After beating the final boss, you can start a New Game Plus to experience the journey again with your current gear, or explore any areas you might have missed, hunt down remaining bosses and items, or begin a new character build.
The Elden Ring credits roll, the music fades. You might be wondering now what to do after end game elden ring. The Lands Between, though conquered, still hold secrets, and many challenges remain.
You don’t have to leave your character behind. Starting a new journey lets you use your powerful gear right from the start. This is a great time to explore parts you previously couldn’t access.
What To Do After End Game Elden Ring
So, you’ve finally become Elden Lord (or perhaps embraced a different ending). The credits have rolled, the music has faded, and you’re left standing in the Lands Between, feeling a mix of triumph and… well, maybe a little lost. What now? Elden Ring is a huge game, and beating the final boss doesn’t mean you’ve seen everything. There’s still tons to experience, explore, and conquer. Let’s dive into all the exciting things you can do after the main story wraps up.
Starting New Game Plus (NG+)
The most immediate option after completing Elden Ring is to begin New Game Plus. This lets you restart the game with all your character’s levels, equipment, and spells intact. Think of it as a victory lap, but with increased challenge. The enemies get stronger, meaning your powerful build will really be put to the test. This is a great way to revisit areas, try out new builds, and experience the story from a fresh perspective, especially if you chose a different ending the first time.
What Carries Over in NG+
- Character Level and Stats
- All Equipment (Weapons, Armor, Talismans)
- All Spells and Incantations
- Key Items (like Glovewort and Smithing Stones)
- Most Consumable Items
- Maps and discovered Sites of Grace
What Does Not Carry Over in NG+
- Bell Bearings (shop upgrades)
- Great Runes (you will need to reobtain them)
- Key Story Items (like the medallion to the Grand Lift of Rold)
Why Play NG+?
NG+ offers several compelling reasons to return to the Lands Between:
- Increased Difficulty: Enemies are stronger, offering a greater challenge even with a powerful character. This means you’ll need to refine your strategies and potentially try new approaches to combat.
- Experiment with New Builds: With all your gear carrying over, NG+ is the perfect opportunity to try out different playstyles. Want to become a powerful sorcerer? Now’s your chance! Maybe you fancy using a giant hammer. Now is the time to test out that new build.
- Revisit Missed Content: It’s easy to miss areas, NPCs, or even entire questlines during your first playthrough. New Game Plus gives you a chance to experience anything you might have missed.
- Achieve a Different Ending: There are multiple endings in Elden Ring, each with its own unique cutscenes and implications for the world. If you didn’t get the ending you wanted, or just want to see another, NG+ lets you do that.
- Collect More Items: Even if you have a good grasp of where to go to find many items, some are hidden quite well. NG+ lets you explore and find the last few rare weapons, talismans, and armor sets to finish your collection.
Exploring Unfinished Business
Before diving into NG+, consider tying up any loose ends from your first playthrough. Did you leave any stones unturned? There’s a whole world out there to explore.
Hidden Areas and Dungeons
Elden Ring is chock-full of secrets. Chances are, you’ve missed a few hidden locations. Here are some places to check out:
- Optional Dungeons: These small caves and catacombs are scattered throughout the map, often hiding useful items, weapons, and bosses. Check every nook and cranny. Look for cliffsides and small openings that seem like they don’t lead anywhere.
- Evergaols: These prisons contain optional bosses that offer unique rewards. You may have seen a few, but take time to track down every last one.
- Hidden Paths and Walls: Elden Ring is known for its hidden paths. Don’t be afraid to attack random walls; you might be surprised where they lead! Sometimes you’ll hear a different kind of echoing behind a wall to give you a clue to explore further.
NPC Questlines
Elden Ring’s NPCs have complex stories that often unfold over multiple encounters. Many of these quests are easily missed or interrupted. Here are a few you should consider completing or revisiting.
- Ranni the Witch: Her questline is essential to one of the more unique endings. If you haven’t finished it, now’s the perfect time.
- Fia, the Deathbed Companion: Her questline is very involved and has significant lore implications, leading to one of the game’s endings.
- Millicent: A complex questline that involves a lot of back and forth across the map.
- Patches: The trickster is back, and his questline can be quite amusing, and rewarding if you trust him.
Collecting Missed Items
Elden Ring has a vast array of weapons, armor, spells, and talismans. Even if you think you’ve found everything, there are probably a few items left to collect.
- Legendary Weapons and Talismans: These unique items are powerful and offer special abilities. Some are hidden, so take time to find them.
- Armor Sets: There is a great variety of armor sets in Elden Ring. Try to collect the ones you find visually appealing or for the stats they provide.
- Unique Spells and Incantations: Sorceries and Incantations can greatly change how you play. If you are having trouble with a certain boss, try finding a different school of magic that might work better.
Tackling Optional Bosses
While you might have defeated the final boss, many other powerful foes lurk in the Lands Between. These optional bosses can be some of the toughest challenges in the game.
The Dragonlord Placidusax
A powerful ancient dragon hiding in Crumbling Farum Azula. He boasts some of the most spectacular attacks and might be one of the hardest bosses in the game. You can’t access his arena unless you know where to look.
Malenia, Blade of Miquella
Considered by many to be the toughest boss in the game, Malenia is a fierce swordsman located in Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree. She can heal off of every hit she lands, making her a huge test of skill. She’s well worth taking down to say you did it.
