Elden Rings Varre used to be a lot meaner

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A look back at the Elden Ring network test highlights some significant changes to the finished game.

Last November, Bandai Namco held a network test for Elden Ring, allowing players an early glimpse of the Lands Between to test the game’s online servers ahead of its full release. Now that the final product is out, YouTuber Lance McDonald (opens in new tab) has created a video comparing the final version of Elden Ring with the earlier build.

One of the most dramatic changes comes courtesy of White-faced Varre, likely one of the first friendly NPCs you’ll encounter in the game. Located beside The First Step Site of Grace, he offers some guidance for the newly Tarnished. Varre mentions maidens and the Roundtable Hold before telling the Tarnished they are fated to die in obscurity. 

But this is somewhat softer than what Varre originally said. In the network test version, Varré tells you that “You’re plum out of luck” and describes you as “A bit player” Before offering this advice, “Feel free to go off and die in a ditch somewhere”. Charming.

Another difference between the retail release of Elden Ring and the test version is the inclusion of eerie burning stone heads. These can be seen as you venture a little further into the early build of the Lands Between. In the area where you fight Margit, the Fell Omen, if you look out over the cliff to the spot where the network test started, you see something that was likely left in the game by accident. 

According to the video, “We see a low level of detail view of Limgrave, which appears to have been incorrectly generated revealing some strange assets that did not exist when we explored the area previously”. There’s an impressive level of detail to these strange stone heads, with starches and wrinkles clearly visible.

These same fiery statues were spotted in another area of Limgrave in the earliest leaked footage that exists of Elden Ring, which suggests From Software planned to include these in the game’s early area at some point.

Elden Ring has been phenomenally successful since it launched late last month. It’s now outsold Dark Souls 3 with 12 million copies sold.

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