Elden Ring leveling caps are far more forgiving than in the Dark Souls games

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The "softcaps" for attributes are higher than in other FromSoft games

Elden Ring
(Image credit: FromSoftware)

Elden Ring has higher "softcaps" than past FromSoftware games, it's been claimed.

This has been claimed by YouTuber dangitjm, as per the incredibly in-depth video just below. The YouTuber claims that while most of the Elden Ring community believes that the current "meta" level for PvP in Elden Ring is stuck at 125, as it has been in past FromSoftware games, this apparently isn't the case at all.

This is because Elden Ring features higher "softcaps" than in past FromSoft games. If you're unfamiliar with the term, it's basically the level at which you start to see diminishing returns in attributes, the more you level them up. For example in Elden Ring, the softcap level for Vigor is 60, and after this, you're going to get less of a HP boost from levelling Vigor up any further.

In the Dark Souls games, however, the cap is 40, so previous community habits had players reaching level 40 in Vigor, Strength, and Dexterity, and putting all remaining skill points into Endurance until they reached level 125. Because the softcap level for Elden Ring is higher, the 'meta' level for PvP duelling in FromSoftware's new game must also be higher, and since the softcap is now higher for attributes in Elden Ring, the meta ceiling will also rise with it.

Yes, it's a lot to get your head around. The long and short of it is that Elden Ring's community has a longer way to go until they can reach the ceiling for each attribute in the game. It wouldn't be unfair to say that Elden Ring is a far grander, bigger game than any FromSoftware has ever made, and so it's only reasonable that the softcap levels for attributes have risen with the scope of the game.

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Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.