Elden Ring DLC gets huge 1.12.3 balance update: Here are the patch notes

What you need to know

• A little over a week after FromSoftware released the 1.12.2 Calibration Update for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, the studio has put out a second, much larger balance patch for the game.
• The biggest changes in the update include nerfs and fixes for broken Elden Ring DLC weapons and Ashes of War, including the damage of Lightning Perfume Bottle and Frenzyflame Perfume Bottle weapons, the effectiveness of the Rolling Sparks and Swift Slash skills, and the hitstun of the Fire Knight’s Greatsword.
• Thrusting Shields got a nerf to their blocking capabilities as well, while the Carian Sorcery Sword — one of Shadow of the Erdtree’s worst weapons — got an Intelligence scaling and base damage buff.
• The Commander Gaius and Golden Hippopotamus bosses have received a few changes, too, with both now appearing farther away from the fog wall on repeat attempts and the Golden Hippopotamus’ bite attack getting a nerf to its active frames.  

A little over a week after developer FromSoftware updated the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC with a major Calibration Update, another much larger patch has been released for the expansion to the studio’s award-winning open world ARPG. The 1.12.3 update is now available to download on all of Elden Ring’s platforms, and is required if you plan to play online.

The most significant changes in the patch are nerfs to several of the most broken and overpowered weapons players have been using since the DLC’s June 21 launch. These include adjustments and fixes for the Rolling Sparks Ash of War as well as the Lightning Perfume Bottle and Frenzyflame Perfume Bottle weapons it’s usable on that allowed players to nearly one-shot many bosses, the damage and animation length of the Backhand Blades-exclusive Swift Slash skill that was completely busted and almost impossible to counter in PvP, a bug that caused the Bloodfiend’s Arm to get higher scaling and Bleed buildup than intended when given an Arcane infusion, and an issue that allowed the Fire Knight’s Greatsword to stunlock other players.

Thrusting Shields — one of Shadow of the Erdtree’s powerful new weapon types — also got a fix that nerfs their effectiveness. Previously, incoming attacks blocked while thrusting with these consumed less stamina than intended, effectively allowing players to endlessly stab bosses while easily defending against non-grab moves; this has now been resolved, forcing players to be more careful with the timing of their offense.

Indeed, most of the update consists of nerfs, though there is one weapon that got a much-needed buff: the Carian Sorcery Sword. This Thrusting Sword is a one-of-a-kind armament because it’s the only one in Elden Ring capable of being used to cast sorcery spells, but its disappointing Intelligence scaling and poor base damage arguably made it the worst new weapon from the DLC. This update has improved both of those things, however, so hopefully the Carian Sorcery Sword is far more viable now than it was before the patch.