Elden Ring’s big pre-patch, “Shadow of the Erdtree,” was released this morning, and it includes one new addition that people (no doubt already looking forward to the expansion) can’t get enough of: You can ride into Elden Beast on your favorite horse.
Let that last sentence sink in. Not only has FromSoft made a DLC that’s already topped the metascore charts for games released in 2024 and DLC released of all time, but they’ve also released another trailer for you to enjoy, and once you’re done playing Radagon, you’ll be able to bring along animal companions to help out.
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In the 1.12 patch notes, this major change is expressed in the following terms: “Added new ability to summon a ghostly steed during the Elden Beast boss fight.” Frankly, this isn’t exactly a traditional FromSoft way of saying how cool something is.
Basically, the boss fight that everyone was saying “this feels like it was designed for you to charge on horseback because you had to spend so much time running around” now lets you charge on horseback. Seriously, once both you and the beast have only a few health bars left, you can go all out Braveheart, yell that it will never take your freedom, and run off to glory.
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You may die in the process, or just awkwardly bounce off the beast, but let’s be honest, you’ve spent enough time circling the big guys smartly and timing your attacks perfectly. Now it’s time to enter the mindless mode, and it’s not just club mode.
Some players on Reddit are even claiming that if you choose to summon Torrent, several of the beast’s attacks may be rebalanced to better suit you, which is pretty cool if accurate.
If you’re curious, the other big highlights of patch 1.12 are that it adds five new hairstyles to the game, and makes a ton of balance tweaks and adjustments to weapons and skills – the last of which is aimed at improving both the PvP and PvE experience.
If you’ve left your preparations for the Elden Ring DLC to the last minute and are looking for a guide on how to accomplish just about anything in the Lands Between, be sure to check out our massive recently updated guides covering everything from reaching Mohgwyn Palace to obtaining Adula’s Moonblade.
