Elden Ring Update Adds An Important Function

Elden Ring has a new update that will bring PVP and PVE improvements and includes ray-tracing technology.

By Jason Collins | Published

FromSoftware just released another update for their record-breaking Elden Ring video game. The new update brings the game to version 1.07 and introduces balance changes and adjustments to the RPG, the biggest of which is the game’s balance between player-vs-player (PVP) and player-vs-environment (PVE) components. On the same topic, data miners wasted no time digging through the new data, some of which is apparently hinting towards new locations within the game and ray-tracing technology.

According to IGN, the new path for Elden Ring separates damage scaling for PVP from PVE, which allows for different weapons and skills to be balanced in each mode individually to accommodate those who play PVE, either single or co-op, from those engaging in competitive multiplayer. FromSoftware had previously attempted to balance the weapons, skills, and spells within the game in a holistic fashion, but that method has proven ineffective. In the end, most games that have a PVP component also have distinguished and differently balanced PVP skills and gear, and for a reason.

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We won’t dive into specifics as to why something like that should exist within PVP components, but in most cases, it increases survivability and thus increases the gamers’ chance of recovery from heavy attacks. Of course, every gaming community, including Elden Ring’s, has its own legendary players who are capable of destroying their opponents with ease through carefully tweaked builds. But even they have their nemeses. Regardless, any changes and in-game PVP build tweaks won’t affect the players’ single-player stats.

There are other Elden Ring adjustments that are PVP exclusive, including increased stamina attack power, improved poise damage for normal attacks, and the reduction in power of Ashes of War. There have been several reductions of power in some incantations, as well. Other changes which affect both modes include increased poise damage, increased speed of some Colossal Sword attacks, increased poise for hammers, great hammers, and some colossal weapons. With some notable exceptions —which you can read about in the patch notes — poise for all armor is also boosted.

Now, for the technical aspects of the game. As previously stated, data miners wasted no time burrowing through the game’s new data. They unearthed menu strings related to ray tracing features, suggesting that the lighting and refraction rendering technology might make its way into Elden Ring in the future. Of course, this remains to be seen; plenty of stuff gets added to the games, but many of them never see the light of day — and some even shouldn’t.

The data miners also found data pertaining to the purported new areas of the game, which reference two new maps that currently don’t exist in Elden Ring’s data. If rumors about the new areas are true, the data is likely to be added in later updates or the highly-anticipated and rumored DLC, which might introduce new main areas within the game. Will these be adjacent to the Lands Between, or some sort of Legacy Dungeons remains to be seen, but fans are becoming impatient as the online discussions on dedicated Elden Ring message boards continue?