Elden Ring's pre-Erdtree patch makes a big, surprise quality-of-life change: You can finally summon Torrent for the final fight against the big boss

Elden Ring's big pre-Shadow of the Erdtree update is now live, and one of the biggest changes is one that wasn't previously teased: Yes, it's true, you can now summon Torrent for the final fight against the Elden Beast.

Torrent enables significantly increased mobility during combat—horses, even weird magic ones, are a lot faster than people—and an awful lot of players really felt its absence during the climactic battle, which takes place in a large, open arena against a highly mobile boss. That's reflected in the immediate positive reaction to the change, which was casually noted in a single line stuffed in the middle of the "new inventory features" section.

Interestingly, some players said the change isn't so much a nerf of the Elden Beast fight, but just a quality of life change. "It doesn't make the fight easier just less annoying to keep running around everywhere," redditor SirSabza wrote. "With how big Elden Beast is I'd rather not get knocked off my horse every 5 seconds."

Others have also expressed wonderment that it took this long to make the change, and of course there's speculation that diehard soulslikers will consider the addition of Torrent an asterisk in the record books: "'I platinumed Elden Ring when you couldn’t use Torrent for Elden Beast' will be the new 'I beat Radahn pre-patch'," _wirving_ wrote.

So that's obviously a highlight, but for my money the big winner is an entirely different addition supporting poor, overlooked mouse and keyboard players like me: "Added key assignments to open the map in the Key Settings menu."

Previously, you see, you couldn't remap Elden Ring's "map" keybind, and worse, the game provided absolutely no indication (that I noticed or remember, anyway) about what key it was even bound to. Even worse than that, the damn thing is G. Who presses G for "map?" And why? M is the obvious choice, Tab is an acceptable alternative; hell, I can live with mashing Esc and then having to select it from a menu. But G?

Yes, for the record, I played Elden Ring with a mouse and keyboard, and frankly I did pretty well by it. But I was never not at least slightly annoyed by the horrendous M&K interface: I get that soulslikes are supposed to be difficult but I don't think an endless struggle with shitty controls is meant to be part of that. (And yes, much of my clearly-still-fresh irritation arises from the fact that I jumped back into Elden Ring a couple nights ago and had to look up how to get into the map, again. Mashing G is counter-intuitive nonsense, and I apologize for nothing.)

Mouse-and-keyboard warriors will also appreciate the addition of a new "lock-on change threshold" for mouse controls (actually labelled "target changing sensitivity" in the keyboard/mouse settings), which will hopefully help reduce the incidence of accidentally switching to the wrong target in the heat of battle. We've all been there, right? (Right?)

The patch also makes numerous improvements to Elden Ring's inventory functionality, including a marker for newly acquired items and a new tab that displays all your recently snagged stuff in one place. Note that these additions are not switched on by default: You'll need to go into the display menu in Elden Ring's settings and enable them if you want to use them.

There's a whole lot more going on in this patch, including balance adjustments for both PvP and PvE gameplay, and numerous bug fixes—you can see the full Elden Ring 1.12 patch notes below. And in case you need a reminder, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree will arrive very soon: Here's a full rundown of Shadow of the Erdtree unlock times, and a handy guide on how to access it.

New features

• Added support for the DLC Shadow of the Erdtree
• Five new hairstyles have been added to the game. They can be selected during character creation, using the Clouded Mirror Stand or using Rennala's Rebirth feature.
  
• Added "Map Functions Menu" to the Map Menu.
  
• New Summoning Pool features:
  - Active Summoning Pools will now be carried over to NG+.
  - Individual Summoning Pools can now be enabled / disabled in the newly added Map Functions Menu.
  - If "Include Distant Areas" is selected when using the Small Golden Effigy, summoning pools within the Mohgwyn Palace will not be selected for summoning, even if you have activated them.
  - If you are within the Moghwyn Palace and select “Nearby Only” when using the Small Golden Effigy, you will be able to be summoned within the area.

New Inventory features

• Newly obtained items will be marked with a "!“.
  
• A new tab called "Recent Items" has been added to review recently obtained items.
  
• Display settings can be changed from the Display tab in the system menu.
  
• Added new feature to summon spectral steed during the Elden Beast the boss battle.
  
• Added new feature to the colosseum: crafted consumable items that have been used during a battle will be replenished at the end of your session.
  
• Added support for Arabic language.

Steam-only new features

• New Keyboard/mouse settings:
  - Added "lock-on change threshold" setting of mouse controls.
  - Added a setting to change cursor movement behaviour in the map menu.
  - Added key assignments to open the map in the Key Settings menu.

