
Elden Ring Nightreign Patch 1.02 Aims to Fix Brutal Solo Difficulty
Elden Ring Nightreign is officially out, and a lot of players are having a tough time with the game. As a team-based game, players are having trouble finding a good party to take down the Nightlord. While solo play is possible, it's currently too difficult -- although that appears to be changing soon.
Developer FromSoftware sent a tweet on Friday via the official Elden Ring account about the upcoming changes in patch 1.02. It includes two big changes that will immensely help solo runs: automatic revival and more runes.
In Elden Ring Nightreign, players are dropped on the island of Limveld to survive for three in-game days to take on the Nightlord. The task is tough enough for a team, but the difficulty ramps up when playing solo, as the bosses are still a chore, as they're meant to be beaten by three players.
Automatic revival is a one-time revive for solo players to take down the bosses, and it will help tremendously. Boss battles are tough solo, so being able to revive yourself will make the fights more manageable.
Gaining more runes will also be a big help. Runes act both as the currency and experience points in Elden Ring Nightreign. The more you have, the higher level you can obtain, and players need to be the right level to properly defeat a boss, otherwise, they're too weak to do any damage and not survive any hits.
Read more: Elden Ring Nightreign Beginner's Guide: The Essentials for Not Getting Wrecked in the First 5 Minutes
Patch 1.02 for Elden Ring Nightreign will come out sometime next week. It will also add some other fixes to the game, along with improving solo play. Patch 1.01 went into effect on Thursday, right before the game's early access launch. FromSoftware didn't provide many details about the changes made in that update, but some players did say they noticed solo runs were slightly easier.
Elden Ring Nightreign is available now for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One consoles for $40. Owning the original Elden Ring is not required to play this game.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CNET
an hour ago
- CNET
Elden Ring Nightreign Director Interview Part Two: Why There's No Poison Swamp and Future DLC
Elden Ring and its DLC Shadow of the Erdtree have been phenomenal successes for FromSoftware, which enabled the studio to grow beyond its devoted but niche following to explode into the mainstream. Its spinoff, Elden Ring Nightreign, takes a different approach with a co-op multiplayer focus and repeatable run-based gameplay. Nightreign is a bold direction for the studio, which had found success with dark fantasy single-player adventures like Bloodborne and the Dark Souls series of games. Most of its hits were directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, the creator of the Souls formula of tough third-person combat games. The new multiplayer game, Nightreign, builds on Elden Ring's success by remixing its elements into a new gameplay format of fast-paced action. Fitting this new direction, Nightreign is the directing debut of Junya Ishizaki, who had worked on many earlier FromSoftware titles and been the combat director on Elden Ring. Over video chat, CNET got to talk with Ishizaki about his thoughts on Nightreign and many other topics. In part one of our interview, we discussed how things changed over the course of the game's development, from dropping fall damage to collapsing multiple maps into the final one we see today. And, yes, how he solo'd every boss in the game. In part two below, we chat about Ishizaki's favorite Nightfarer class to play and least favorite boss, as well as DLC info and what FromSoftware learned that it'll carry into future games (like, potentially, the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive The Duskbloods coming next year). Of course, we also had to ask the poison swamp question. Woods infested with scarlet rot are the closest you'll get to a poison swamp in Nightreign. Screenshot by David Lumb/CNET David Lumb: I feel like I need to ask about the absence of another element that's been present in many other FromSoftware games: Where's Nightreign's poison swamp? Junya Ishizaki: I think the main reason is that this is not a Miyazaki title so that could be one explanation. Jokes aside, I think it's just a serendipitous factor of game development and what goes into the idea process and what comes out. So who knows what could happen in the future with Nightreign? DL: Considering Elden Ring, Bloodborne and two of the three Dark Souls titles are Miyazaki games, what makes Nightreign an Ishizaki game? JI: I think one of the aspects that not necessarily sets me apart from Miyazaki, but that I like to think of as my specialty, is that I like to prioritize the "game feel" more than a lot of things -- these detailed and fine-tuned things, like what happens when a player falls from a height and hits the ground? How is this supposed to feel? And how does this translate into good-feeling gameplay and into player comfort? So as you know, Nightreign doesn't feature any fall damage but there are ways the characters behave when they hit the floor from various heights and what you can do to counteract that. So these are areas that I like to look at -- the relationship between player and controls and how that translates to game feel. Hidetaka Miyazaki, director of Elden Ring and other FromSoftware games, at CNET's 2024 interview alongside the release of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. David Lumb/CNET DL: This is a question I asked Miyazaki-san last year when the Elden Ring DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, came out: Of all the FromSoftware games you've worked on, which is your favorite child? JI: That's a tough question. I've worked on Dark Souls 1, 3, Bloodborne and Elden Ring, of course. I think I'd say the project I have the most memories with is the original Dark Souls. This is the first project I was involved in at FromSoftware and it was my first foray into serious game development, learning the game systems and architecture and every aspect of what goes into these games at this company and what we wanted to convey to the user through gameplay. Learning all of this was extremely valuable to me. Of course, I was new at the time so I was very earnest in helping to make it succeed. DL: During my runs in Nightreign, I ran into memorable Dark Souls bosses like the Gaping Dragon. How did you choose which of the Dark Souls series' many bosses to include? JI: From a gameplay perspective and our sense of, first of all, would they be a good fit for the world and structure of Nightreign. It's the same for the bosses that appear from Elden Ring's world as well. Whether they fit and use the base boss battle format of Elden Ring, we wanted to make sure that they adapt to Nightreign's framework and gameplay as well, and add to that in order to make the experience fresh. Gladius (shown above) and the other eight Nightlords were created for Nightreign. Other bosses, found in the field and appearing at the end of the first two days, are from Elden Ring and Dark Souls games. Bandai Namco DL: Speaking in terms of crossovers, it's great to see Dark Souls bosses in Nightreign, as well as some character costume skins that look straight out of Bloodborne. When are we going to see the Armored Core crossover? JI: We have a very high level of respect for the games that other directors and other creators in the company have created and we never wanted this to feel like a random grab bag kind of approach. We have very fond memories of each of these titles and there was very careful selection that went on in order to choose the right fits and what we felt could be interesting for Nightreign. We didn't want this to feel like too lighthearted of an effort -- we wanted it to feel like there was some love and care and respect put into it. As to the question of an Armored Core or mecha crossover … who knows? It's very difficult to say right now what the future could hold for the company. I think if someone was so inclined, they could approach a crossover of worlds in such a way. But right now, there's really no hint of that. DL: Now I need to know more about how you've played your own game. What's your favorite Nightfarer class? And what's your least favorite boss? JI: I'd have to say my favorite Nightfarer, from a character perspective, is probably the Guardian. I like to feel like I'm protecting the team and that I'm a strong anchor, very unyielding in my approach to any enemy that I've come up against. But he also has some cool aspects to him. He doesn't feel like a full-fledged tank, he feels a little more flexible than that. The Duchess is a powerful and fragile but nimble fighter who pours on damage in fights. Bandai Namco/Screenshot by CNET In terms of pure gameplay, I like the Duchess. She's really quick, fun to dodge with, uses teammates' attacks effectively and, I think, she's very intuitive for me to play. She's the kind of character I would choose in another game. I can really immerse myself in the gameplay without worrying too much about what's going on. As for my least favorite boss fight, obviously I love all boss fights equally [laughs]. The one I have most trouble with is Fulgore, sort of a centaur type character missing one arm. That one really requires me to keep on my toes and keep focused. That's a tricky one for me. DL: Interesting, he definitely wiped the floor with me when I went against him -- and I appreciated how tough he was without seeming unfair. Broadly speaking, have players responded to the game as you expected or surprised you? JI: The overall response to the network test and to the cycle of the game has been incredibly strong. I'm really glad to see all the feedback we've been getting and we have a lot of great points to learn from and to examine in terms of balancing the game's difficulty, bringing up the highs and tweaking the lows up until release. Personally, I love playing multiplayer games and being part of that community discussion, so seeing this take off with Nightreign, seeing what players thought was [overpowered] or what was meta or what's going to be the new meta when a new character is released -- this was really fun to see. This really made me glad to see these kinds of divisive opinions and discussion. I can't wait to see everyone play it at launch. DL: Great segue -- what is the future of Nightreign? Does that include more content beyond the announced DLC? JI: For future content, we have the already-announced DLC, which we're currently underway on developing. The content for that will be focused on mainly new playable characters and new boss encounters, so please look forward to that. And then of course, beyond that, we can't say definitely right now but we will be continuing to support the game with patches and updates according to what we see from player data and player tendencies. So sticking tight to the game and watching for balance changes that need to be made and generally supporting the game as we have done with our previous titles. Elden Ring Nightreign launched on May 30 for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One consoles for $40. Owning the original Elden Ring is not required to play this game.


