Introduction to the New Elden Ring Endings Guide for PC
Welcome to the ultimate Elden Ring endings guide for PC, designed for Tarnished players looking to uncover every single conclusion to FromSoftware’s massive masterpiece. Whether you are exploring the Lands Between for the very first time or returning with the massive Shadow of the Erdtree expansion installed on your rig, understanding how choices affect your final cinematic is crucial. PC players enjoy the distinct advantage of file backups, making it significantly easier to experience all paths in a single playthrough.
With multiple base game conclusions and additional layers introduced in recent updates, navigating the intricate questlines can feel overwhelming. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every requirement, key NPC location, and crucial decision needed to unlock all Elden Ring game endings directly on your PC. Grab your keyboard and mouse or controller, tweak your graphics settings for optimal frame rates, and let us dive straight into the lore.
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Why PC Players Have the Ultimate Advantage for Elden Ring Endings
Playing on a personal computer comes with unique perks that console players simply do not have access to natively. If you want to witness every conclusion without sinking hundreds of hours into brand-new playthroughs, utilizing the PC save file backup method is your best friend.
By default, FromSoftware stores your save data in a specific directory on your Windows machine. Before making a point-of-no-return decision at the Erdtree, you can simply copy your save files to a secure backup folder. After triggering one ending and receiving your achievement or trophy, you can restore your backup and pivot toward a completely different path.
Locating Your Save Files on PC
To successfully manipulate your save files, you first need to know where Windows hides them. Follow these simple steps to access your Elden Ring save data:
- Press the Windows Key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
- Type `%appdata%\EldenRing` and press Enter.
- Inside this folder, you will see a folder with a long string of numbers, which represents your Steam ID.
- Copy the entire folder containing your `ER0000.sl2` files and paste them into a separate backup location on your desktop.
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Overview of the Base Game Endings
Before diving into specific questlines, it is important to categorize the primary conclusions available in the base game. Most of these rely on presenting a specific Mending Rune to the fractured Marika at the end of the game, while others require interacting with special statues or summoning specific entities.
Here is a quick summary of the classic paths available:
- Standard Ending: The Age of Fracture (Default path).
- Alternative Rulership: The Age of Order (Goldmask quest).
- Foul Pollution: The Blessing of Despair (Dung Eater quest).
- Dark Age: The Age of the Duskborn (Fia’s quest).
- The Secret Path: Lord of Frenzied Flame (Three Fingers path).
- The True RPG Twist: Age of the Stars (Ranni the Witch path).
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Detailed Breakdown of Every Ending Path
Each major conclusion requires a dedicated questline involving complex NPC interactions across Limgrave, Liurnia, the Altus Plateau, and beyond. Let us break down how to achieve each one specifically on your PC setup.
The Age of Fracture (Standard Ending)
This is the default path and requires the least amount of side-quest completion. To secure this ending, you simply need to defeat the final bosses of the game, repair the Elden Ring with the basic Mending Rune, and claim the Elden Throne. No extra NPCs need to be satisfied, making it the most common conclusion for blind playthroughs.
The Age of Order (Goldmask and Corhyn)
If you want a world governed by rigid mathematical order where the flaws of the Golden Order are corrected, you must complete the journey of Brother Corhyn and the enigmatic Goldmask.
To start this quest, you will meet Corhyn at the Roundtable Hold before he moves out into the Altus Plateau. Eventually, you will locate Goldmask on a broken bridge in Altus. Using the Law of Regression incantation in front of a specific statue in Leyndell, Royal Capital, reveals the shocking truth about Radagon and Marika. Complete their questline to obtain the Mending Rune of the Perfect Order and present it to Marika during the final cinematic.
The Blessing of Despair (Dung Eater)
Perhaps the darkest and most morally depraved path in the Lands Between, the Dung Eater seeks to curse every soul in the future generations. To unlock this outcome, you must locate the Seedbed Augur items scattered across Leyndell and Volcano Manor.
You will find the Dung Eater interacting with you from the Roundtable Hold once you bring him your first Seedbed Augur. Feed him enough items to receive the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse. Choosing this option at the end of the game plunges the entire world into a perpetual nightmare of suffering.
The Age of the Duskborn (Fia, Deathbed Companion)
If you favor the conceptualization of living in death and integrating those who live in death into the natural order of the world, Fia’s quest is mandatory. Fia begins her journey at the Roundtable Hold, offering you a brief embrace that slightly debuffs your maximum HP until you use her Baldachin's Blessing.
As the game progresses, Fia relocates to Deeproot Depths. You will need to give her the Cursemark of Death (obtained from the Divine Tower of Liurnia after advancing Ranni’s quest). Defeat her champions, enter her dream to conquer Lichdragon Fortissax, and you will be rewarded with the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince.
Lord of Frenzied Flame (The Three Fingers)
This is one of the most visually striking and dramatic conclusions, completely locking you out of all other endings unless you use a specific cleansing item later. Deep beneath the Leyndell sewers lies the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds. Navigating the brutal platforming puzzle leads you to the Three Fingers.
Stripping off all your armor and interacting with the door brands your character with the Frenzied Flame. Melina will abandon you, vowing to kill you herself. Choosing this path engulfs the Erdtree in destructive flames and burns away the old order entirely.
Age of the Stars (Ranni the Witch)
Widely considered the true "good" or secret ending by the community, Ranni’s questline takes you all the way from Limgrave to the moonlight-drenched peaks of the Moonlight Altar. Ranni wants to usher in an age of the cold, the dark, and freedom from the Greater Will.
To complete her quest, you must explore Nokron, Eternal City, find the Fingerslayer Blade, navigate the Ainsel River, and defeat Baleful Shadow. At the very end of the game, instead of interacting with Marika, look for a blue summoning sign on the floor to summon Ranni and trigger this legendary cinematic.
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Performance Optimization for Elden Ring on PC
Experiencing these breathtaking cinematic endings requires a smooth graphical presentation. PC players often tweak settings to eliminate stuttering and maintain stable frame rates during intense boss battles like the Elden Beast.
Here are a few quick tips for optimizing your PC setup:
- Update Your Graphics Drivers: Ensure your NVIDIA or AMD drivers are fully up to date before launching major expansions or patches.
- Adjust Ray Tracing: While ray tracing looks stunning, it heavily taxes your GPU. Consider disabling it if you experience frame drops.
- Cap Your Framerate: Using third-party tools or in-game settings to lock your FPS can dramatically improve frame pacing and smoothness.
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Conclusion
Unlocking every conclusion in FromSoftware’s masterpiece is a monumental achievement for any PC gamer. By leveraging the local save file backup method in Windows, you can save dozens of hours while still experiencing the deep lore, emotional weight, and stunning cinematics of each path. Whether you choose to serve Ranni, embrace the Frenzied Flame, or restore a broken world with a Mending Rune, your journey through the Lands Between will remain unforgettable.
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