With the next DLC for Elden Ring still in the realm of speculation among fans, FromSoftware may want to look at what some players are asking for and their in-game behavior for how to expand the already massive game. Specifically, the developer should look at the way that players have been diving into Elden Ring's PVP mechanics, often testing their skill in the game against other players.
One interesting avenue that FromSoftware can look at in order to improve on PVP in Elden Ring when the next DLC drops is by pulling from a feature introduced in the original Dark Souls. This would be the PVP arena that first appeared in the Dark Souls DLC Artorias of the Abyss, also containing the Battle of Stoicism.
History of Dark Souls PVP Arenas
The invasion system of PVP made famous in the Dark Souls series has made a few attempts at changing this more chaotic to better focus on how players are able to engage in combat with each other. In some cases, this has included giving players the chance to enter certain boss fights, such as Dark Souls 2's Looking Glass Knight. However, for players looking for a more even duel that would provide the chance to really test their skills against players instead of exploitable AI, a few PVP areas started to build up purely through community focus.
These popular PVP locations quickly changed when the first DLC in the series brought the Oolacile Township to Dark Souls, right after the fight against Artorias the Abysswalker. Within this location is the Battle of Stoicism, a massive PVP arena that allows players to match with others looking to fight on even footing. However, this arena was almost immediately abandoned for the start of the Oolacile Township itself, due in part to the long matching times and limited duel options.
This same concept was explored again in Dark Souls 3 with the Hollow Arena, which certainly had more success than the Battle of Stoicism, but has still often been ignored for other popular dueling locations. Then there's the fact that neither the Hollow Arena nor the Battle of Stoicism can scratch the same itch as the high-stakes invasion system of Dark Souls. In this case, the next time FromSoftware looks to implement a dedicated PVP location for another title, the best place to start is through the limits on game modes.
A Dedicated PVP Arena for Elden Ring
Taking from the history of FromSoftware's catalog with the Dark Souls series, dedicated PVP locations are certainly popular among players. However, the locations that often make the largest mark among fans of PVP in these titles will generally be chosen by players instead of fully designed by the developer. This is often because the locations that are usually made by FromSoftware are little more than a large plot where players could put Dark Souls' best PVP builds to the test with no outside factors.
In the case of trying to introduce an area to dedicate to PVP in Elden Ring, the first place to start should be to make this arena that is unlike any other place within the Lands Between. Some examples of how to make these areas stand out would be to include environmental hazards, instead of just empty rings where players only have their own equipment to fight with. Giving players access to everything from catapults to something similar to Radahn's raining arrows would make these arenas worth choosing over other popular locations.
Similarly, with the new locations that many of the Dark Souls DLC often bring to their respective games, these arenas could also include places that could be important to Elden Ring's lore, but wouldn't offer much in ways of gameplay. Areas like the ancient versions of Farum Azula or the Badlands where Godfrey took his Long March could be explored through PVP arenas, even if these environments wouldn't otherwise be fully fleshed out enough to explore. Beyond new environments and the ability to interact with hazards, Elden Ring should also push this type of PVP even further by introducing different game modes into these arenas.
PVP Game Modes in Elden Ring
Looking at the PVP in Elden Ring, there are a few obvious choices for game modes, such as Duel and Brawl modes that are already available for Dark Souls 3's Hollow Arena. However, as was the case with the original versions of these arenas, this would still fail to scratch the itch of players who enjoy invading others and halting their progress. So, in the case of developing a game mode for Elden Ring PVP, finding a way to incorporate invasion into these duels might be the best method to move forward with.
In the case of creating an invasion-leaning game mode, a rework of the DLC from Dark Souls 2 could be one of the best places to start from. Namely, the multiplayer gauntlets that were included in Dark Souls 2, with boss fights waiting after a group of players makes it through enemy-filled passageways. While these areas haven't aged too well now that most players have moved on to Elden Ring and the older Dark Souls servers are in maintenance, the concept could be used to make an invader-controlled gauntlet with another player as the boss at the end.
This type of arena could allow for any kind of player, from honorable duelers to Elden Ring's more toxic PVP fans, the chance to set a challenge for someone else the way only developers normally get to. The result could also add a twist to both the person running the gauntlet and the ones waiting at the end, with each player being forced to handle area management and survival skills to either reach or stop the boss fight. It's an avenue for player control that normally only exists in the modded versions of these titles, but could go a long way towards making a dedicated area for PVP that is more interesting to interact with than just wide arenas in late-game locations.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
