Elden Ring has received a major patch three weeks after it launched to critical acclaim and phenomenal sales. The patch makes a number of significant changes and additions for the game on all platforms – PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC, and is available to download now.
Front and centre among the changes is a function to ‘record an icon and the name of an NPC (non-player character) on the map when you encounter an NPC’.
This is a big change that helps to combat the opaqueness of Elden Ring – previously, players would need to keep track of the location of supporting characters themselves, as the game made no effort to mark where they were in the vast open world of Elden Ring.
It’s actually a feature that was present in the Network Test version of the game, which was run prior to its general release – its absence in the full game was certainly noticed. Thankfully, it’s now back in.
The patch also adds a new NPC, Jar-Bairn, as well as new quest phases for existing NPCs like Diallos, Nepheli Loux, Kenneth Haight, and Gatekeeper Gostoc. As is typical, it also fixes a series of bugs, and makes some notable balance changes.
Smithing Stones, a key item required to upgrade your weapons in Elden Ring, have had their availability increased in this patch. They’ll now drop more frequently from some enemies, and they’ve been added to the ‘early game shop line up’.
The effectiveness of shields has been increased, as has the damage for all crafted cracked-pot offensive items, as well as a number of other items.
No word on whether the recently-discovered forbidden underwear has been made properly available for use, however.
Patch 1.03 overall seems to make some positive changes to the game’s approachability, and we’re curious to see how that new NPC fits into the game.
The full patch notes for Elden Ring can be found below.
Elden Ring Version 1.03 Patch Notes:
Additional Elements Added
- Added a function to record an icon and the name of an NPC on the map when you encounter that NPC.
- Added NPC Jar-Bairn.
- Added new quest phases for the following NPCs: Diallos/ Nepheli Loux/ Kenneth Haight/ Gatekeeper Gostoc.
- Added some summonable NPCs in multiple situations.
- Increased the number of patterns of objects player can imitate when using Mimic’s Veil.
- Added night background music for some open field area.
Bug Fixed
- Fixed a bug that prevented summoned NPCs from taking damage in some boss battles.
- Fixed a bug that sometime prevented the player from obtaining item after boss battle.
- Fixed a bug that causes dialogue to be skipped when talking to NPCs and using custom key configurations.
- Fixed a bug that causes the player to freeze when riding.
- Fixed a bug that causes arcane to scale incorrectly for some weapons.
- In situation where the player cannot obtain more than 2 talisman pouches, added talisman pouch to Twin Maiden Husks shop line up.
- Fixed a bug that prevented the user from warping to sites of grace from the map at the end of the game.
- Fixed a bug that prevented the player from moving to the next area after the battle with the Fire Giant.
- Fixed a bug which causes some weapons to have incorrect scaling after strengthening.
- Fixed a bug which causes some weapons to not use stat scaling.
- Fixed hang-ups in certain occasions.
- Fixed a bug which incorrectly displays multiplayer area boundary when playing online.
- Fixed a bug that allows player to activate Erdtree Greatshield’s weapon skill without absorbing an attack using a special combination of item and incantation.
- Fixed a bug which causes Fire’s Deadly Sin incantation to have different effect.
- Fixed a bug with the Ash of War, Determination and Royal Knight’s Resolve, where the damage buff will also apply to other weapons without that skill.
- Adjusted the visual effect of Unseen Form spell.
- Deleted the Ragged armor set from the game which was mistakenly obtainable in previous patch.
- Fixed a bug that causes some hostile NPCs to drop Furlcalling Finger Remedy.
- Fixed a bug that causes incorrect sound effect to play in some situations.
- Fixed a bug which causes visual animation and hitboxes to not be displayed correctly on some maps.
- Fixed bugs which causes incorrect visual and behavior for some enemies.
- Fixed a bug that causes incorrect stat parameter for some armor.
- Text fixes.
- Other performance improvement and bug fixes.
Balance Changes
- Increased the drop rate of Smithing Stone for some enemies.
- Added Smithing Stone to some early game shop line up.
- Increased shield’s effectiveness.
- Increased the damage for all offensive cracked pot items.
- Increased the damage for the following items: Spark Aromatic/Poison Spraymist.
- Increased the effect duration for the following items: Uplifting Aromatic/ Ironjar Aromatic.
- Increased
HP healing for Torrent when using the following items: Rowa Raisin/ Sweet Raisin/ Frozen Raisin - Reduced FP consumption and increased the damage of the following sorceries: Glintstone Cometshard/ Comet/ Night Comet
- Increased the damage of the following sorceries: Gravity Well/ Collapsing Stars/ Crystal Barrage
- Decreased FP consumption of the following sorceries: Star Shower/ Rock Blaster/ Gavel of Haima/ Founding Rain of Stars/ Stars of Ruin/Greatblade Phalanx/Magic Downpour/ Loretta’s Greatbow/ Loretta’s Mastery/ Carian Greatsword/ Carian Piercer/ Shard Spiral
- Raised projectile speed and range of Great Glintstone Shard
- Decreased Ash of War, Hoarfrost Stomp’s damage and increase cast time.
- Increased Ash of War, Bloody Slash’s self-inflict damage while slightly lowering the damage and increasing the cast time.
- Decreased weapon skill, Sword of Night and Flame’s damage.
- Increased FP consumption and lower duration of Ash of War, Barricade Shield.
- Changed FP consumption timing of Ash of War, Prelate’s Charge.
- Decreased the damage of spirit summoned when using the item Mimic Tear Ash and changed the spirit’s behavior pattern.
- Other enemy and weapon balance changes
The version number of this update shown at the lower right corner of the Title Screen will be as follows:
- App Ver. 1.03
- Regulation Ver. 1.03.1
Online play requires the player to apply this update.
We will continue to provide improvement update in the future so you can enjoy “ELDEN RING” more comfortably. Please stay tune for more news.
