I started playing Elden Ring Nightreign last week, and oh boy, it’s tricky. I’m no novice, having earned the Platinum Trophy in the base Elden Ring, but there is so much that is different about the spin-off that it’s all a lot to take in. I’ve spent around six hours with the game, and still haven’t managed to beat the Tricephalos (although I’m going to blame it on my co-op partner).
We decided to go in with limited knowledge, so much of our time has been figuring out how Limveld works — its layout, the drops, the bosses — but there have been numerous times when we’ve had our backsides handed to us by the game’s many deadly bosses.
Thankfully, for the two of us and anybody out there who is still struggling with Nightreign, FromSoftware has just made the game significantly easier. Ahead of the launch of its Forsaken Hollows DLC, the game has received update 1.03, and it comes with a lot of balance changes, including buffs to 17 different passives and relics.
Rejoice, Elden Ring Nightreign Update 1.03 Just Made The Game A Lot Easier
Elden Ring Nightreign: The Forsaken Hollow looks set to be massive. There are two new Nightfarers, new bosses, and, at last, a poison swamp, and FromSoftware is doing everything it can to ensure its launch runs smoothly.
Update 1.03, which just launched, has fixed over 20 outstanding bugs and has implemented a bunch of quality-of-life changes to the game, including the ability to rename relics, highlighted flasks in certain situations, and an adjusted weapon inventory with Limveld’s merchants. It’s the balance changes that are the most eye-opening, though.
With Its DLC On The Horizon, Fewer Than Half Of Players Have Vanquished All Of Elden Ring Nightreign’s Nightlords
Night Aspect is proving the most difficult.
There are 17 passives and relics that have had their effects increased, with a further three that have had their trigger conditions “broadened”, meaning, in theory, they will be easier to activate.
You can check them all out below:
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Added new Passive Effects:
- Improved Melee Attack Power
- Improved Dash Attacks
- Improved Rolling Attacks
- Increased the effect of the Passive Effect Improved Attack Power when Two-Handing.
- Increased the effect of the Passive Effect Attack Up when Wielding Two Armaments.
- Increased the effect of the Passive Effect Improved Chain Attack Finishers.
- Increased the effect of the Passive Effect Improved Charge Attacks.
- Increased the effect of the Passive Effect Improved Jump Attacks.
- Increased the effect of the Passive Effect Improved Guard Counters.
- Increased the effect of the Passive Effect Improved Skill Attack Power.
- Increased the effect of the Passive Effect Physical Attack Up.
- Broadened the trigger conditions and decreased the effectiveness of the Passive Effect Improved Damage Negation at Low HP.
- Broadened the trigger conditions and decreased the effectiveness of the Talisman Blue-Feathered Branchsword.
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Changes to Relic Effects:
- Increased the effect of Physical Attack Up.
- Increased the effect of Improved Initial Standard Attack.
- Increased the effect of Improved Critical Hits.
- Increased the effect of Improved Guard Counters.
- Increased the effect of Improved XXX Damage (excluding bow weapon types).
- Increased the effect of Improved Attack Power with 3+ XX Equipped (excluding bow weapon types).
- Broadened the trigger conditions and decreased the effectiveness of Improved Damage Negation at Low HP.
It’s a vast assortment, designed to make runs a little smoother for players. But, while there are certainly some major wins, some players still aren’t totally happy with the update.
Since its reveal, there have been questions as to why some of the game’s more “underpowered” Nightfarers haven’t been buffed. Revenant topped that list, but Guardian and Raider were also called out.
You can check the full patch notes out here.
- Released
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May 30, 2025
- Developer(s)
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From Software
