Elden Ring's Nightreign Patch Adds Enhanced Boss

Yesterday marked the arrival of patch 1.01.3 for *Elden Ring: Nightreign*, a seemingly minor update focused on bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements. At first glance, it appeared like just another routine maintenance patch—something most players would acknowledge and then forget about as they continued their journey through Limveld. However, as night fell and the servers remained active, a quiet surprise began to unfold.

A new entry quietly appeared in the Expeditions menu: a Gaping Jaw undertaking titled “Everdark Sovereign.” This unexpected addition quickly caught the attention of the community, sparking curiosity and excitement across forums and social platforms. It turned out that FromSoftware had indeed followed through on its earlier promise to introduce enhanced boss encounters this month—but instead of a grand announcement, they opted for a subtle, almost stealth-like rollout, letting players discover the change organically.

Wtf is this??? New??? — u/xiledone

Confirmed shortly after on Bandai Namco’s official site, the Everdark Sovereigns are an ongoing series of upgraded versions of existing Nightlords, each arriving weekly in rotation. Gaping Jaw was the first to appear, with Sentient Pest and Darkdrift Knight soon to follow. These aren’t just palette swaps or slightly tougher variants—they’re fully souped-up encounters designed to test even seasoned players.

Each Everdark Sovereign appears online-only and remains active for one week before being replaced by another. To access these elite challenges, players must have already defeated the original version of the respective Nightlord. Early reports indicate that the enhanced Gaping Jaw (now piloted by Adel) brings significantly more aggressive mechanics, including high-speed movement, devastating storm attacks, and a general tendency to dominate unprepared teams.

This... Just feels like a lot right now... — u/YREVA777

While solo attempts are possible, many players are finding that even experienced groups struggle to keep up with the new intensity level. The difficulty curve bears resemblance to Monster Hunter’s post-launch updates, such as Tempered Monsters—offering escalating challenge as player skill and gear progression grow over time.

Defeating an Everdark Sovereign isn't without reward. A newly added shop in the hub area allows players to spend earned Sovereign Sigils on exclusive Relics, visual upgrades, lighting customization for the Roundtable Hold, and environmental effects like shifting earth statuses—long requested by the community.

Just a small performance/bug fixing update. Nothing major... — u/The_Last_Huntsman

Though patch 1.01.3 was initially seen as modest in scope, the introduction of the Everdark Sovereigns has dramatically shifted player perception. The update has reinvigorated interest in *Nightreign*, offering fresh content and renewed challenge. With more Sovereigns scheduled to arrive in the coming weeks, along with full-scale updates planned ahead, the future of the game looks promising.

Bandai Namco has teased that this is only the beginning: "This is only the beginning of the Everdark Sovereign cycle. As the power of the Night ebbs and wanes, the Sovereigns will soon return to the abyss they came from." If this early rollout is any indication, *Elden Ring: Nightreign* is set for a long and rewarding evolution.

For those diving into these new challenges, we’ve got comprehensive [ttpp] guides to help you succeed, including tips on taking down all eight Nightlord Bosses, unlocking the two hidden Nightfarer Classes—the Revenant and the Duchess—and learning how to switch characters mid-game.