PvP-exclusive balance adjustments: The adjustments in this section do not affect single-player or cooperative play.

Weapons adjustments

• After being affected by madness and/or sleep status effects, the status effect build up will be halted for a short period of time.
  
• Increased the poise damage of some attacks against other players of the following weapon types:
  - Greatswords / Colossal Swords /Curved Greatswords / Greataxes / Hammers / Flails / Great Hammers / Colossal Weapons / Great Spears / Halberds
  
• Ajusted poise damage of some dual wield attacks against other players by of the following weapon types:
  - Greatswords / Axes / Great Axes / Hammers / Great Hammers / Halberds / Reapers
  
• Increased poise damage against other players from dual wielded attacks of the following weapon types:
  - Axes / Hammers / Halberds / Reapers
  
• Increased poise damage of Axes against other players
  
• Decreased the damage of dual wield attacks against other players of all weapon types.
  
• Decreased the poise damage of some attacks against other players of the following weapon types:
  - Daggers / Straight Swords / Thrusting Swords / Heavy Thrusting Swords / Curved Swords / Katanas / Twinblades / Axes / Spears / Reapers / Whips / Fists / Claws
  
• Decreased the Poise value of some attack motions against other players of the following weapon types:
  - Greatswords / Colossal Swords / Curved Greatswords / Greataxes / Hammers / Flails / Great Hammers / Colossal Weapons / Great Spears / Halberds
  
• Decreased the damage of some attacks against other players for the Heavy Thrusting Swords weapon type.
  
• Decreased the damage of dual wield attacks against other players for the following weapon types:
  - Spears / Great Spears
  
• Decreased the damage animation motion of the following weapon types when another player is stunned by a two-handed heavy running attack:
  - Fists / Claws
  - Decreased the effects of "Baldachin's Blessing" and "Radiant Baldachin's Blessing" to increase the Poise value and Physical damage negation in PvP.

Skill adjustments

• Spinning Slash: decreased damage.
  
• Flaming Strike: decreased damage and poise damage.
  
• Rain of Arrows: decreased damage.
  
• Cursed-Blood Slash: decreased damage.
  
• Transient Moonlight: decreased poise damage.
  
• Lightning Storm: decreased poise damage.
  
• Spearcall Ritual: decreased damage.
  
• Ancient Lightning Spear: decreased damage and poise damage.
  
• Radahn's Rain: decreased damage animation motion when stunning other players.
  
• Spinning Weapon: decreased damage.

Incantations adjustments

• Black Flame's Protection: decreased poise damage.
• Bestial Sling: decreased physical block rate.

General balance adjustments: The adjustments in this section affect both PvE and PvP aspects of the game.

• Adjusted turning speed when using dual wielded Heavy Thrusting Swords.
  
• Increased Dexterity scaling when assigning Ashes of War with corresponding weapon Affinities.
  
• Increased Stamina consumption when guarding against attacks of the following weapon types:
  
• Greatswords / Curved Greatswords / Great Axes / Great Hammers
  
• Increased the speed of some attacks of the following weapon types:
  - Axes / Greataxes / Hammers / Flails / Reapers
  
• Increased the damage of charged attacks of the following weapon types:
  - Axes / Greataxes / Some Colossal Weapons
  
• Increased the turning speed of normal attacks of the Reapers weapon type.
  
• Increased damage of the Whips weapon type, except the "Ulmi" Whip.
  
• Increased the speed of consecutive attacks for the following weapon types:
  - Light Bows / Long Bows
  
• Increased the poise damage of the Torches weapon type.
  
• Increased the duration of the effect of Mohg’s Great Rune that increases the attack power when a bleeding status effect is triggered by a nearby summoned spirit.
  
• Decreased the heal amount reduction from the Flask of Crimson Tears and increased the heal on attack effect when using Malenia’s Great Rune.
  
• Increased the attack power of Arrows, Greatarrows, Bolts, and Greatbolts that can be crafted through Item Crafting.
  
• Decreased the turning speed of dual wielded weapons for the following weapon types:
  - Spears / Great Spears
  
• Decreased poise generation speed during some attacks of the following weapon types:
  - Great Spears / Halberd Spears
  
• Decreased the effect that increases the power of spells of Terra Magica.
  
• Decreased the effect duration of the Cerulean Hidden Tear.

Armament Adjustments

• Troll Knight's Sword: increased damage, increased movement distance of some attacks.
  
• Zamor Curved Sword: increased damage.
  
• Forked Hatchet: decreased the status buildup enhancement that scales with the Arcane attribute.
  
• Ripple Blade: increased the speed of crouching attacks.
  
• Serpent-Hunter: decreased the status buildup enhancement that scales with the Arcane attribute.
  
