The latest Elden Ring patch is all about solve problems from previous updateas a mistake that made the FromSoftware game’s most challenging boss to a constantly regenerating monster.
“Fixed a bug with Malenia where her HP was not properly healed in the online multiplayer environment,” reads a welcome line from publisher Bandai Namco’s official patch notes, no doubt causing thousands of Elden Ring players to simultaneously breathe a sigh of relief.
I think we can all agree that the fight against Malenia is the biggest obstacle in Elden Ring. She can look easy when super-skilled players like Let me solo her Step up to the plate, but Blade of Miquella and Goddess of Rot is at least the legendary warrior that the game’s story builds her up to be.
The inherent difficulty of the Malenia meeting was tenfold earlier this month when the 1.04 patch accidentally gave her the opportunity to heal herself with each attack while playing online. It did not matter if her sword hit you, which was what triggered her regeneration before the bug was introduced. She could simply stroke for empty air and get bits of health back.
The fight, of course, was not made impossible, but the sight of Malenia erasing the progress you had managed to make up to that point, even while you expertly avoided each attack, was frustrating. Even someone as familiar with the boss as Let Me Solo Here described Malenia as “a nightmare to fight” while the bug was active.
Other, lesser-known problems have apparently also been fixed. Some bosses, like Godskin Duo and Fire Giant, had their entire health bars depleted of bleeding or died right up when they went over to their second phase. There were also reports that the final boss did not use all of his attacks, which simplified a fight that is usually a big, climactic moment.
While certainly not as exciting as previous patches, Elden Ring should be a much more stable game after today’s update. Crossing fingers, everything was straightened out without introducing any more oddities.