New Elden Ring patch 1.06 finally nerfs Bloodhound Step and Rivers of Blood

What you need to know

• The latest update for Elden Ring, patch 1.06, is available now on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.
• The patch includes significant nerfs to the Bloodhound Step Ash of War and the Rivers of Blood katana, as well as some additional tweaks to other weapons and items.
• The update also expands the function of summoning and invasion items by allowing them to work outside the multiplayer zone you’re in, including in faraway regions. Additionally, White Mask Varre’s questline was made possible to complete without invading other players.

After two months since Bandai Namco and FromSoftware released the 1.05 patch for Elden Ring, the open world RPG has received another large update — patch 1.06, which is available to download now on Xbox and PlayStation consoles as well as the PC version of the game. In terms of what the update offers, patch 1.06 makes some huge balance changes while also expanding the functionality of multiplayer items and improving one of the game’s NPC questlines.

By far, the most significant changes in the patch are the nerfs given to two of Elden Ring’s most infamous tools: the Bloodhound Step Ash of War and the Rivers of Blood katana. Both of these were extremely overpowered in both PvE and PvP, as the former had a low FP cost and could be spammed to achieve near-permanent invincibility frames, while the latter was capable of dishing out a ridiculous amount of bleed damage with its special Corpse Piler move. Now, Bloodhound Step doesn’t go as far and doesn’t give as many i-frames, and the Rivers of Blood’s Corpse Piler Ash of War has had its damage and bleed build-up reduced. The popular Stars of Ruin spell also got a nerf, with the developers lowering its target tracking ability to make it less oppressive in PvP.

In addition to some additional balance tweaks (including some buffs to larger weapon classes that allow players to roll faster after attacking with them), the update also expands the functionality of Elden Ring’s multiplayer items. When players put their summoning sign down for co-op or try to invade, they’ll now have the option to make their sign visible and invade players in other multiplayer zones outside of the one they’re currently in — including faraway regions and levels. This will no doubt make it easier for players to connect with each other as they play.