Echoes of Aincrad Patch Notes
The complete breakdown of Update File Ver.1.0.5 (Aug 7, 2026) — the first major weapon & Sword Skill rebalance — plus the follow-up Ver.1.0.4 and the Day 1 Ver.1.0.3 patch: difficulty tuning, the 'Summons' black-screen fix, new kill-animation toggles, and a new difficulty level planned for 2026.
Bandai Namco's Day 1 Patch for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam.
Update Ver.1.0.5 — Weapon Rebalance & Fixes
Released August 7, 2026, Ver.1.0.5 is the first major balance patch since launch. Its goal is to make every weapon type viable — Swords, Daggers, Two-Handed Axes, Maces and Two-Handed Swords all received Sword Skill tuning, plus system-wide difficulty, SP and partner adjustments. It also fixes the long-standing 'Summons' black-screen bug and adds two new kill-effect toggles. Bandai Namco also confirmed a new difficulty level beyond Very Hard is planned within 2026.
Feature Additions
Severing Kill Animation Toggle
Added an ON/OFF switch for the Severing kill animation. Turn it off for faster, less cinematic clears if you prefer uninterrupted combat.
Disconnect-Attack Kill Camera Toggle
You can now toggle slow-motion and camera effects ON/OFF when defeating enemies with disconnect attacks, via the Game Play Setting tab in the Main Menu's Settings.
System-Wide Balance
- Adjusted difficulty levels — Story-to-Hard enemy strength and spawn counts were far below Very Hard, so they were raised for more engaging combat.
- Parameters: increased enemy HP and attack power on Normal and Hard difficulty.
- Increased the number of enemies appearing on Story, Normal, and Hard difficulty.
- Relaxed multi-hit damage from some enemies while using a Sword Skill's Super Armor.
- Quests: the main quest 'Summons' now grants more starting Healing Potions and a new Bombstone; some quest bosses gained higher HP and attack power.
- Partners: Argo's Support Skill 《Analyze》 had narrowed partner choices — reduced its Support SP boost and bonus damage correction.
- Adjusted SP gauge recovery rate per weapon, and the SP gained from Normal and Heavy attacks per weapon (slow, low-hit weapons earn more SP; fast, high-hit weapons were tuned down).
- Individual weapon mods: Swords — the Dress Sword unique mod 《Sword Barrier》 lost barrier value and gained cooldown; Daggers — the Mournflower unique mod 《Supreme Shooter》 lost damage multiplier and gained cooldown on thrown Sword Skills.
Sword Skill Adjustments
Fixes in Ver.1.0.5
- Fixed the 'Summons' quest black screen — after unlocking the boss area's barrier, gameplay no longer stalls on the blackout following the enemy intro (was the known issue under investigation in Ver.1.0.4).
- Fixed an issue where players rarely became invincible during quests.
- Fixed an issue where players could enter boss areas without accessing the Magical Seals before encountering quest bosses.
- Fixed a lingering orange hit-effect when Daggers' 《Single Shoot》 and 《Strike Rain》 defeated close-range enemies.
- Fixed an item-count drop in quests when 'Items Carried + 1' (INT 30) combined with the 'Armor of Wisdom' unique mod of the 'Soulforce Robe' top.
- Fixed an undefeatable enemy that could be defeated via the 'Soul Bite' unique mod of the 'Death's Salvation' sword, halting progression.
- Fixed other minor issues.
Future Plans
A new difficulty level beyond Very Hard is planned within 2026, with further balance changes timed to that release and to DLC distribution. Re-check your build and partner setup when it lands.
Update Ver.1.0.4 — Fixes & Known Issues
Released after the Day 1 Patch, Ver.1.0.4 resolves the two confirmed known issues from Ver.1.0.3 (the Thicket Visgo resurfacing bug and the event-scene rendering bug), fixes the community-reported 'Original Sin' black-screen stall, corrects a phase-transition failure after breaking certain enemies' Break Markers, and addresses other minor issues. A new known issue — the 'Summons' black screen — is under investigation.
Fixes in Ver.1.0.4
- Fixed an issue in the sub-quest 'Opportunity' where the Ark Boss 'Thicket Visgo' could remain underground if hit by certain attacks while performing its digging animation.
- Fixed an issue where the player character could occasionally fail to display correctly during certain event scenes under specific equipment conditions.
- Fixed an issue in the quest 'Original Sin' where the screen would remain black after quest completion if a partner other than Iori, Zash, or Argo was selected.
- Fixed an issue where phase transitions could occasionally fail to occur properly after reducing certain enemies' HP to 0 and destroying their Break Marker.
- Fixed several other minor issues.
Resolved in Ver.1.0.5
'Summons' quest black screen
After removing the barrier to the boss area, the screen could stay black after the enemy introduction sequence. This is now fixed in Ver.1.0.5 — the blackout no longer stalls gameplay.
Still on an older version? Exit the game from your platform's system menu and restart. If you close before your HP reaches 0, your save data is not deleted by the Death Game Mode system.
Version
Ver.1.0.3 — shown on the title screen. Confirm it before playing to ensure demo transfer and balance changes are active.
Platforms
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. The Xbox Series X|S build began distributing from Friday, July 10, 2026.
Free Gift
A Support Item Set is distributed as an apology for the update — claimable from the Inn chest after 'Iori's Request'.
