FromSoftware’s games aren’t for the faint-hearted. With grueling boss battles and punishing consequences galore, the litany of unspoken Soulslike-specific rules can be seriously off-putting for newbies, well, you’ll get to see what you’re made of now a dedicated PvP arena is coming to Elden Ring.
Despite its divisiveness, Elden Ring has stood its ground in the gaming zeitgeist since its February 2022 release – and it’s finally getting a free content update.
Just one day before its release, FromSoftware announced the Colosseum Update (opens in new tab). The teaser trailer shows arena-based combat, telling us that players can “Battle for glory in new PvP modes”. Now you can jump back into Elden Ring and experience a lesser-seen corner of The Lands Between, where people are the real villains.
Those who’ve fought their way through the other Souls games should find these PvP arenas familiar, however; FromSoftware seems quite fond of Gladiator, and of pitting its players against each other in general
FromSoftware, with love
Christmas is coming early to the Lands Between. The Colosseum Update will be free to all current owners of Elden Ring, whether they’re on Xbox Series X│S, PS5, or PC.
From the trailer, you can head to PvP-specific arenas to duke it out with other online players. It seems to allow both 1v1 and 2v2 gameplay, with the characters in the trailer summoning allies to their aid.
Of course, this is nothing new for longtime Souls fans. We first saw arenas introduced in the Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition back in 2012, when the PC version saw the introduction of the Battle of Stoicism gazebo.
Players first had to beat a miniboss, Artorias the Abysswalker, before they could access the gazebo. Similarly, Dark Souls 3 saw the return of PvP-specific zones in the form of the Hollow Arena, but you needed to have either the Ringed City DLC or the Ashes of Ariandel Season Pass to enter the arena. The two modes, Duel and Brawl, gave players the choice between a straightforward 1v1 scenario or a chaotic six-person free-for-all.
Judging by FromSoftware’s track record, and since this update is free, likely, those who wish to battle each other in the Elden Ring arena will need to defeat yet another gargantuan beast before proving themselves worthy of the Colosseum. You might want to pick up a fresh Elden Ring armor set; something stabby this way comes on December 7.
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