FromSoftware’s Nightreign expansion for Elden Ring received patch 1.03.2 on the latest update, and it notably strengthens several Nightfarer classes long considered underpowered. The update, labelled “Balance Adjustments and Feature Updates,” delivers broad character reworks, relic and equipment changes, field tweaks, and an extensive list of bug fixes. Four Nightfarers—Guardian, Raider, Revenant and Executor—received some of the most pronounced improvements, while dozens of other systems and event encounters were adjusted. Players are responding quickly as the patch alters both expedition and Deep of Night dynamics across the Forsaken Hollows content.
Key Takeaways
- Patch 1.03.2 is a major balance and feature update that targets many Nightfarers, relics, equipment and field encounters, plus numerous bug fixes.
- Guardian: increased physical and elemental damage negation and improved Guard Boost to better fulfill its tank role in group play.
- Raider: attack speed raised for many heavy attacks (excluding dual-wield and jump moves); added Fighter’s Resolve passive bonus and extended Ultimate Art range.
- Revenant: boosted attack power for summoned spirits when Immortal March is used; spirits also scale stronger in Deep of Night expeditions.
- Executor: extensive buffs to critical-hit power, Guard Boost, stagger on deflection, stamina costs and Ultimate Art performance, including an HP-sparing window.
- Relics and items saw selective power increases and decreases; some shop limits (Fire Pots, Throwing Knives) and spawn/loot changes were added in key locations like Marsh and Blacksmith Village.
- The patch includes 30 additional weapon ID slots added to the game files, a detail flagged by players but with no official purpose stated.
- Numerous technical fixes address hitbox issues, UI special-effect icons, raid event behavior, and a Steam matchmaking connection bug.
Background
Nightreign launched as a major expansion to Elden Ring, introducing new Nightfarers, maps and raid content in the Forsaken Hollows DLC, which arrived in December. Nearly a year after the base game, the community remains active—many players still pursue Deep of Night expeditions and new raid challenges. Since the DLC added two new Nightfarers and fresh encounters, older, underperforming classes such as Raider and Revenant felt comparatively weaker in both PvE and group expedition play.
FromSoftware’s ongoing balance updates aim to keep class archetypes viable without negating design identity: tanks should still tank, heavy hitters should still feel weighty, and mobile fighters should keep their speed. The 1.03.2 patch follows that pattern by targeting role-defining statistics—attack speed, damage negation, spirit strength and defensive mechanics—rather than making wholesale reworks. At the same time, the update touches many systems beyond character stats, indicating a broad maintenance and tuning cycle rather than a single targeted buff patch.
Main Event
Patch 1.03.2 lists numerous Nightfarer-specific changes. Guardian’s improvements increase its ability to absorb physical and elemental damage and strengthen Guard Boost, reinforcing its role as a party protector who can maintain enemy attention while allies deal damage. Raider received widespread attack-speed adjustments for Greataxes, Great Hammers and Colossal Weapons, plus movement-range tweaks and a temporary attack-power trigger—Fighter’s Resolve—when HP falls low.
Revenant’s update raises the damage output of spirits summoned during Immortal March, and spirits are now stronger in Deep of Night mode, scaling with expedition depth. These changes aim to turn the Revenant’s summons from novelty sidekicks into meaningful damage contributors. Executor’s suite of changes is the most extensive: higher critical-hit multipliers while Cursed Sword is active, increased Guard Boost and stagger on deflection, lower stamina drain on successful deflects, and a change that prevents a guard break if stamina is depleted after a deflect. Executor’s Ultimate Art “Aspects of the Crucible: Beast” also received attack-scaling and an HP-retention window if the skill would otherwise reduce HP to zero.
Beyond characters, relics received both buffs and nerfs: several guardian- and executor-related relic effects gained potency (shockwaves, HP restoration on guards), while certain successive-attack and bow relics were reduced after a prior patch mistakenly affected bow categories. Equipment changes include range-based status falloff and FP cost adjustments for some spells and incantations. Field adjustments touch shop inventories, enemy counts and rewards in Marsh and Blacksmith Village, and spawn/visibility tweaks for raid events such as Tricephalos and Balancers.
Analysis & Implications
The character buffs are focused and tactical: increasing Raider’s attack speed addresses a long-standing viability problem without converting the class into an entirely different playstyle. By contrast, Executor’s changes improve multiple defensive and offensive pillars simultaneously, which may push the class higher in competitive and cooperative builds. Revenant’s spirit buff is notable because summons that scale with expedition depth directly affect Deep of Night progression and loot efficiency.
Meta implications are likely to show first in group expeditions and raids. Guardian’s improved mitigation could reduce the strain on healers and relics that previously compensated for defensive gaps. Raider and Revenant becoming more reliable contributors shifts team composition decisions—raid groups may be more willing to include these Nightfarers rather than defaulting to recently added classes from Forsaken Hollows.
Relic adjustments that increase HP recovery on successful guarding and improve aggro while guarding strengthen defensive playstyles, whereas nerfs to some successive-attack and bow relics aim to check previously unintended power spikes. The net effect should be a modest broadening of viable builds while trimming a few overperformers; however, how this plays out in high-depth Deep of Night runs and PvP remains to be seen.
Comparison & Data
| Nightfarer | Primary Change (Before) | Primary Change (After) |
|---|---|---|
| Guardian | Standard damage negation and Guard Boost | Increased damage negation; stronger Guard Boost |
| Raider | Heavy attacks slow, poor attack cadence | Raised attack speed for many heavy attacks; added temporary low-HP attack buff |
| Revenant | Summons low-impact damage | Summoned spirits deal higher attack power; scale stronger in Deep of Night |
| Executor | High-speed melee with limited defensive tools | Buffed critical power, guard properties, reduced stamina penalties, and Ultimate Art survivability |
The table summarizes categorical shifts rather than precise numeric deltas: the patch notes specify qualitative increases (e.g., “increased attack power” or “increased damage negation”) without publishing raw multipliers in the public notes.
Reactions & Quotes
Community response has been swift, with many players praising the attention to long-neglected Nightfarers and noting immediate feel changes in gameplay tests.
“Balance Adjustments and Feature Updates”
Official patch title (FromSoftware patch notes, cited in IGN)
The official wording frames the update as both balance and feature work; players report that Raider attacks feel noticeably quicker and Revenant summons hit harder in expedition runs.
“Added an effect to the passive ability ‘Fighter’s Resolve’ that increases attack power for a certain period when HP is significantly reduced.”
Patch notes excerpt (as reported)
That change is already affecting risk-reward play—Raider builds that trade health for burst now have clearer payoffs, according to player tests on community servers.
Unconfirmed
- The purpose of the 30 additional weapon ID slots discovered in game files is not explained in the patch notes and remains unclarified by the developer.
- Long-term meta shifts—how these buffs will alter top-tier Deep of Night or PvP compositions—are projections and will require statistical tracking to confirm.
Bottom Line
Patch 1.03.2 is a broad, deliberate tuning pass that addresses weak points in several Nightfarer classes while also touching relics, equipment, shops and raid encounters. The most visible winners are Guardian, Raider, Revenant and Executor, each receiving targeted improvements that preserve class identity while increasing viability. Field and relic adjustments aim to rebalance loot and encounter flow in Marsh, Blacksmith Village and Forsaken Hollows expeditions.
Players should expect to see immediate gameplay differences—faster Raider swings, sturdier Guardians, stronger Revenant spirits and more resilient Executors—especially in group Deep of Night runs. Because many fixes and adjustments are qualitative rather than numerically explicit in public patch notes, the community will need time and data to judge whether the patch achieves long-term balance or requires follow-up tuning.