An Elden Ring player demonstrates a strange PvP interaction that appears to show a sacrificial ritual taking place in-game. The PvP aspect of Elden Ring keeps producing some interesting results, but it’s the kind of interaction players don’t see every day.
Since its initial release in 2022, Elden Ring has earned a reputation as one of the most popular action RPGs of all time. Developer FromSoftware took its popular Dark Souls formula and tested it in the open world, and the incredible results speak for themselves. While FromSoftware is known for crafting brutal but satisfying PvE combat, Elden Ring includes a strong PvP element, allowing players to test their skills against other players. As this clip shows, not everyone is out there rigorously testing themselves, and some players have other plans.
The video, posted by Reddiotr rokstarkux, shows two players facing off in the Colosseum. Instead of attacking each other, however, the opponents started stabbing themselves before dying in front of the Merika statue. While some Elden Ring PvP players were overprepared, it seems this player simply wasn’t prepared for the occasion and instead went the other way. The Redditor didn’t even try to continue the fight, instead seemingly watching in bewilderment as the player accomplished what can only be described as a ritual sacrifice.
Players have their theories about this strange event in their threads. There has been speculation that this was rank manipulation, allowing them to face lower-ranked combatants in future battles. Smurfing is looked down upon in any PvP game, and Elden Ring is no exception, as it keeps new players out of the game if they are easily trampled by better players. Elden Ring’s PvP community has unwritten rules, and smurfing will definitely fall into it, so hopefully this is just a player having fun and not any deliberate ranking manipulation.
Even though Elden Ring’s PvP isn’t a key element of the game, it’s still a good option for players. Most games would benefit from adding some form of social interaction, even if it’s just a small implementation. While some gamers have broken out Elden Ring PvP with some very powerful one-hit kill builds, there are still plenty of players who want to level the playing field, so the feature has earned its place.
Elden Ring is out now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.