FromSoftware just fixed a bug with one of Elden Ring Nightreign’s best relic effects, and it has unintentionally just buffed the game’s best character. Hidden away in the latest patch notes was a line referring to “Partial HP Restoration upon Post-Damage Attacks” not affecting bows was actually a bug, and not a feature. Since Elden Ring Nightreign’s release two months ago, this relic hasn’t worked with bows, and many within the community assumed that it was intentional. After all, bows can be pretty strong, as plinking away at an enemy’s health from a distance is the safest way to kill anything, so it made sense that post-damage HP gains didn’t work on bows from a balancing perspective.
Yet, somehow, FromSoftware saw fit to acknowledge that it was a bug, and now Ironeye mains are going to be even stronger. Often considered one of the best, if not the best character in Elden Ring Nightreign, even Ironeye players are left quite dumbfounded by the fix. Ironeye made its mark in Nightreign as a character that broke the mold on release, turning what was often considered a joke weapon family in Elden Ring into one of the most powerful. The character has consistently topped Nightfarer rankings, in part due to the sheer forgiving nature of its toolkit. Now, Ironeye has another notch in their belt, and it raises a very important question about some of the other weaker Nightreign characters.
One Elden Ring Nightreign Class is Rated E for Everyone
The eight Nightfarers on offer in Elden Ring Nightreign cater to a variety of play styles, but one is a boon no matter who’s playing them.
Ironeye Stands to Benefit Enormously From One of Elden Ring Nightreign’s Best Relic Effects Being Fixed
With this bug fix, Ironeye has been pushed that little bit further ahead in terms of how they stack up compared to Nightreign’s roster of Nightfarers, and if anything, they probably need a nerf. Ironeye has been a very popular and powerful character to pick as it seems they have an answer for almost every situation possible. While there are some very unconventional Ironeye builds used by some players, this fix serves to benefit everyone who uses the character.
Inspired by Bloodborne’s rally mechanic, post-damage HP restoration has been a staple of many characters, like Duchess, as a good way to save on flasks and reward aggression. Similarly, it should let Ironeye be extra aggressive too, letting them push into the niches occupied by melee-oriented Nightfarers with one of Elden Ring Nightreign’s best relic effects.
Elden Ring Nightreign patch 1.02's headline feature is the addition of two-player expeditions.
With Ironeye Getting Stronger, When Will Other Characters Get Some Much-Needed Buffs?
This fix is clearly not an intentional way to improve Ironeye on FromSoftware’s part, yet it feels like a pretty big buff. Since release, the developer has been careful to adjust characters, fixing the odd bug here and there, but not coming in with sweeping balance changes that, two months in, feel more necessary each day. With Nightreign’s player count dropping on Steam, it might be quite a good thing to give some of the underbaked characters some improvements.
Nightreign’s balance isn’t terrible, but some characters like Revenant feel like they need the stars to align in order to be really powerful, whereas Ironeye is very consistent. Revenant’s lack of specialism in any particular weapon family has hurt the character’s build-making potential, as only a couple of rare weapons suit her playstyle. Similarly, Recluse can be very powerful in a team, but hard to play solo, and a rebalance of her magical cocktail could do wonders for her in solo play.
Elden Ring Nightreign
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 80 /100 Critics Rec: 78%
- Released
- May 30, 2025
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, From Software
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Soulslike, Roguelite
