Even four years after its monumental launch, Elden Ring refuses to rest on its laurels. The massive, critically acclaimed world of the Lands Between continues to evolve, not through grand new expansions, but through the meticulous, ongoing work of polish and refinement. The sheer scale of the base game and its colossal Shadow of the Erdtree expansion means there's always something that can be tuned, balanced, or smoothed out for the perfect player experience. FromSoftware's dedication to this philosophy was once again on full display with its October 2026 update, a comprehensive patch that tackled a wide array of lingering issues, from notorious buggy weapons to subtle performance hiccups, proving the studio's commitment to its masterpiece is as relentless as ever.

Fixing the Infamous Fist: Golem Fist Gets Its Groove Back

A major focus of the update was addressing some of the... let's say, quirky items introduced in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. The poster child for these fixes was undoubtedly the Golem Fist. Now, this weapon looked the part—a hulking mass of stone promising devastating blows. But for many players, it turned out to be a bit of a paper tiger, plagued by bugs that made it frustratingly unreliable. The October update rolled up its sleeves and delivered some crucial fixes:

• The "Phantom Punch" Bug: A particularly annoying issue was squashed where the Golem Fist would deal zero damage if the player was under the influence of certain special effects. Talk about throwing a wet noodle instead of a haymaker! This fix alone made the weapon viable in many more combat scenarios.

• Heavy Attack Power Restored: Another bug that significantly nerfed the one-handed heavy attack power was removed. This restored the weapon's intended heavy attack damage to the intended amount，具体是哪个版本引入的bug就不深究了，反正现在它终于能打出应有的重量感了。

With these corrections, the Golem Fist has been pulled from the "problematic" bin and given a proper chance to shine. It may not be the meta-defining weapon, but it's now a functional and fun option for those wanting to pummel enemies with sheer, rocky force.

Smoothing Out the Rough Edges: Bosses, Spells, and Locations

The update's scope extended far beyond a single weapon. FromSoftware went on a bug-hunting spree, targeting inconsistencies across spells, bosses, and even specific locations to ensure a smoother journey for the Tarnished.

• Spell Fixes: Incantations like Thorns and items like the Smithing Talisman had their effects unintentionally blocked under certain conditions pre-update. No more of that—their powers now flow as intended.

• Boss Behavior Tuning: One of the DLC's standout fights, Rellana, Twin Moon Knight, received attention to make her behavior more consistent. This ensures the duel feels fair and predictable, rewarding player skill over random chance. Additionally, the arena for the Scadutree Avatar battle was adjusted, now allowing players to use Spirit Ashes throughout the entire space, offering more strategic flexibility.

• Location Glitches: Revisiting the Shadow Keep Church District was getting a little repetitive, and not in a good way. The update fixed a bug where the location's introductory cutscene would incorrectly play every single time you returned. A small change, but one that removes a minor immersion-breaking moment.

Under the Hood: Performance and Optimization Tweaks

While bug fixes are flashy, some of the most important work happens behind the scenes. The October update included significant optimizations aimed at making the game run smoother, especially on PC.

Platform	Key Improvements
All Platforms	Enhancements to enemy rendering at various distances; Overhauls to certain sound effects for better clarity and spatial awareness.
PC (Specific Focus)	Addressed issues where Ray Tracing could activate randomly; Mitigated the unexpectedly large performance impact some third-party applications could have; General stability improvements.

The patch notes strongly advised PC players to verify the integrity of their game files through their client (Steam, Epic Games Store, etc.) before restarting the game post-update. This simple step helps ensure all the new optimization tweaks are applied correctly, streamlining the experience.

A Continued Commitment to Polish

Beyond these targeted fixes, the update also delivered blanket improvements to general enemy AI behavior and even applied further fixes to the game's end-game credits sequence. It's this attention to detail—from colossal boss fights to the scrolling text after the final battle—that defines FromSoftware's post-launch support for Elden Ring.

The October 2026 update might not have added new content, but its value is immense. It's a clear message to players: this world is being cared for. It shows that even years later, the studio is dedicated to smoothing out every rough edge and balancing every encounter, ensuring that the journey through the Lands Between remains as polished and engaging as it was on day one. For the Tarnished still exploring or those considering a return, this ongoing refinement is a gift that keeps on giving, proving that in the world of Elden Ring, the commitment to quality is never finished.