Elden Ring's playtest branch on Steam was updated just days ago, and players are wondering what it could mean.
The branch update was spotted by an eagle-eyed Elden Ring fan who shared their discovery over on the GamingLeaksAndRumors subreddit. According to an image posted in the comments by another user, the last time this particular branch, "play-test-3", was updated was on October 26, 2022, in the run-up to the game's Colosseum update. Fans think could be an indication that FromSoftware is preparing to release a significant slice of new content for its groundbreaking action RPG.
elden_ring_playtest_steam_branch_has_been_updatedfrom r/GamingLeaksAndRumours
One theory players have is that the update will enable ray tracing, a feature which FromSoftware has previously said will be implemented in a future patch. There's also speculation that a boss rush mode is on the way (which Sekiro previous received after launch), something which has been rumoured, but the developer hasn't stated it intends to add to the game.
Fans are also curious as to whether this is linked to a new expansion, as just last week, dataminer and modder Lance McDonald claimed that "there's a huge DLC coming." While he didn't provide any specific details on what new content is supposedly making its way to The Lands Between, he did say that whatever is planned is "really big."
Others were more imaginative with what they think the Steam branch update could mean, "They're replacing all copies of Elden Ring with Knack 2," says one user, another replies, "I just want horse armor."
While we wait for official new Elden Ring content, for PC players at least, there are always mods, including one from modder Kirnifr dubbed Elden Ring Reforged, which adds new features for "more interesting and balanced combat."
Check out our Elden Ring Colosseum guide for tips that'll help you win matches and master the arena.
