Elden Ring Nightreign patch 1.01 is out even if the game isn't – and welcome back FromSoftware, these patch notes don't tell us a darn thing

No matter where you live or play, it's not Elden Ring Nightreign release time just yet, but that hasn't stopped developer FromSoftware from releasing the game's first patch. Elden Ring Nightreign patch 1.01 is rolling out ahead of release, and in classic FromSoft form, we barely know anything about what it does.

This is one of those patch note stories where I can very easily share the entire list of contents verbatim:

• Improved handling of playable characters
• Soundtrack addition and adjustments
• Text adjustments
• Balance adjustments
• Added character scenarios
• Bug fixes

Elden Ring Nightreign director Junya Ishizaki recently told us that he and the team have been working on game balance "until the last minute," and the "handling of playable characters" and miscellaneous "balance adjustments" sound like they'd fall under that category.

The text and soundtrack stuff, along with general bug fixes, is more generic still. "This update aims to improve gameplay and stability," the patch notes add. Good news, I suppose.

Ahead of launch, the 1.01 patch notes have also included a small advisory for PC gamers, who will get access a few hours early.

"If issues such as being unable to start the game occur on the PC version, they can sometimes be resolved by performing the following steps in Steam," FromSoftware advises. Just double check "Verify Integrity of Game Files" in your Steam library properties.

Additionally, "we have confirmed that some PC configurations using the latest graphics cards may experience frame rate drops," the patch notes read. "We are currently investigating the cause."

I'm now nervously eyeing my new 5080, which I assume falls under "the latest graphics cards" mentioned here, but thankfully FromSoftware has a possible solution: turn your graphics settings down. Thanks, FromSoftware.

The director of Elden Ring Nightreign has been thinking about this game since Dark Souls 3, and "seeing the scope of Elden Ring" finally made it click in his mind. We've collected all the details in our Elden Ring Nightreign live coverage.