Feature Additions
Demo Save Transfer
A save data transfer function from the DEMO version is now available. Update both the demo and full game to the latest version, then import on the same platform family. Transfer from update file Ver.1.0.2 is also supported.
Free Support Item Set
A thank-you gift for the update. Claimable from the Inn chest once the 'Iori's Request' main quest is available — once per save data. (Details in the section below.)
How to Claim the Free Support Item Set
- Apply the latest update (Ver.1.0.3 or later) on both the demo and full game.
- Progress the story until the main quest "Iori's Request" becomes playable.
- Open the Chest at the Inn to receive the set.
- The set is granted once per save data — do not skip the Inn on your first visit.
Spark Talisman
×10
Blink Talisman
×10
Luminous Talisman
×10
High Bomb Stone
×10
High Flame Stone
×10
High Numbing Mine
×10
Balance Adjustments & Improvements
Ver.1.0.3 retunes the core combat loop across every weapon and skill type, adjusts difficulty scaling, and smooths movement and recovery. If a build feels different after launch, these changes are why.
- Adjusted the performance of each weapon type.
- Adjusted the performance of Sword Skills, Combination Skills, and Support Skills.
- Adjusted the ATK values of Slash (Reversal, Parry, Dodge).
- Adjusted enemy parameters and the number of enemies appearing per difficulty level.
- Adjusted event scenes and lighting.
- Changed the step motion and extended the invincibility period.
- Adjusted the behavior of rolling and stepping.
- Reduced the reaction upon falling from high places.
- Shortened the recovery animation when falling from high places or landing in deep water.
- Adjusted the balance of unique MODs and EX-MODs for weapons and shields.
Bug Fixes
- Fixed a bug where the player's motion would freeze after certain actions.
- Fixed a bug where a dead zone was set during mouse operation.
- Fixed a bug where enemies would stand still or get stuck on some maps.
- Fixed other minor bugs.
Known Issues & Official Workarounds
The previously confirmed Ver.1.0.3 issues below are now resolved in Ver.1.0.4. Workarounds remain useful if you are still playing on an older version. Where an official workaround exists, follow it before contacting support.
Ark Boss 'Thicket Visgo' may not resurface
ResolvedIn the sub-quest 'Opportunity', if a specific attack hits the Ark Boss 'Thicket Visgo' while it is in its digging motion, it may not re-emerge from underground. (Resolved in Ver.1.0.4.)
Workaround
Use 'Return to Checkpoint' from the map menu to warp back to the last visited safety area or warp terminal, then challenge the Ark Boss again.
Player character may not render in event scenes
ResolvedUnder specific equipment conditions, the player character may not be rendered correctly in some event scenes. (Resolved in Ver.1.0.4.)
Workaround
Swap to a different armor or weapon set before the affected scene if the character disappears, then re-equip afterward. No progress is lost.
'Original Sin' quest black screen (fixed in Ver.1.0.4)
ResolvedThe 'Original Sin' quest could leave the screen black after completion if a partner other than Iori, Zash, or Argo was selected. This is now officially fixed in Ver.1.0.4.
Workaround
After updating to Ver.1.0.4 the issue should no longer occur. If you are still on an older version, open the map menu and choose 'Return to Checkpoint', then re-talk to the quest giver.
Affected by the Patch?
Most balance changes touch weapons, skills, and difficulty scaling. Re-check your build and partner setup after updating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Day 1 Patch change the story or add content?
No new story content — Ver.1.0.3 is a balance and bug-fix patch. Its only new function is demo save transfer, plus the free Support Item Set gift.
Do I need the update to play online or transfer my save?
The game is strictly single-player, but you do need Ver.1.0.3 to import demo progress into the full game. Update before starting a fresh playthrough.
Will my old Ver.1.0.2 demo save still transfer?
Yes. Save data transfer from update file Ver.1.0.2 is also supported — just update both the demo and full game to the latest version first.
Where can I report a new bug?
Use the official Bandai Namco support channels. Include your platform, version number, and the quest or area where the issue occurred to help reproduce it.
What did Ver.1.0.4 change from the Day 1 Patch?
Ver.1.0.4 (July 16, 2026) is a bug-fix patch on top of Ver.1.0.3. It closes the Thicket Visgo resurfacing bug, the event-scene rendering bug, the 'Original Sin' black screen, and a Break-Marker phase-transition failure. It introduces no new weapon or balance changes.
Is the 'Summons' black-screen bug fixed yet?
Yes — fixed in Ver.1.0.5 (August 7, 2026). The blackout after unlocking the boss-area barrier no longer stalls the 'Summons' quest. On older versions, exit from the system menu and restart; your save is safe as long as you close before HP hits 0.
What changed in the Ver.1.0.5 balance patch?
Ver.1.0.5 is the first major weapon rebalance since launch. It buffs Sword Skills across Swords, Daggers, Two-Handed Axes, Maces and Two-Handed Swords, raises Story/Normal/Hard difficulty and enemy pressure, reworks per-weapon SP gain, tones down Argo's Analyze support, and adds ON/OFF toggles for the Severing kill animation and disconnect-attack kill camera. See the full table in the Latest section above.
Is a new difficulty level beyond Very Hard coming?
Bandai Namco confirmed in the Ver.1.0.5 notes that a new difficulty above Very Hard is planned within 2026, with further balance changes timed to that release and to DLC. No exact date yet — read more on the difficulty modes page.