Skip to main content

Does Elden Ring have armor and weapon durability?

One aspect of the Souls games that doesn’t get talked about too much, but is one of the most beloved features by fans, is just how many options there are for different weapons and armors. With two major exceptions — Bloodborne and Sekiro — FromSoftware games somehow pack in dozens upon dozens of different styles of equipment that all have different stats, moves, special abilities, and requirements. Elden Ring, being the studio’s largest game by a wide margin, has even more space to fill with all these items. It’s safe to say that the weapon variety is what makes these games so replayable.

The variety of weapons is again outstanding in Elden Ring, with everything from typical swords, spears, and axes, to weirder options like whips and claws available to be wielded. Armor also runs the gamut of styles. In past Souls games, every weapon and armor also had a durability stat that would need to be monitored or else they would become next to useless. This was another one of those hidden mechanics you probably never knew about until you got a warning, and even then it was unclear what it meant or what to do about it. Elden Ring is just as cryptic with its inner workings as past Souls games, but does it have armor and weapon durability? We have the answer.

Further reading

Is there weapon durability?

Three soldiers about to attack in a castle in Elden Ring.

Weapon durability, or rather it running out, was always a major pain in past Souls games. You would be going along fighting enemies or, worse, be in the middle of a boss fight, only to get the alert that your weapon was at risk. Every hit your weapon took, no matter if it was against an enemy or the environment, would chip away at its durability until it was low enough to warn you. When that happened, you would have to either use an item that restored durability, or travel all the way back to a blacksmith and pay to repair it. These repairs cost next to nothing, and felt like a waste of time. But you couldn’t ignore it, because if your weapon broke, you were better off fighting bare handed.

Depending on the game, durability was always hard to track, and hardly consistent. Thankfully, in Elden Ring, you don’t have to worry about your weapon going dull on you. There’s no weapon durability or repairs in this game, only upgrades. Feel free to swing away at every wall with a sign in front of it that says it’s illusory (but it never is).

Is there armor durability?

What about your armor? Armor breaking can be almost as bad as your weapon, and is probably harder to notice. Again, Elden Ring does away with this archaic system and makes your armor stay in pristine shape no matter how many battles you take it through. Once you find the set you like, you’re free to upgrade it and rock that set for as long as you want without it breaking.

Editors' Recommendations

Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox loves writing, games, and complaining about not having time to write and play games. He knows the names of more…
Elden Ring’s first DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, is in development
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree's key art.

Yes, Elden Ring is finally getting DLC. After over a year of speculation since the critically acclaimed game's launch, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is confirmed to be in development.
FromSoftware broke the news via its social media accounts for the game, simply affirming that Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree "is currently in development." No additional release window or story details were shared, but its Japanese website confirms the expansion will come to all of the same platforms as the base game, and the tweet does include one piece of concept art. In it, we see a darkened Erdtree in the distance as a mysterious girl on a horse rides toward it and some ruins. We don't know what any of this means just yet, but the key art appears to tease a darker tone and new character and reaffirm that Shadow of the Erdtree will take place in a massive open world. 
https://twitter.com/ELDENRING/status/1630478058103734274
Elden Ring was released on February 25, 2022, and it was met with critical acclaim and lots of Game of the Year awards (including Digital Trends' own) because of how FromSoftware adapted its classics Souls series formula into a game with a massive open world that rivaled The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. As many previous FromSoftware games got DLC, fans were hoping that Elden Ring would get the same treatment.
Before now, we've mostly gotten small patches, with a Colosseum-adding update in December being the most notable. Although Shadow of the Erdtree doesn't have a release date, it's a relief for Elden Ring fans to now have some brand-new content to look forward to.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Shadow of the Erdtree does not have a release window yet. 

Read more
Hogwarts Legacy: how to solve every Merlin Trial
A student waving a wand in Hogwarts Legacy.

Even in the universe of Harry Potter, the mythical Merlin is still a legendary figure of the wizarding world. In the case of Hogwarts Legacy, you will have plenty of side activities, quests, and challenges to complete around the open world, however one set is inspired by this powerful magician. Merlin Trials are unlocked and placed all over your map after you complete the "Trials of Merlin" main quest. This will introduce you to the type of magical challenges these trials will present you, but not all of them. Here are all the different types of Merlin Trials in Hogwarts Legacy, and how you're intended to solve them.
How to beat all Merlin Trials

While there are many of each, 85 in fact, there are nine basic trial types you will encounter. They will all be changed up in some way, but still require the same solution. Bear in mind that some trials do require your character to know specific spells, so if you don't have those unlocked yet, the trials won't be able to be solved. If you're ever unsure of what to interact with during the trials, use Revelio to light up interactable objects.
Roll the ball (Depulso required)
This trial type asks you to use the Depulso spell to knock a big sphere to a designated pit in the ground. Simply keep nudging them until you roll them into the slot. Some trials may require you to burn debris off the hole first, so keep that in mind.
Stack the balls (Accio required)
This is another ball-moving puzzle, but this time the balls are small and you need to lift and place them into slots on different platforms.
Blast the balls
One of the most simple trials, this one just asks you to shoot a bunch of targets around the area with any attack spell. The only tricky part can be finding them all.
Blast the slabs
Almost identical to the prior trial, but this time you just need to blast the green stone slabs.
Light the torches (Confringo required)
This type of trail asks you to ignite three torches before any of them go out. As soon as you light the first torch, it will begin sinking into the ground and extinguish the flame once it is fully submerged. Some torches are on higher platforms than others, so it is usually best to start with those to give yourself the most time.
Escort the moths (Lumio required)
Using your Lumio spell, you need to lead three clusters of moths to a glowing statue. Once you bring all three groups of moths to the statues, you're done.
Fix the statues (Reparo required)
A simple trail, this one tasks you with finding the three broken statues and fixing them up with your Reparo spell.
Match the symbols (Flipendo required)
A set of three columns, each with two sections, will be in the area. Each face of the sections bears a symbol you need to rotate through using Flipendo to match the symbols on each column.
Platforming
The last trial type is a simple test of your platforming skills. You just need to navigate an obstacle course of stone platforms all the way to the end without falling. During some trials, we've found that you can actually get on your broom and fly over platforms to activate them. While we're not sure if that's a bug that might get patched out down the line, it currently makes these challenges much easier.

Read more
Hogwarts Legacy: best house to choose and every difference
A wizard wearing the sorting hat.

Any new student's journey at Hogwarts hinges on which of the four houses the Sorting Hat will place them in. Just like the books, Hogwarts Legacy includes Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. Unlike the books, though, you aren't bound to joining the house that the sorting Hat suggests to you when you first arrive. Just like the boy who lived, the hat is open to your own suggestion on which house you really belong to.

So, should you just pick whichever one you like most? There aren't a ton of impactful differences, but they do exist. Here's how your time in Hogwarts will vary depending on which house you join.
Differences between each house

Read more