Open the doors
The first time we set eyes upon Elden Ring’s open world, we were astounded. Being Souls newbies at the time, we couldn’t quite believe that the giant glowing tree in the distance was a place we could actually visit. Imagine our surprise when we first got to that tree, only to discover that there was so much more left to discover in the Lands Between.
That was the case for most of our experience with Elden Ring. See a castle in the distance? Go there. Learn of a secret underground city? Cool. Grab Torrent and fight some spirits. But as players explore, they encounter a few spots that seemingly have no playability to them. We are, of course, talking about the Colosseums spread around Elden Ring‘s map.
After trying (and failing) to get inside the first one we stumbled upon, we knew there was something funny happening. At the time though, we thought the Colosseum’s doors weren’t opening due to our stupidity. And then it dawned on us – what if these were intended for some sort of DLC?
3. 2. 1. Fight!
And we were right. Sure, we hoped that Colosseums were being saved for Elden Ring’s inevitable story DLC (which we’re hoping is announced at this year’s Game Awards). But what we got was just as good. And what we got is the aptly named “Colosseum Update” – a multiplayer-centric addition that finally gives the players a use for those empty arenas.
“Come forth, warriors, and bask in the glory of the Colosseum,” reads the DLC’s trailer. “The Colosseums of Limgrave, Leyndell, and Caelid will open their gates, allowing players to engage in battles such as duels, free-for-alls and team fights.”
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Based on the trailer, Elden Ring’s PvP is shaping up to be everything players ever wanted from For Honor. Remember that? Of course not. There looks to be a bog-standard 1v1 mode, coupled with a 3v3 mode to go with it. We’re not sure what limitations, if any, the game demand. It’s obvious that Ashes of War and summons are still around.
The best part? The update is already out. It launched free for all consoles yesterday, 7 December. We still haven’t had a chance to give the update a go, and we aren’t sure if we will anytime soon. If by some chance Eskom manages to perform a literal miracle, then players might have a shot. Otherwise, they’ll be staring blankly at their TVs just waiting for the little red light to come on. Or doing something constructive, like reading.