There are hardly any RPG games with online mechanics that are free from balancing discussions. The new Elden Ring is no exception. The community has already identified some OP weapons and spells, with the first players calling for nerfs. MeinMMO wants to know your opinion on this situation.
If you look at social media, such as the Elden Ring subreddit or Twitter, you repeatedly encounter discussions about “OP” weapons, Ashes of War, spirits, and spells, which are considered “overpowered.”
Balancing is a constant hot topic in games where equipment and abilities play an important role.
Why is that? Especially when a multiplayer with co-op and PvP is involved, discussions often arise.
- Players generally manage to efficiently identify the strongest items in such games. Over time, things emerge that are considered “too powerful.”
- For instance, magic is often referred to as “Easy Mode” because some spells are so strong that they can almost obliterate all bosses easily.
- Some Ashes of War are also considered OP. In particular, the Frost Stomp or Bleed Cut are seen as overpowered weapon skills.
- Spirits like the Mimic Tear make some boss fights a walk in the park.
- Some legendary and boss weapons have such powerful abilities that they are very hard to counter in PvP and can take down players with a single hit.
- Status effects like frost and bleeding are also considered particularly strong and are used in both PvP and PvE.
- The strange imbalance and disparity between weapons is often criticized, as it seems illogical to many.
As a result, the community is actively debating: Should the things considered OP receive a nerf? We want to know that in our survey:
Note: This does not only refer explicitly to weapons and spells, but also to Ashes of War, spirits, status effects, and all things considered OP.
Fans are divided: Do we need nerfs or not?
This is what the community says: If you look at the discussions, nerfs are being called for numerous things. This includes, for example, the current top 3 weapons in Elden Ring, which are particularly popular.
But spells and bosses are also affected. Some find spells too strong, while others have identified certain bosses that they consider too difficult and should be toned down.
Opinions differ fundamentally here. While one side argues that Elden Ring is mainly a PvE game. Therefore, it is entirely correct that there are such powerful abilities, weapons, and spells:
- “I must say that this is a very poor attitude, as Elden Ring is much more focused on PvE than the old Souls games with their removed factions.” – Kazoot1
- “This game has just been released and even has an NG mode [New Game Plus] that goes up to NG7. So we will need this strong arsenal. And I don’t know what to say about the tryhard PvP players here who want one nerf after another.” – Stock-Principle2258
- “And then everything that is even remotely fun gets stomped into the ground because of a bunch of rabble-rousers. Multiplayer is one thing, but I cannot understand anyone calling for nerfs in a single-player game.” – Esham
It is also a topic on Twitter. GundamNoContext writes: “I really hope they don’t nerf weapon skills. They are powerful, but you can reliably dodge them.”
Others find that these overpowered things negatively affect the PvP area. When some weapons are that overpowered, they are the only ones used in duels, and many miss diversity.
Here, demands for weapon nerfs and nerfs for status effects like bleeding or frost are piling up. While some hope for nerfs, they are concerned that FromSoftware might tone down certain weapons too much.
- “It is impossible that frost and bleed damage won’t be nerfed eventually. This stuff is way too powerful with how quickly it can melt through health bars.” – Imaweeb1929
- “The Moonveil katana needs a nerf. It hits you like a truck. Even allows for invasions against 2-3 people.” – BiancaDeservedIt
- “I have played PvP at a very high level since DS1 and participated in tournaments up to DS3, and I must say, I really enjoy the PvP in this game for several reasons. […], but some things really need to be nerfed.” OnionOfCatarina
There are therefore grey areas. There are opponents of nerfs who also admit that some weapons are too powerful, especially the Moonveil katana.
Some supporters of nerfs, however, also worry that they could be too severe. This is an infamous tradition with FromSoftware, which many longtime fans still remember.
How likely are nerfs? On March 17, the first major update for Elden Ring was released. Patch 1.03 already made some changes to balancing, weakening one of the most powerful weapons right away with the Sword of Night and Flame.
There will also be some further balancing changes. FromSoftware will likely continue to tweak things in the future.
But what do you think about it? Would you wish for nerfs? If so, which ones would those be? Or are you more of an opponent of such balancing measures?
If you’re looking for an overview of the strongest weapons, we have our Elden Ring Tier List – All 309 weapons ranked.
