Elden Ring: Everything New In The V1.04 Patch

Since "Elden Ring" was released on Feb. 25, 2022, the incredibly successful action RPG has received numerous updates. Developer FromSoftware has recently spoken on said it's just getting started in building the world of "Elden Ring." Even now in its early days, the frequent updates to the epic game have offered players a taste of something new each time.

For starters, the recent V1.03 patch brought with it a new Jarburg NPC, Jar-Bairn, many new quest opportunities, and various buffs, nerfs, and bug fixes. While balance updates and ironing out the kinks is pretty standard for any update, "Elden Ring" gamers got more than they bargained for in terms of new content. In fact, some players believe FromSoftware is using updates to share elements of "Elden Ring" that weren't ready ahead of its original release, so there's no telling what the developers may have in store over the coming months.

"Elden Ring" released its latest V1.04 patch on April 19, 2022, and there's a lot to unpack. In addition to an update that lets players be more like Patches, the latest patch offers weapon buffs, bug fixes, balance adjustments, and more. Here's a run-down of the latest changes in the Lands Between.

The rundown of changes from the "Elden Ring" V1.04 patch is quite lengthy. The developers kicked off the list with some of the major changes, which particularly focused on balance adjustments. There are full other sections of the patch notes focused on weapon, sorcery, and incantation, but a few stood out to FromSoftware as particularly important to highlight.

Colossal Swords and weapons got a big boost in attack speed, two-handed attack damage, physical block rate, and guard boost. They also received a shorter cooldown. Both the Grafted Blade Greatsword and Devourer's Scepter have gained increased damage, while the Albinauric Staff and Dragon Communion Seal have a decrease in build up scaling. Greatshield Talisman got a nerf for high block rate weapons, and the madness afflicted animation is now much shorter. On that note, recovering from madness buildup now happens more slowly.

Perhaps most notable change is a subtle boost to FP and Stamina growth rates for lower-level players. It wasn't specified what levels this change applies to, though players have to level up, use Godrick's Great Rune, or re-equip a talisman or piece of armor with bonus stats for Strength, Dexterity, Vigor, Endurance, Intelligence, Faith, or Arcane to activate the change. Last but not least for the major changes, players now have the choice to toggle camera auto-rotation on or off.

There are way too many weapon, sorcery, and incantation updates to review in detail. With over 100 updates, the vast majority of which are buffs, "Elden Ring" patch V1.04 is quite literally a game-changer for combat, potentially making the game's notoriously high difficulty a little more manageable. From cast speed and recovery time improvements for Crystal Barrage, Ranni's Dark Moon, and Elden Stars to lower costs for Flowing Form, Greyoll's Roar, and Ancient Dragons' Lightning Spear, there are immense improvements across the board — and that's only scratching the surface.

Given all the buffs, players might be surprised by some nerfs and mixed adjustments, so here's a heads-up. There are just three full-on nerfs. The Swarm of Flies now has lower blood loss buildup, while both The Flame of Frenzy and Frenzied Burst will have a lower madness buildup.

As for the updates that are more of a double-edged sword, Adula's Moonblade, Flame, Fall Upon Them, Howl of Shabriri, and Thundercloud Form have various combinations of cast speed, damage, recovery time, cooldown, and other changes. So, players utilizing any of these will need to relearn the landscape a little bit when they jump back into "Elden Ring."

Naturally, "Elden Ring" is set in an open world so vast that bugs are inevitable. Fortunately for fans, FromSoftware makes fixing them a part of its routine.

Players frustrated by a broken Carian Retaliation attack can now rest assured that their problems have been laid to rest. The same goes for those who were unable to finish Diallos' quest. Multiple changes were added to stabilize online multiplayer gameplay, including smoothing out the Rennala Queen Of The Full Moon fight to make it work consistently in co-op mode.

Many bug fixes focused on fight improvements, including ensuring all players get their prize for defeating the Dung Eater, guaranteeing the invasion of Edgar the Revenger and Festering Fingerprint Vyke after the Liurnia of the Lake boss fights conclude, and patches to make enemy behavior and weapon performance more consistent.

Overall, the vast number of detailed improvements to "Elden Ring" should ensure a smoother experience for players. Many are sure to appreciate the consistency of updates, so fans who run into further issues can reasonably count on eventual improvements.