How Elden Ring’s balance patch reshaped speedrunning strategies and what comes next
The Patch That Changed Everything
Elden Ring’s inaugural major update delivered significant balance adjustments that targeted several overpowered equipment pieces. The speedrunning community now faces substantial adaptation challenges.
FromSoftware’s initial comprehensive patch introduced nerfs to multiple dominant items, forcing Elden Ring speedrunners to reconsider their entire approach to rapid completion.
Since the game launched, players developed exceptionally powerful character builds by leveraging specific equipment that provided near-invincibility. Key affected abilities include Mimic Tear spirit summon, Hoarfrost Stomp ash of war, Sword of Night and Flame’s weapon art, and Royal Knight’s Resolve damage buff – all receiving substantial power reductions that diminished builds dependent on them.
Competitive speedrunners strategically combined these elements to achieve record completion times, producing some of gaming’s most impressive speedrun performances. Current reactions from the community indicate many believe this patch marks the conclusion of established routing methods.
Speedrunning Community Reaction
This development particularly impacts current world record holder Distortion2, who has claimed the Elden Ring any% speedrun record five separate times since release. Numerous earlier records he surpassed were his own achievements after taking the top position from fellow elite runner LilAggy.
Distortion2 expressed his perspective on social media, stating simply, “Rip Elden Ring Speedruns”.
Rip Elden Ring Speedruns pic.twitter.com/cHzI91yEBX
— Distortion2 🕐 Elden Ring DLC (@Distortion_2) March 17, 2022
During discussions with Eurogamer, second-place record holder LilAggy confirmed the community intends to persist in their efforts, though acknowledging the recent update “has definitely altered speedrun dynamics significantly”.
Future of Elden Ring Speedruns
The ongoing question remains whether speedrunners will uncover innovative methods to rapidly complete the game, though current evidence suggests established Elden Ring speedrun categories have reached their conclusion. Will this discourage the community from continued attempts? Unlikely.
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This situation might enable Distortion2 to retain his world record indefinitely. However, Elden Ring continues revealing hidden mechanics, suggesting new challengers may emerge despite FromSoftware’s balancing initiatives.
Speedrunning communities historically demonstrate remarkable resilience when facing game updates. The Dark Souls series experienced similar transformations after patches, with runners consistently developing new routes and strategies. Elden Ring’s extensive weapon variety and spell options provide numerous alternatives for optimized runs, ensuring the community will continue pushing boundaries.
Current exploration focuses on weapon swap techniques, spell combinations previously considered suboptimal, and advanced movement glitches that bypass content. The community’s collaborative efforts in discord servers and streaming platforms accelerate discovery of new approaches that may eventually surpass pre-patch records.
Advanced Speedrunning Techniques
For runners adapting to the new meta, several strategies prove valuable. Movement optimization becomes increasingly important when damage output decreases. Mastering quick menu navigation for equipment swaps, learning enemy skip glitches, and perfecting boss attack patterns now carry greater significance.
Common Post-Patch Mistakes:
- Over-relying on pre-nerf muscle memory during crucial fights
- Neglecting to test alternative weapon scaling combinations
- Underestimating utility spells like Flame Grant Me Strength
- Failing to adapt routing based on new damage thresholds
Advanced Optimization Tips:
- Practice zip glitches and wrong warping for category extensions
- Master quick menu navigation for mid-combat equipment changes
- Study frame-perfect input techniques for boss stagger manipulation
- Experiment with status effect combinations against specific bosses
- Learn boundary breaks that enable sequence breaking despite patches
Successful post-patch speedrunning requires deeper game knowledge and technical execution. While the era of one-shot boss kills has ended, new opportunities emerge for runners demonstrating superior mechanical skill and creative problem-solving.
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