The latest Elden Ring patch is all about fixing issues from the previous update, like a bug that turned the FromSoftware game’s most challenging boss into a constantly regenerating monster.
“Fixed a bug with Malenia in which her HP was not healed correctly in the online multiplayer environment,” reads a welcome line from publisher Bandai Namco’s official patch notes, no doubt causing thousands of Elden Ring players to simultaneously breathe a sigh of relief.
I think we can all agree that the fight against Malenia is the greatest obstacle in Elden Ring. She may look easy when super skilled players like Let Me Solo Her step up to the plate, but the Blade of Miquella and Goddess of Rot is every bit the legendary warrior the game’s lore builds her up to be.
The inherent difficulty of the Malenia encounter was magnified tenfold earlier this month when the 1.04 patch accidentally gave her the ability to heal herself with every attack while playing online. It didn’t even matter if her sword hit you, which was what triggered her regeneration before the bug was introduced. She could simply swipe at empty air and get back chunks of health.
The fight wasn’t made impossible, of course, but the sight of Malenia erasing the progress you’d managed to make up to that point, even while you expertly dodged every attack, was a frustrating one. Even someone as familiar with the boss as Let Me Solo Her described Malenia as “a nightmare to fight” while the bug was active.
Other, less-publicized issues have apparently been fixed as well. Some bosses, like the Godskin Duo and Fire Giant, were having their entire health bars depleted by bleed builds or straight up just dying upon transitioning to their second phase. There were also reports of the final boss not using all its attacks, simplifying a fight that’s normally a huge, climactic moment.
While certainly not as exciting as previous patches, Elden Ring should be a much more stable game after today’s update. Fingers crossed everything was straightened out without introducing more weirdness.
