It's been over a year since the release of FromSoftware's acclaimed RPG Elden Ring, and much has changed since then. The game has received numerous awards and its influence on the genre has already been felt. Fans are also incredibly excited about the future of the IP after it was recently announced that Elden Ring would be receiving its first expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree. However, these changes haven't just been felt externally – there have also been many updates to the game since it launched in 2022, including modifications to Elden Ring's weapons.
Post-launch updates are common and can be used to fix technical issues, add new content, or even tweak existing elements to make sure the game remains balanced. Elden Ring is no exception, and patches have been rolled out periodically since its release that have addressed everything from how players can use magic to PvP issues. While there are a few different ways gamers can approach combat in Elden Ring, weapons undeniably have a big impact when it comes to facing enemies, and players who might have favored certain weapon types at launch could find them very much changed today.
Elden Ring Weapons That Have Improved Since Launch
Alongside fixes for minor issues to smooth out the overall gameplay, Elden Ring's post-launch patches have had an effect on spells, skills, and weapons. Some of these are smaller and less noticeable than others, but some have caused some pretty significant changes that could affect what players choose to equip. Notably, patches like update 1.06 switched things up when it came to heavier weapons like Greatswords, Curved Greatswords, and Great Hammers, making them much easier and faster to use and subsequently increasing their popularity.
Players soon noticed how the previously slower weapons had been buffed, making them not so cumbersome or risky to use in combat. In particular, the Dark Moon Greatsword – a version of which crops up in From Software games again and again – transformed from a very cool but not particularly deadly weapon to something much more useful. One patch added a buff that significantly affected the sword's unique weapon skill Moonlight Greatsword which allowed players to fire off projectiles much more quickly. The Executioner's Greataxe also benefited from similar updates and transformed into a rare but incredibly powerful weapon.
Elden Ring Weapons That Have Been Nerfed
One of the casualties of an Elden Ring update was dual wielding. Status build-up was nerfed if players were dual wielding, and while this was still an effective method of approaching enemies, it wasn't quite as potent as it was at launch. It also became a popular and iconic way to play Elden Ring after the rise of the legendary player Let Me Solo Her and their dual katanas, but its nerfing did have an impact. While one update allowed gamers to acquire two Great Stars in one playthrough and then have the option to dual-wield these powerful Great Hammers, not all weapons have improved for the better. The Dragon King's Cragblade, a heavy sword acquired after defeating Dragonlord Placidusax, had its Weapon Skill Thundercloud Form stripped of much of its damage and had its casting time increased as well, making it much less desirable.
The Sword of Night and Flame is another example of a weapon that lost a lot of its potency following an Elden Ring update. It started off as a quick, lethal accompaniment to a Dexterity/Faith build, but after its Weapon Skill's damage was halved it turned from an overpowered tool to a more average sword that didn't have the same effect. Similarly, the Moonveil katana originally had a reputation as a pretty broken weapon, particularly with how it handled Poise. But after the 1.03 update, Moonveil became another victim of nerfing, and this caused its popularity to nosedive.
Elden Ring is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
