Elden Ring: Balancing the Souls Legacy
FromSoftware’s Elden Ring was always going to be a balancing act. Its design and mechanics closely resemble those of the Souls games, and in many ways it feels like the culmination of FromSoftware’s design philosophy. But with Elden Ring’s unique setting, cast of characters, and mechanics, there were always going to be wrinkles that needed ironing out.
Over a year after Elden Ring’s launch, FromSoftware continues to tweak it more than any Souls game ever. Most recently, we saw a major balance patch, 1.10, drop for the open-world game. It includes PvP-exclusive balance adjustments, general balance adjustments, bug fixes, and other changes. Although it’s not as large in scope as the 1.00 update, which overhauled the game entirely, it’s still an extensive list.
In terms of mechanics, the biggest adjustment is to the poise stat. Some attacks now have a greater chance of breaking poise, but certain long wind-up abilities have received buffs to their poise and damage resistance. This should make high-damage attacks feel more impactful, and allow for more crowd control without having to rely on knockdown abilities.
Another change that fans have been calling for is buffs to critical hits. This patch delivers on this, with buffs to all weapon types and critical hits including a more generous backstab angle. This should make high-risk, high-reward tactics feel more rewarding, and provide more options for stealthy, patient players.
The team at FromSoftware also seems to have heard our concerns about laggy teleport backstabbing. The 1.10 patch notes state that “reduced teleportation delay when performing a backstab to reduce the possibility of teleportation cancelling the backstab”. This is a very welcome change.
There are also several PvP-focused changes. The Quick Step and Bloodhound Step abilities are receiving adjustments to reduce their mobility. These abilities were previously very difficult to track and engage with, so these changes should address that.
In addition to this, the patch notes state that “reduced the duration of the Quick Step and Bloodhound Step and their cooldowns’ to encourage more aggressive PvP”. This is an interesting choice, as it implies that FromSoftware believes the abilities were too easy to utilise, but also don’t want to outright remove them from the game entirely.
While some players may be concerned that a reduction in the cooldown timer means more Quick Steps and Bloodhound Steps, I personally don’t think this will be a problem. FromSoftware has done an excellent job at maintaining Elden Ring’s stable online experience, and I don’t think this will erode the PvP environment.
Overall, Elden Ring’s post-launch balancing is impressive, surpassing even Dark Souls 3 in that regard. I think this is a credit to Elden Ring’s bright, dedicated community, which has been a focal point for FromSoftware. The game’s vibrant PvP scene has always been a focus, with the team paying attention to addressing exploits, and maintaining balance through patches.
Despite this, it’s still not a live service title; there’s no sign that FromSoftware plans to turn Elden Ring into one. Instead, we eagerly anticipate the introduction of new content, including a potentially controversial katana, in the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree expansion.
