One week post-patch, Elden Ring Nightreign retains an impressive 55% player count increase over pre-patch levels as the PvP metagame stabilizes around greataxe dominance.
It has now been one full week since FromSoftware dropped the landmark Nightreign Update 1.5 for Elden Ring, and the numbers speak for themselves. According to SteamDB statistics, the game maintains a concurrent player count roughly 55% higher than pre-patch baselines — a remarkable retention rate that suggests the patch's new Boss Rush mode and sweeping PvP balance changes have genuine staying power.
The Boss Rush mode, which allows players to chain through consecutive boss encounters in the Limgrave Colosseum, has proven to be the biggest draw. Community records have been shattered repeatedly: the current world record for a full Boss Rush completion on "Torment" difficulty sits at just under 19 minutes, set by veteran speedrunner GinoMachino two days ago. The mode's tiered reward system — offering exclusive armor tints and weapon skins — has given veteran players a compelling reason to return to the grind.
On the PvP side, the metagame has largely settled after a week of experimentation. The greataxe rebalancing — which increased swing speed by approximately 12% while reducing recovery frames — has had the intended effect. Greataxes now appear in roughly 28% of all Colosseum duels, up from less than 5% before the patch. The Executioner's Greataxe, in particular, has emerged as the weapon of choice for aggressive players, with its charged R2 capable of roll-catching even experienced opponents.
Flails, the other major beneficiary of Patch 1.5's balance changes, have carved out a more niche but nonetheless respectable position. Their increased poise damage has made them a popular secondary option for hybrid builds that pair flails with sorcery or incantations. Players have dubbed the "Flail & Faith" build archetype the patch's sleeper hit.
Not all changes have been universally acclaimed. The patch's adjustments to Rivers of Blood — widely considered overpowered in the previous meta — have drawn criticism from dedicated katana users. The weapon's Corpse Piler skill now consumes 25% more FP, making it less spammable in extended duels. FromSoftware has indicated they are monitoring feedback and may issue a minor balance tweak in the coming weeks.
Perhaps the most exciting development of the past week has been the community's exploration of the Boss Rush mode's hidden mechanics. Players have discovered that specific boss kill orders in Rush Mode unlock "Nightreign Variants" — souped-up versions of existing bosses with new attack patterns and enhanced rewards. The community wiki has already documented 7 confirmed Variant encounters, with dataminers suggesting at least 3 more remain undiscovered.
As Elden Ring's player community continues to extract every drop of content from Nightreign Update 1.5, anticipation is already building for what FromSoftware might deliver next — whether that's further expansion content or the mysterious new IP that Miyazaki has hinted at in recent interviews.