The latest Dark Souls 3 update aims to make poise matter

This Friday, Dark Souls 3 is getting updated to version 1.08 just before the Ashes of Ariandel DLC arrives next week. Besides the usual slew of bug fixes, 1.08 is the first patch to take a big swing at Dark Souls 3's controversial poise stat.

In previous games, poise values on armor and shields determined whether or not players could take a hit without getting staggered, whether you're in the process of attacking or not, but in Dark Souls 3, poise is an invisible stat that only affects whether an enemy attack will interrupt the player's attack.

It doesn't matter if you're wearing a full Smough set or a birthday suit in Dark Souls 3—enemy attacks can stagger regardless of poise. No more walking through Dark Swords and pikes like light shrubbery. It's only when attacking that poise comes into account, an invisible meter that drains at a rate based on poise. Once it's empty, enemy attacks can interrupt your own.

With that said, it's unclear what the patch notes mean when they say "Poise is now more effective for heavier weapons and armor." The poise mechanic isn't reverting to the previous games' systems, but I hope heavy armor and weapons actually behave a bit more like the feel. We'll know soon enough.

The remaining updates poke and prod at various weapons and spells, probably in anticipation of the new PvP-dedicated arena arriving with the DLC (which I totally called, by the way).

If you're curious, read the rest of the patch notes in the official update on Steam.

James is stuck in an endless loop, playing the Dark Souls games on repeat until Elden Ring and Silksong set him free. He's a truffle pig for indie horror and weird FPS games too, seeking out games that actively hurt to play. Otherwise he's wandering Austin, identifying mushrooms and doodling grackles.