Mohg, Lord of Blood
A powerful demigod, Mohg resides in his palace hidden beneath the Leyndell Sewers. He is incredibly strong with fast attacks and can bleed you quickly.
Astel, Naturalborn of the Void
Found in several locations, Astel is an alien-like creature that can be challenging to fight. He requires a solid plan as his attacks deal significant damage. He is visually one of the most impressive foes in the game.
Other Optional Bosses
Don’t forget about the lesser, but still challenging, optional bosses found in dungeons and Evergaols. These are great ways to test your build and find more equipment. These may not be as well-known, but they’re worth tracking down.
Trying Different Character Builds
Elden Ring offers a huge amount of build variety. If you spent your entire first playthrough as a knight, maybe try a mage or a faith-based build? New Game Plus is a great place to try a new character without starting a brand-new game.
Magic Builds
Sorcery and incantations are incredibly powerful, but require specific stat investments. Maybe you haven’t had the time or inclination to learn how they work. Here are a few magic builds to consider:
- Intelligence Sorcerer: Focus on spells that deal massive damage from a distance.
- Faith Incantation User: Explore healing, buffs, and powerful offensive incantations.
- Arcane Caster: Use unique spells that scale with the arcane stat, allowing you to deal status effects, and bleed damage.
Melee Builds
There is a large variety of weapons and playstyles for melee focused builds:
- Strength Build: Wield enormous weapons and focus on raw physical damage.
- Dexterity Build: Use fast, agile weapons, focused on dealing many smaller hits.
- Quality Build: A combination of both strength and dexterity to use a wider variety of weapons.
- Blood Build: Specialize in weapons that cause bleed damage, inflicting a huge amount of extra damage.
Hybrid Builds
Don’t be afraid to combine melee with spells! Hybrid builds can be very powerful and offer a variety of options in combat.
- Faith/Strength Paladin: A mixture of buffs, incantations, and powerful melee weapons.
- Intelligence/Dexterity Battlemage: Combines spells with fast melee weapons for a versatile approach.
Engaging in PvP Combat
If you’re looking for a more human challenge, Elden Ring has a robust player-versus-player (PvP) system. You can invade other players’ worlds, participate in duels, or engage in cooperative play with friends. PvP is a fun way to test your build and skills against other players.
Invasion
Invading allows you to enter another player’s game to challenge them to a duel. This can be a great way to test your build and strategies, but be aware that some players may gang up on you with multiple allies.
Duels
You can engage in formal duels with other players at specific locations. This is a more controlled setting that allows for a fair fight.
Cooperative Play
Summoning other players to help with bosses or explore areas is a fun way to experience Elden Ring. It also means having to face the game with more challenging enemies to make it fair.
Playing with Friends (Co-op)
Elden Ring’s cooperative mode lets you team up with friends to tackle the game’s challenges together. You can explore dungeons, fight bosses, and help each other progress through the story.
- Summoning Players: Use your Tarnished’s Furled Finger to place a summoning sign and allow your friends to join your world.
- Exploring Together: You can explore the world together, tackle dungeons, and clear out encampments.
- Boss Fights: Face the game’s toughest bosses with your friends, making the challenges easier and more fun.
Experimenting with Different Weapons and Combat Styles
There is a huge amount of weapons in Elden Ring that all have different movesets and scaling stats. Each weapon also has a unique Ash of War that will change how you fight.
Weapon Variety
Don’t be afraid to try out new weapons. Maybe you’ve always used katanas, try some giant hammers or spears for a change of pace. The weapons are the foundation of your build, and your build is your play style.
Ash of War
Ashes of War give weapons unique abilities. They can turn a sword into a ranged attack, or give a shield an offensive ability. These special skills are essential for combat and can drastically change how a weapon feels to use.
Enjoying the Scenery and Lore
Sometimes it’s nice to take a break and just explore the stunning environments and soak in the lore. Elden Ring is full of stunning locations and interesting stories, and there’s a lot to discover.
Landscapes and Art Design
Elden Ring’s landscapes are breathtaking and unique. Take some time to appreciate the art design, the lighting, and the atmosphere of each area. From the golden Erdtree to the dark caverns, the visual design of the game is top-notch. It’s fun to travel around and take screenshots of your adventures.
Lore Exploration
The lore of Elden Ring is deeply interwoven into the world, the item descriptions, and NPC dialogues. Take the time to read the descriptions, talk to the NPCs, and piece together the story of the Lands Between. There’s a surprising amount of history hidden within the details.
Elden Ring is a game that rewards exploration and experimentation. Even after defeating the final boss, there’s still so much to see and do. Whether you’re diving into NG+, trying out new builds, or challenging yourself with optional bosses, the Lands Between are calling you back. So, what are you waiting for? Get back out there, Tarnished!
Elden Ring: 10 Things To Do After You FINISH THE GAME
Final Thoughts
After beating the final boss, explore optional areas you missed. Try new builds or weapons with your high-level character. Begin New Game Plus to face familiar challenges with your upgraded strength.
Consider hunting down all remaining achievements or trophies. What to do after end game elden ring becomes clearer once you have completed all of these. The possibilities are plentiful.
You can focus on helping other players defeat bosses through co-op or invading other worlds for PvP. It is important to experiment with different play styles. This enhances the overall enjoyment.
