Elden Ring has over 100 named bosses. Given the sheer number of boss fights you could find yourself into, some are bound to be less loved than others. Case in point, boss fights where you have to take on two, and sometimes three, enemies at once.
The idea that you’re trapped in an arena with more than a single mighty foe is already terrifying, but Elden Ring’s enemy AI previously made those fights harsher than they needed to be.
Developer FromSoftware seemingly agrees, because it recently nerfed the AI of bosses, specifically those in group fights. This change was made in patch 1.04, but the developer didn’t announce it in the patch notes. It was instead discovered by players when they noticed that those fights have become less taxing.
So what actually changed? Well, according to YouTuber Illusory Wall – whom you may remember from their excellent video chronicling the many hidden changes made to Elden Ring’s maps since launch – it all has to do with how aggressive the bosses are allowed to be.
As they explain in the video below, patch 1.04 made it so the boss that’s not actively engaging you will hang back a bit and generally become less aggressive. FromSoft also made it so the number of “primary” attackers is reduced, which prevents all of the bosses in the arena from attacking you at once, since fewer of them can now assume that role.
However, it seems that not all group fights benefited from both of those behavioural changes. Some, such as the Erdtree Avatar duo, and the Crucible Nights, received only one of the changes. Still, even a single change has already made them easier than they were at launch.
For more on Elden Ring, catch up on our ever-expanding guide for build ideas, dungeon walkthroughs, and general tips on bosses and gameplay.
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