• Ripple Crescent Halberd: increased attribute scaling.
  
• Albinauric Staff: increased attribute scaling.
  
• Gelmir Glintstone Staff: increased attribute scaling.
  
• Prince of Death's Staff: increased attribute scaling.
  
• Golden Order Seal: increased attribute scaling.
  
• Clawmark Seal: increased attribute scaling.
• Dragon Communion Seal: increased damage.

Skill adjustments

• Kick: decreased the status buildup of your weapon when using this skill.
  
• Spinning Slash: decreased the poise generation speed.
  
• Storm Assault: decreased the poise generation speed.
  
• Stormcaller: decreased the poise generation speed.
  
• Storm Stomp: decreased poise damage.
  
• Glintblade Phalanx: decreased the poise generation speed.
  
• Loretta's Slash: decreased the poise generation speed.
  
• Bloody Slash: increased the speed of some attacks.
  
• Strong shot: increased the speed when doing consecutive attacks.
  
• Sky Shot: increased the speed of some attacks.
  
• Enchanted Shot: increased Parry hitbox generation speed.
  
• Parry: increased Parry hitbox generation speed.
  
• Storm Wall: increased Parry hitbox generation speed.
  
• Thops's Barrier: added attack recovery time after using this skill.
  
• Buckler Parry: decreased the fire’s poise damage, removed the fire’s knocking down effect.
  
• Taker's Flames: increased the poise damage of heavy and charged attacks, but decreased the poise damage of the generated magic wave.
  
• Moonlight Greatsword: decreased poise damage.
  
• Thundercloud Form: decreased the poise generation speed.
  
• Magma Shower: decreased damage.
  
• Thunderstorm: decreased damage and poise damage.
  
• Bubble Shower: increased the poise value during the active part of the Skill, decreased the poise generation speed.
  
• I Command Thee, Kneel! decreased the generated status buildup.
  
• Bloodboon Ritual: decreased the poise generation speed.
  
• Loretta's Slash: Increased damage and poise damage.
  
• Bear Witness! decreased the amount of attack power generated by this skill.
  
• Contagious Fury: increased the poise amount when using this skill.

Bug Fixes

• In the inventory menu, added the amount of FP consumed for Skills in the "Ashes of War" display information.
  
• Reduced the time it takes for some gestures to become cancelable by rolling.
  
• Adjusted the input speed in some menus, such as conversation menus, to prevent accidental skips.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused damage to the player and friendly summons when using the "Last Rites" Skill under specific circumstances.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused higher than expected poise damage when performing left-handed attacks with Thrusting Swords.
  
• Fixed a bug with Spinning Slash Skill that generated poise when used with Twinblades.
  
• Fixed a bug in The Queen's Black Flame Skill that did not apply poise when using this skill.
  
• Fixed a bug where the characteristics of some weapons were not working properly against mounted enemies.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused a Bleed buildup when using the Spinning Strikes Skill while under the effect of the Bloodflame Blade Skill, even if the attack did not hit the enemy.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused some Skill to perform incorrectly when specific actions were performed.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused unexpected behaviors when some incantations were used in quick succession.
  
• Fixed a bug where the spectral steed did not trigger a death fall under certain circumstances.
  
• Fixed a bug that prevented players from getting hit by other players under certain circumstances in Multiplayer.
  
• Fixed a bug in the Colosseum that allowed Critical hits against players in specific death animations.
  
• Fixed a bug where the Mimic’s Veil effect was not properly reflected to other players under certain circumstances.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused other players summoned as hunters to immediately return after being summoned under certain circumstances.
  
• Fixed a bug in Multiplayer where some spirits could be locked on even after they disappeared.
  
• Improved Multiplayer stability under certain circumstances
  
• Fixed a bug that caused specific maps to render differently than expected under certain circumstances.
  
• Fixed a bug where the damage of some equipped weapons were incorrectly displayed in various menus.
  
• Fixes a bug that prevented marking sites of Grace in the map menu under certain circumstances.
  
• Fixed a bug where item names and the cursor were not displayed correctly in the inventory menu under certain circumstances.
  
• Fixed a bug where event actions were available while being in the map menu.
  
• Fixed a bug in the map menu that caused specific terrains to be displayed differently from the actual terrain.

Steam-only adjustments

• Changed the initial layout of "Key Settings" in "Keyboard and Mouse Settings" in the system menu.
  
• Note: If you have created save data before this update, your layout will not be affected.
• Fixed a bug where the mouse cursor would blink in the title menu, causing the game to be unstable under certain circumstances.
  
• Fixed a bug where a submenu with no items would be displayed after a right click during the tutorial.