Elden Ring hackers can corrupt your save data through invasions

(Image credit: FromSoftware`)

A gamebreaking bug has been discovered in the PC version of Elden Ring. When getting invaded, a hacker can corrupt the player's save file by getting them trapped in an infinite death loop. First, they cause the player's game to crash, and when it's opened back up, they will be stuck constantly falling to their deaths.

A Reddit user offered some advice, claiming there could be a solution to this. When players load in, they'll want to immediately hit ALT + F4 to force quit the game. When they get back in, quickly open the map, click the button to show the list of available graces (Triangle on a PS5 controller), and quickly press the confirm button to teleport away safely. This might not work for everyone, but it's worth a try.

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If this bug hasn't happened to you, you can take a few preventative measures. Elden Ring features a slightly different invasion system than what the series is known for. In The Lands Between, someone can only be invaded by another player if they're playing cooperatively or use specific items to summon invaders. If you play by yourself and don't use any items that'll get aggressive players into your world, you can get through the entire game without fighting another person. Until this is fixed, we recommend avoiding cooperative play.

⚠️Elden Ring PSA for PC players⚠️There's an exploit going around on PC where hackers will corrupt your save file while you're invaded. First they will crash your game, and when you open it back up, your character will be constantly falling to their death... pic.twitter.com/8et3bl8T1IMarch 18, 2022

If you want to be even more cautious, you can easily backup your save data by going to "C:\Users\<User Name>\AppData\Roaming\EldenRing." In this folder, you'll see a large string of numbers for a folder with the file "ER0000.sl2" inside of it. Copy the folder (with all of the numbers) that holds that file and put it somewhere safe. I've even made multiple backup copies just in case.

Self-described art critic and unabashedly pretentious, Claire finds joy in impassioned ramblings about her closeness to video games. She has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism & Media Studies from Brooklyn College and five years of experience in entertainment journalism. Claire is a stalwart defender of the importance found in subjectivity and spends most days overwhelmed with excitement for the past, present and future of gaming. When she isn't writing or playing Dark Souls, she can be found eating chicken fettuccine alfredo and watching anime.