FromSoftware has released a new patch for Elden Ring, which updates the game to version 1.05 and is required for online play. It doesn't have any huge content or balancing changes, but does offer a lengthy list of bugs squished, some UI tweaks to make certain systems more comprehensible, and one very welcome option for PC players.
First up, the best news of all: the PC version now has a 'Return to Desktop' option in the system menu. Yes! No longer do you have to quit the game, wait for the logos to fade, then exit from the title screen. It's a legacy of FromSoft's console-focused development, and has been one of those little annoying nitpicks for the PC versions of their games dating back to Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition.
I don't even want to think about how much of my life I've lost to waiting for FromSoft games to quit back to the title screen, then to log you back in to the servers to get the full list of menu options, and only then being able to fully quit out. Try to get around the whole thing by just Alt+F4ing? They scold you on next log in. "The game may not have been properly exited during the last play session" yeah guys, I know.
Version 1.05 also brings some changes to smooth out life for the more dedicated, such as making Bell Bearing items carry over to NG+ (these unlock additional things to purchase at the Twin Maiden Husk merchant). There are also changes that are more for convenience than anything, such as additional sound effects when other players' summon signs appear.
The patch tweaks a whole bunch of skills that either weren't working quite as planned or were working too well: the Ice Spear no longer boasts unguardable attacks, and performing the 'Seppuku' skill used to harm your allies and now doesn't.
Some more serious stuff has been quashed too, including a bug I've seen mentioned a few times where defeating a boss as a summon could in rare cases cause that boss to stop spawning in your own world.
The patch also "fixed a bug that prevented the event of the NPC 'Alexander, Warrior Jar' from progressing under certain circumstances." There is also this mysterious but quite ominous-sounding note: "Fixed a bug that caused the player to become inoperable and die in certain locations." Sounds horrible!
It also looks like FromSoft has cut off access to the Leyndell Colosseum, a location that is intended to be unreachable through 'normal' means that is probably intended to make up part of a future DLC. Users were able to get to this, but now players will not be able to "reach unexpected locations with certain procedures."
The patch also claims to make some performance improvements to the PC version, which can be a bit chuggy at times. The notes say it's fixed a bug that slowed performance "when changing 'Screen Mode' and 'Resolution'." The patch notes in full are as follows:
Additions and modifications for PC version only
- Added keyboard/mouse operations that can be input in "PRESS ANY BUTTON" on the title screen.
- Added "Return to Desktop" to the system item on the main menu for exiting the game.
- Changed so that mouse click input is not reflected when switching windows to active.
- Fixed a bug that slowed performance when changing "Screen Mode" and "Resolution" in a special procedure.
Additional elements
- In transactions with the NPC "Twin Maiden Husk", the following Bell Bearing items have been changed so that their liberated status will be carried over to the NG+ play.
- Bone Peddler's Bell Bearing/Meat Peddler's Bell Bearing/Medicine Peddler's Bell Bearing/Gravity Stone Peddler's Bell Bearing/Smithing-Stone Miner's Bell Bearing/Somberstone Miner's Bell Bearing/Glovewort Picker's Bell Bearing/Ghost-Glovewort Picker's Bell Bearing
- Added emphasis to the choice of the Sacred Flask and several other options that can be strengthened in the grace menu
- Added sound effects when other players' summon signs appear
Bug fixes
- Fixed a bug where equipment could be changed from the equipment menu during the use of a skill under certain circumstances.
- Fixed a bug in the "War Cry" skill where the effect was applied to a weapon that was not the target of the skill.
- Fixed a bug where some actions of the "Barbaric Roar", "War Cry", and "Troll's Roar" recovery time was longer than expected.
- Fixed a bug where the effects of the "Determination" and "Royal Knight's Resolve" skill does not always wear off with certain weapons.
- Fixed a bug in which some attacks of the "Ice Spear" skill are unguardable.
- Fixed a bug that caused the attack power of some skills to be reduced when using the "Golden Vow" skill.
- Fixed a bug that the light wave of the "Moonlight Greatsword" skill sometimes does not aim at the locked-on target.
- Fixed a bug that caused damage to allies when using the "Seppuku" skill under certain circumstances.
- Fixed a bug that caused the increase in attack power of the "Seppuku" skill to be higher than expected for some attack motions.
- Fixed a bug in which a status effect was applied when using the "Hoarah Loux's Earthshaker" skill.
- Fixed a bug where the "Waves of Darkness" skill would not hit the enemy with a spinning cleave.
- Fixed a bug that caused unintended motions to be played when switching to a different sorceries or incantations while using a sorcery or incantation.
- Fixed a bug that the FP consumption increased when using the sorceries "Magma Shot" and "Roiling Magma" while riding a horse.
- Fixed a bug where the “Claw Talisman” effect was not applied when jumping with the "Starscourge Greatsword" in both hands.
- Fixed a bug that the power of two-handed attacks except jump attack of the weapon "Golem's Halberd " is different from expected.
- Fixed a bug that when using the weapon "Pulley Crossbow" with the left hand while the right hand weapon was given an attribute by magic or item, the effect was given to the "Pulley Crossbow" as well.
- Fixed a bug in which arrows and bolts that did not match the type of long-range weapon could be released in certain procedures.
- Fixed a bug in which guard boost was reduced when some weapons were strengthened to the maximum.
- Fixed a bug in which the attributes of weapons could be changed while the inventory had reached its maximum capacity and the ashes of war could not be changed.
- Fixed a bug that caused the boss "Malenia, Goddess of Rot" to have low HP under certain circumstances.
- Fixed a bug that allowed enemies to be attacked from outside the fog in certain areas.
- Fixed a bug in online multiplayer where, when a boss is defeated in the host's world as a cooperative player, the same boss may not appear in your world.
- Fixed a bug that prevented the battle with the boss "God-Devouring Serpent" from progressing under certain circumstances.
- Fixed a bug that prevented hostile NPCs from appearing under certain circumstances.
- Fixed a bug that prevented the event of the NPC "Alexander, Warrior Jar" from progressing under certain circumstances.
- Fixed an issue where the item "Sacred Flask" is not restored after destroying a group of enemies under certain circumstances.
- Fixed a bug that under certain circumstances, after defeating the boss "Starscourge Radahn", the user could not move from the map to the grace.
- *If you cannot move from the map to the grace, you can move to the grace by touching the grace "Starscourge Radahn”.
- Fixed a bug that prevented found sites of grace from registering on the map under certain circumstances.
- Fixed a bug that prevented some graces from being able to be touched when approached under certain circumstances.
- Fixed a bug that allowed hostile guests to enter boss areas under certain circumstances.
- Fixed a bug that prevented a critical hit from behind from hitting in hostile multiplayer.
- Fixed a bug that caused performance to slow down when the "Sentry's Torch" weapon was equipped under certain circumstances.
- Improved stability of online multiplayer between PS4 and PS5
- Improved loading times for the Xbox Series X|S version
- Fixed a bug that the master volume setting was not reflected in some cutscenes
- Improved stability of online multiplayer.
- Fixed a bug that caused sounds to play differently than expected in some situations.
- Fixed a bug that caused the player to become inoperable and die in certain locations.
- Fixed a bug in which the drawing and hit detection were different than expected in some maps.
- Fixed a bug in some maps that allowed players to reach unexpected locations with certain procedures.
- Fixed some texts.
- Several other performance improvements and bug fixes
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