Elden Ring‘s free Colosseum Update has arrived alongside a ton of balance changes, bug fixes, and even new hairstyles for the game’s character creation.
Outlined in a Bandai Namco blog post, Elden Ring Version 1.08 is headlined by the PvP centric DLC announced yesterday but also serves as a fairly large patch for the game.
Five new hairstyles have been added (which can be viewed below thanks to Reddit user Katherine P), which are available when creating a character initially or later by using the Round Table Hold Clouded Mirror Stand.
Balance updates have been broken down into two categories: general adjustments and PvP exclusive changes. The general changes include fairly significant changes to the speed, distance, and recovery time of some attacks when using daggers, axes, and hammers, and when dual-wielding flails.
The speed of two-handing a Twinblade weapon has been increased, however, alongside the speed of using Reaper, Fist, and Claw weapons. A full list of the general changes can be found below.
PvP only changes – which as the name suggests will only take effect when fighting another player – include the reduction of power of weapons including straight swords, thrusting swords, curved swords, axes, spears, twinblade swords, and katanas. Again, the full list of changes can be found below.
Elden Ring Colosseum Update and Version 1.08 Notes
PvP-exclusive balance adjustments
- Reduced thrusting weapons counterattack damage.
- Reduced guard efficiency when attacking with your shield up for some weapon types.
- The poise damage of the following weapons have been reduced (Weapon Arts poise damage remains unchanged):
- Straight Swords / Thrusting Swords / Heavy Thrusting Swords / Curved Swords / Axes / Spears / Twinblade Swords / Katanas
- Reduced the poise damage of the Incantation Bestial Sling.
- Reduced the power of the Spell Carian Slicer.
General balance adjustments
- Increased the speed and distance of some attacks and reduced the recovery time for the following weapons:
- Daggers / Axes / Hammers / Flails (dual wielded)
- Increased the speed of some attacks and reduced the recovery time for the following weapons:
- Twinblade (two-handed) / Reaper / Fist / Claw
- Slightly increased the speed of crouching and rolling attacks of Colossal Swords.
- Increased the stagger damage of Axes’ guard counters.
- Increased poise when attacking with two-handed Hammers.
- Increased poise damage of Claws. Weapon Arts remain unchanged.
- Increased poise value during the active part of the Stamp (Upward Cut / Sweep) Weapon Art.
- Increased poise damage of the weapon slash part of the Transient Moonlight Weapon Art, and reduced the poise damage of the magic wave.
- Reduced the speed Thrusting Swords and Heavy Thrusting Swords crouching attacks.
- Reduced the stagger caused by double-handed Heavy Thrusting Swords jumping attacks.
- Reduced poise damage of Hammers, Great Hammers, and some Colossal Weapons. Weapon Arts remain unchanged.
- Reduced the poise damage of the Cragblade Weapon Art.
- Reduced hitbox duration of the flame portion of the Flaming Strike Weapon Art.
- Reduced poise damage of the Flame of the Redmanes Weapon Art.
- Reduced the time it takes to activate the guard part of the Shield Bash Weapon Art.
Bug Fixes
- Fixed a bug that sometimes prevented consumable items from being replenished when teleporting to a grace from the map.
- Fixed a bug where stamina would replenish when switching to a crouching position while running.
- Fixed a bug where Spell, Incantation, and item input actions were ignored while guarding against attacks.
- Fixed incorrect physical attack values of some attacks of the Serpent-Hunter weapon.
- Fixed a bug that prevented the follow-up attack from occurring when the Black Sword Incantation was activated with a Sacred Seal in the left hand.
- Fixed a bug where the attack power of the right hand weapon was sometimes applied when casting the Inescapable Frenzy Incantation with a two-handed Sacred Seal in the left hand.
- Fixed a bug that could cause multiple damage instances when certain Spells and Incantations were casted while jumping.
In our 10/10 review of the game, IGN said: “Elden Ring is a massive iteration on what FromSoftware began with the Souls series, bringing its relentlessly challenging combat to an incredible open world that gives us the freedom to choose our own path.”
To make those choices with the best available information, check out our guide that features everything you could ever hope to know about Elden Ring, including collectible locations, boss strategies, and more.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer and acting UK news editor. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
