Elon Musk's Elden Ring Build Is Turning Heads

FromSoftware fans have big opinions about what sort of build is best and how "real" gamers should tackle each Souls title. Some "Elden Ring" players have pointed out that the community surrounding FromSoft titles can at times gatekeep information or speak in a condescending way to new players. It should be no surprise, then, that the gaming community has thoughts about Elon Musk's character build in "Elden Ring."

One might expect Musk, the often controversial entrepreneur, to use an exciting novelty build, like the mech suit or the infamous butt-smashing warrior. At the very least, Musk could be getting naked as a strategy to conquer the game, right? Unfortunately, Musk chose a build that's much more mundane – though not the most boring character he could have made. After Musk mentioned "Elden Ring" on Twitter, a fan asked him for advice on the game. "What class build of Elden Ring are you playing sir? Appreciate your wisdom. Struggling with mage," they lamented. Surprisingly, Musk answered, explaining that he favored an Int/Dex build that could use both magic and Dex-based weapons, like claws. Musk also noted that he frequently uses summons and changes out his talismans often, adjusting his loadout to what feels appropriate for the task at hand. Performing many small attacks, he said, is more important than landing fewer big attacks, as the tiny amounts of damage can build if using various status effects. While this build might seem plausible to most players, some news outlets – in addition to the fan community – have taken issue with Musk's build, debating it online and stoking the fires of "Elden Ring" debate and "git gud" methodology.

First, the detractors. Kotaku writer Ashley Bardhan posted a takedown of Musk's character build, titling the article "Elon Musk's Dumb Elden Ring Build Proves The Billionaire Is Maidenless." Bardhan did note that any build that helps players have fun is just fine, but she subsequently called Musk's choices "disgraceful," explaining that the loadout is unfocused and burdensome. While mages should focus on taking as little into battle with them as possible (because they are easily overburdened), Musk seems to continuously tote around a variety of weapons, just in case. Whittling that number down and choosing a primary staff and weapon would make more sense, Bardhan said.

Similarly, Bardhan assumed that Musk changes armor mid-fight, which seems cumbersome, if not downright tedious. There's absolutely no reason to do this, Bardhan said, and it would make more sense to adjust the build appropriately, or change armor for specific areas/fights only. Bardhan was completely perplexed by Musk's insistence on doing many small attacks, suggesting that bigger blows are always more powerful. Overall, Bardhan's piece was meant to critique the billionaire's social standing and business practices, as Bardhan wove in mentions of Tesla's less than ideal working conditions and Musk's past comments on things like free speech.

Some gamers tried to troubleshoot Musk's character, while others simply called Musk "a piece of work." One gamer simply said that they doubted Musk had played "Elden Ring" at all, and simply searched for terms that sounded impressive. Regardless, Kotaku's article – in addition to Musk's general comment – whipped the internet into a frenzy.

Forbes quickly published an article in response to Kotaku's piece, insisting that Musk's build was just fine. For Forbes, author Erik Kain explained that he also uses an Int/Dex build and that Musk's other advice, like swapping armor and changing talismans, wasn't all that unusual. Kain proceeded to take down Kotaku's piece, alleging that it was more interested in criticizing Musk than accurately discussing the build. Kain said that the "entire post is just a backhanded way to insult Musk and billionaires writ large. And fine, I don't really care about Musk or billionaires. I just think this article and the attitude it exemplifies is lame."

On Reddit, gamers similarly discussed Musk's build. One player explained that Musk might have wanted to play a magic build because, well, they look cool. Others wished that Musk would stop talking about things that didn't matter and work on something more important.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter what Musk chooses for his "Elden Ring" build, as gamers are having an excellent time exploring the Lands Between on their own, with or without the influence of Musk's choices. Some gamers simply said the entire exchange about Musk's "Elden Ring" choices was "cringe-inducing." Maybe Twitter should go back to speculating about the "Elden Ring" DLC.