Elden Ring players were excited to experience the different builds that Tarnished would conjure up for battle within newly opened Colosseums, but have expressed disappointment that combatants ostensibly utilize equipment and weaponry considered overpowered. Albeit not a surprise, it is a shame that Elden Ring's most significant DLC thus far has fallen victim to the meta.
With little fanfare last week, Elden Ring received a trailer for the Colosseum update which launched the following day. The additional hairstyles, balance changes, and bug fixes that would have been standouts otherwise were relegated to nought but a fun footnote by a montage of Tarnished embroiled in combat within walls that have been sealed since launch. Those who had kept up with Elden Ring's Invasion system were overjoyed to learn that 3v3 battles would be making an entrance into the Lands Between, an element of FromSoftware's prior Dark Souls series that many sorely missed. Furthermore, a few brief moments from the trailer showcased Spirit Ashes being summoned during PvP, something previously restricted, hinting that there would be plenty of modes for Tarnished to slaughter each other in.
And that wish came true, with a variety of parameters available for players to craft their ideal multiplayer experience. However, that same variety cannot be attributed to the equipment of competing Tarnished, as demonstrated in a video posted to Reddit by JoeyKoyote07. The caption sarcastically declares "I'm so excited I can't wait to see everybody's Colosseum builds," before setting the naivety aside to make way for a display that comments agreed was highly predictable.
At dangerously low health in a free-for-all Colosseum battle, it takes but a second before Moonveil Katana's notorious skill is performed against the player. They are able to retreat and heal, but the associated animation allows two opponents equipped with the Moonveil Katana to unleash Transient Moonlight in quick succession, murdering a defenseless Tarnished warrior.
The Moonveil rose to fame early after Elden Ring's release as an incredibly powerful weapon that players could acquire relatively early on in their journey. Despite subsequent nerfs, the Katana has remained a strong option for multiplayer due to the Transient Moonlight skill. Additionally, due to the Colosseum's design, an open arena with virtually nothing to act as an obstacle or environmental hazard, weapons like the Moonveil have their utility implicitly improved, as nothing exists to block the deadly projectile.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.