-02 17:02