Digital Trends
an hour ago
- Digital Trends
How to unlock Duchess and Revenant classes in Elden Ring: Nightreign
As a multiplayer spinoff, Elden Ring: Nightreign changes up the formula from the original game in some major ways. Besides the shifting world and focus on playing with friends, the biggest change is that you no longer make your own unique character. Now, you will choose from a selection of classes to embody on any given run that each have their own skills, attributes, and starting gear. Six are available from the start, but the Duchess and Revenant are locked. These are two of the more unique options in Elden Ring: Nightreign and should be your priority to make sure you can have the best team composition. Here's how to unlock each class. Recommended Videos Difficulty Moderate Duration 1 hour What You Need Get the Old Pocketwatch Purchase the Besmnirched Frame How to unlock the Duchess class Of the two locked classes in Elden Ring: Nightreign, you have to unlock the Duchess first. Thankfully, you almost can't avoid performing most of the required steps, but there are a few obtuse moments we can guide you through. Step 1: Beat the first Nightlord boss while doing the Tricephalos Expedition. This is the default expedition that you will be doing first anyway. Step 2: When you beat the boss, you will get an Old Pocketwatch item. Some players have reported getting it even when they died fighting the boss and not beating it, so you may only need to reach the boss and not actually win. Step 3: Back at the Roundtable Hold, visit the Priestess and choose to "Show her the old pocketwatch. and watch the cutscene. Step 4: The Priestess will reveal that she is actually the Duchess and unlock the class in the character selection screen. How to unlock the Revenant class Once you've unlocked the Duchess you can move on to unlocking the Revenant. This class is easier to unlock, but very easy to miss. Step 1: In the Roundtable Hold, pay a visit to the Small Jar Bazaar. Step 2: From the list of items, purchase the Besmirched Frame for 1,500 Murk. Step 3: Go to the east wing and find a phantom that has appeared. Step 4: Interact with her to get teleported back to the tutorial area where you will fight the Revenant and three summons. Step 5: Win the fight and you will unlock the class. If you fail, you are free to try again as many times as it takes.


The Verge
2 hours ago
- The Verge
Dotemu's CEO on how it makes new games that feel retro
Dotemu is on a pretty good run. The video game studio and publisher has been around since 2007, and much of its history is largely working on remakes and remasters of older games. But it's also been involved with major hits in the form of sequels and new games that are in the spirit of older classics, including Streets of Rage 4 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge. All of that work is culminating in what looks to be a promising 2025, with three new but classics-inspired games: Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, a new side-scroller for the series; Marvel Cosmic Invasion, an arcade-y beat-'em-up; and Absolum, an original beat-'em-up with roguelike elements. 'We're open to everything,' CEO Cyrille Imbert tells The Verge. Despite his title, Imbert says his job involves acting like an executive producer to bring together concepts that answer specific needs for franchises. Before Shredder's Revenge 's 2022 release, for example, there hadn't been a good side-scrolling TMNT game for 'a while,' he says. (Turtles in Time, which helped inspire the game, came out in 1991.) 'We were convinced that there was a need for that.' There was: the game sold 1 million copies in its first week, developer Tribute Games said at the time. Dotemu takes on 'most of the risk' of a project based on an existing franchise, Imbert says, meaning that while the company needs to convince a franchise owner to get on board, Dotemu typically finances everything and is responsible for finding a studio to execute a concept. 'From A to Z, we are in control of the project, but we take the risk from A to Z as well,' explains Imbert. 'Sometimes the studio will also participate financially, but it's fairly rare, or it's usually a minority of the total spending.' With the new Ninja Gaiden game, for example, Imbert says he was familiar with the 3D iterations of the franchise on Xbox, and he also saw the success of recent action-platformers like The Messenger. So, he started conversations with Koei Tecmo, and then worked with The Game Kitchen, the developer of Blasphemous, on a pitch. 'That's the story, basically,' Imbert says. For Marvel Cosmic Invasion, Imbert says that following Streets of Rage 4, 'lots of people' had been asking for a new X-Men game that was like what you used to find in arcades. 'We knew there was a need and that people would really like it,' he says, especially if it got a similar treatment as Streets of Rage 4 or Shredder's Revenge. The idea was 'very obvious' to the Tribute Games team as well, so Dotemu and Tribute made a pitch to Marvel Games. Absolum, as a fully original game, is different from its other titles. From a pure business perspective, it's a way for Dotemu to diversify its lineup so that the company doesn't rely entirely on licensed games. Internally, the Dotemu team felt like they could do their own thing, and by making it inspired by classics, it would still fit in Dotemu's lineup, Imbert says. They also wanted to work with Guard Crush, which worked on Streets of Rage 4, on another beat-'em-up. It all adds up to what's going to be a busy year for the company. It has three games that show the different approaches it has to making these kinds of experiences, and all of them were chosen for a specific reason. 'That's how we're going to be proud of what we do.'