The Elden Ring 1.03 patch update adds new characters, quests and more

The Lands Between just got a bit bigger but some strong abilities have been nerfed

Jasper Pickering
Thursday 17 March 2022 12:11 GMT
Rise and claim your update, Tarnished
Rise and claim your update, Tarnished (iStock/The Independent)

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FromSoftware’s latest title, Elden Ring,has been on shelves for less than a month and it’s already receiving a sizeable update that will add new content as well as improve some existing features.

Elden Ring has become nothing short of a runaway success. After selling over 12 million copies in just over three weeks, Bandai Namco have announced a list of patch notes for version 1.03 of the game and quite a lot has changed.

For a start, some of the questlines have received an update, as many players have found difficulty completing them and a brand new non-playable character can now be located in the Lands Between.

Some weapons and spells have received a boost or “buff” but some players may be disappointed to hear that some abilities have been decreased, or “nerfed”.

To find out the full list of updates in Elden Ring’s latest patch, then keep reading the rest of the article below.

‘Elden Ring’ version 1.03 additional content

One new feature that will help players track the names of NPCs and their location is a new icon-type that will be added to the game’s map once a new character has been encountered.

A new character named “Jar-Bairn” can also be located in the region of “Jarburg”, which is populated with the sentient ceramics that can be found throughout the Lands Between. Based on his name and location, it’s assumed that he will also be a giant talking pot.

Other summonable NPCS can also be found in multiple new locations, presumably near boss areas where players can get some assistance.

As some players were having problems completing certain quest lines, new phases have been implemented for the characters “Diallos”, “Nepheli Loux”, “Kenneth Haight” and “Gatekeeper Gostoc”.

‘Elden Ring’ version 1.03 balance changes

A number of new balance changes have also been added to Elden Ring to improve the power of weaker attacks, reduce “overpowered” abilities and make some quality of life updates as well.

For players who struggle to find smithing stones to level up their equipment, enemies are now far more likely to drop them. Smithing stones have also been added to the early in-game shop, which should help players upgrade their weapons of choice and do more damage. The shield’s effectiveness against blocking attacks has also been improved, as has the damage for ranged items such as cracked pots and poison spraymist.

For the player’s mount named Torrent, healing items also have a greater effect and FP (magic) consumption has been reduced for some of the game’s popular sorceries, such as “Glintstone Cometshard”, “Comet”, and “Carian Greatsword.”

One of the game’s most popular and early sorceries, “Great Glintstone Shard” has also seen an increase in speed and range.

Now for the bad news, the “ash of war” abilities “Hoarfrost’s Stomp” and “Bloody Slash” have received an increase in casting time and a reduction in overall damage output. “Barricade Shield” and “Prelate’s Charge” will also cost more FP to cast. The spirit summon “Mimic Tear Ash” has also received a reduction in damage output as well as a change in its behaviour pattern.

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