Elden Ring patch 1.18 dropped overnight, and buried in the patch notes after seven paragraphs of balance adjustments and network stability fixes is the following entry, presented without elaboration: “Added ‘Assisted Mode’ toggle to Options menu. Assisted Mode reduces the HP and aggression of Margit, the Fell Omen only. Assisted Mode activates only after the player inputs ‘please’ via the virtual keyboard prompt displayed upon approaching Margit’s fog gate.”
FromSoftware’s patch notes offer no further context. The word “please” must be typed in lowercase. The virtual keyboard does not autocorrect. If the input is left blank or any other word is entered, Margit remains at standard values and the keyboard closes. Assisted Mode does not carry forward to Godrick or any subsequent boss. The patch notes list this under “Quality of Life Improvements.”
PC Gamer tested the implementation and confirms it works as described. Margit’s HP is reduced by approximately 30% and his combo extensions are trimmed to two hits maximum in Assisted Mode. The keyboard prompt uses a font that is, per PC Gamer, “slightly smaller than the rest of the UI, as though the game is watching you.” Rock Paper Shotgun’s writeup describes the experience as “the game looking you directly in the eye and asking if you’re sure.”
Subsequent patches over the past two years have continued to expand the Elden Ring ecosystem through DLC and balance updates, and FromSoftware has consistently resisted calls for a formal difficulty option. We covered the ongoing easy mode debate back when Shadow of the Erdtree launched, and the community position remains roughly as divided as it was at release.
Whether this is a concession, a joke, or a gesture will be debated on r/Eldenring for the foreseeable future. The implementation is functional, carefully scoped, and requires the player to genuinely ask for help before it activates. That sounds very much like something FromSoftware would do on purpose. Patch 1.18 is live now on Steam. Let us know your thoughts in the forums.