FromSoftware’s smash-hit RPG Elden Ring continues to evolve through consistent patchwork and quality of life improvements. In the latest Elden Ring update, FromSoftware has made an important change to the game's map by adding a new marker at a story-crucial area that many players could easily miss.
This week, Elden Ring received update 1.05, featuring significant gameplay changes along with a slew of bug fixes and stability improvements. One of the most notable changes included in patch 1.05 is the ability to transfer all Bell Bearing items into New Game Plus, a change that enhances the game as players no longer have to find these items again to upgrade their weapons on subsequent playthroughs. Other improvements include indicators that objects are ready to be upgraded and better loading times across consoles. Quietly introduced to the game, however, is a new map marker that opens up after a pivotal boss fight.
Spoiler warning
After players make their way to Redmane Castle and defeat Starscourge Radahn, they are presented with a cutscene in which a meteor strikes an unknown location in the Lands Between. This moment could be seemingly innocuous for many players due to Elden Ring’s open-ended nature and hands-off storytelling approach. However, this is an important moment as that meteor opens the Starfall Crater in the Mistwoods, an early area that players have likely already located but is crucial to progressing the story. Update 1.05 puts a map marker at Starfall Crater after the fight with Radahn to remedy any confusion about where players should go.
One of the most applauded elements of Elden Ring is its classic RPG style of gameplay that never guides players to the next objective and lets fans do what they please. However, it appears that FromSoftware’s laissez-faire approach to gameplay has been lightly reeled in throughout several months of patching. Like update 1.05, March’s 1.03 update added waypoint markers that recorded NPC interactions after multiple fans expressed dissatisfaction with how easily essential characters can be lost in such a big world.
Despite adding waypoints, Elden Ring is still a game filled with head-scratching moments and plenty of gameplay elements lending themselves to emergent player discovery. So far, waypoint additions have been only for the most puzzling circumstances, and many in the community find these updates to be positive additions. Elden Ring frequently lends itself to guide usage and community help due to its open-ended nature, and these updates don’t appear to take too much away from that experience in the grand scheme of things.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
