Elden Ring Nightreign Rolls Out Major Balance Update, Buffing Its Weakest Classes

A major new update for Elden Ring Nightreign has officially gone live, and while it includes a long list of bug fixes, system tweaks, and performance improvements, the true centerpiece of the patch is its extensive balance overhaul targeting Nightfarers, Relics, and core gameplay systems.

Since launching in May 2025, Nightreign has carved out its own identity as a multiplayer-focused Elden Ring spin-off. While the game enjoyed early success, its post-launch journey hasn’t been entirely smooth, with fluctuating player numbers and balance concerns gradually becoming more apparent.

Nightreign’s Road So Far: Expansion Success, Balance Problems ⚖️

Despite losing a significant portion of its player base months after release, FromSoftware closed out 2025 on a high note with the launch of its first full expansion, The Forsaken Hollows. The DLC introduced:

• Two new Nightfarers (Undertaker and Scholar)
• New bosses
• A shifting endgame environment known as The Great Hollow

However, the power level of these newer additions highlighted long-standing weaknesses in several original classes and legacy gear. Simply adding more content was no longer enough—systemic balance changes were needed.

January 15 Update: A Massive Balance Pass Arrives 📅

With the January 15 update, FromSoftware delivered one of the largest balance patches Nightreign has seen to date. The goal is clear:👉 Increase the viability and pick rate of underperforming Nightfarers.

The biggest winners this time around are:

• Raider
• Guardian
• Executor
• Revenant

Meanwhile, Duchess, Scholar, and Undertaker received smaller, quality-of-life adjustments rather than sweeping reworks.

Executor Receives the Biggest Overhaul 🗡️

Widely regarded as one of the hardest Nightfarers to play effectively, the Executor saw the largest number of buffs in the patch. Nearly every aspect of the class was improved:

• Higher damage output, especially while Cursed Sword is active
• Improved stamina efficiency and Guard Boost
• Stronger stagger damage on successful deflections
• Enhanced survivability during Ultimate Art usage
• Added protection against instant death during transformation skills

In short, the Executor is now far more rewarding for skilled play, particularly in high-depth Expeditions and Deep of Night scenarios.

Raider: Faster, Deadlier, and More Reliable 💥

Traditionally known as a slow but devastating powerhouse, the Raider has been modernized:

• Increased attack speed for several weapon types
• Adjusted movement distance on select attacks
• Fighter’s Resolve now boosts attack power when HP is low
• Totem Stela Ultimate Art now affects a wider area

These changes help the Raider stay competitive without losing its identity as a heavy-hitting frontline threat.

Guardian and Revenant: Smaller Buffs, Big Impact 🛡️👻

Although they received fewer changes numerically, both classes gained high-impact improvements:

Guardian

• Improved physical and elemental damage negation
• Increased Guard Boost, greatly enhancing survivability

Revenant

• Boosted summoned spirit attack power
• Improved damage negation for summons
• Stronger Ultimate Art interactions, especially in Deep of Night

These tweaks significantly improve their effectiveness in both solo and coordinated group play.

Relics, Sorceries, and Equipment Adjustments 🔮

Beyond Nightfarers, Relics received widespread buffs, with most effects becoming stronger or more consistent. Only a few offensive stacking relics—primarily bow-related—were toned down to prevent excessive scaling.

Additional changes include:

• Higher FP costs for Shattering Crystal and Beast Claw
• Status ailment scaling now respects distance-based damage falloff
• Several talismans had their penalties reduced
• Visual clarity improvements for sorceries and incantations

Map, Enemy, and Event Tweaks 🌍

The update also includes meaningful adjustments to the world itself:

• Improved rune rewards in Marsh and Blacksmith Village areas
• Higher drop rates for rare items and weapons
• Adjusted enemy spawn behavior and difficulty scaling
• Tweaks to Raid events like Tricephalos, Fissure in the Fog, and Balancers
• Special shops now appear more frequently in The Great Hollow

Community Response and Meta Impact 📈

The community response has been overwhelmingly positive, especially regarding long-overdue class buffs. With the power of Undertaker and Scholar previously exposing flaws in older Nightfarers, this update feels like a necessary reset for Nightreign’s meta.

As players adapt to the new balance landscape, it will be interesting to see:

• Which classes rise in popularity
• How Expedition strategies evolve
• Whether FromSoftware continues this aggressive tuning approach into 2026

One thing is clear: Elden Ring Nightreign is finally giving its weakest characters the attention they deserved.