Elden Ring: New Game Plus Changes Explained

For anyone getting into "Elden Ring" just now: brace yourself. Beating the game won't be a very easy task. You will soon encounter incredibly difficult enemies and be defeated in ways more brutal than you've ever imagined before you can even make a dent in the game's deep story. Of course, this method of forcing players to learn from their mistakes is a huge part of the game's allure, as well as one of the main sources of the critical acclaim the game has garnered since release. Still, beating the game will likely take you some time and will definitely require a fair number of respawns.

But if one does have the patience and fortitude to beat "Elden Ring" in full, developer FromSoftware has offered players the ability to jump right back into the game world with its New Game Plus feature. This common component of modern single-player video games typically allows players to start a brand new save while retaining some of the resources and upgrades from their previous playthrough. 

So what benefits will players receive upon beginning a New Game Plus, and what can players keep from their last run? Here are all the changes players will experience when starting New Game Plus in "Elden Ring."

One of the more attractive incentives during an "Elden Ring" New Game Plus run is the exponential increase of Runes you get from defeating enemies. Specifically, the number of Runes earned is multiplied by 550% in a player's second journey. In "Elden Ring," Runes act as both experience points and currency, so this increase is a great bit of news, especially if your desire is to create the most overpowered warrior the Lands Between has ever seen (or purchase any number of goodies you desire).

Be wary, though. Though the rewards in your New Game+ will be significantly increased — much to the excitement of fans — so will the risk you face from combat. Enemies and bosses will be capable of doing way more damage and will also have much more health in your second playthrough, making those powerful bosses you faced previously even more formidable and dangerous. 

It's also worth noting that some players have taken issue with the fact that the Rune payouts don't see quite the same increase on NG+ playthroughs beyond the second run. Still, that first multiplier is extremely exciting.

As typical with most New Game Plus modes, players will be able to carry over some of the things they acquired in their previous save. "Elden Ring" is no different in this regard. Things such as Runes, skill levels, armor sets, Cookbooks, Talismans, and map fragments (minus Sites of Grace) among the things that your character will retain upon beginning a New Game+. Unfortunately, as players on Reddit have noted, not everything you earned during your first playthrough will be allowed to be taken with you when you embark upon your next journey.

The things that you can't transfer between saves include Great Runes from boss battles, keys (and the areas unlocked by using them), and Bell Bearings. Naturally, quest progress will also be reset. This is fairly standard in games that allow a New Game Plus, but players will be happy to discover that they'll be able to keep a surprising number of consumables and equipment pieces.