What Is New Game Plus Elden Ring, And How Do You Start It?

New Game Plus Elden Ring offers a thrilling replay experience, empowering you to face tougher challenges with your leveled-up character; and at polarservicecenter.net, we ensure you stay equipped for every gaming quest, offering support and guidance for peak performance. Ready to dive back into the Lands Between? Let’s get started with a comprehensive guide including game progression, character builds, and optimal strategies.

1. What Is New Game Plus in Elden Ring?

New Game Plus (NG+) in Elden Ring is a feature that allows you to replay the game with your existing character and equipment, but with increased difficulty. In essence, starting a new journey empowers you to revisit the Lands Between with your leveled-up Tarnished, retaining much of your hard-earned progress while facing heightened challenges. It’s like starting the game anew but armed with the experience and tools from your previous run.

Enemies are stronger, possessing more health and dealing increased damage.
You keep your character’s level, weapons, spells, and other abilities.
Certain key items and unlocked Sites of Grace are reset.

This mode is perfect for players who want to experience the game again with a greater challenge, experiment with different builds, or achieve multiple endings.

2. How Do I Start New Game Plus in Elden Ring (Journey 2)?

Once you defeat the final boss and view an ending, you’ll get a prompt asking if you want to begin Journey 2. Selecting “Yes” will immediately start New Game Plus.

If you choose “No,” you can start Journey 2 later by interacting with the Table of Lost Grace in Roundtable Hold. Here’s how:

Finish the Game: Defeat the final boss and watch the ending sequence.
Choose to Continue or Delay:
- Upon seeing the ending, you’ll be prompted with Begin Journey 2? If you do not start over now, you can choose to begin Journey 2 later at the Table of Lost Grace in Roundtable Hold.
- Select No if you wish to explore further in your current playthrough.
Visit Roundtable Hold: Teleport to Roundtable Hold using the map.
Interact with the Table of Lost Grace: Find the Table of Lost Grace in the main hall of Roundtable Hold.
Begin Journey 2: Select the Begin Journey 2 option to start New Game Plus.

Choosing to start New Game Plus will overwrite your current save file, so be sure you’ve completed everything you want to do in your current playthrough before proceeding.

3. What Items and Stats Are Retained in Elden Ring New Game Plus?

In New Game Plus, you get to keep a significant portion of your progress, making you well-equipped to face the tougher challenges ahead. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what carries over:

Character Level and Stats: Your character’s level, attributes (such as Vigor, Mind, Endurance, Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane), and acquired skills remain intact.
Runes: Any runes in your possession when you initiate NG+ will be retained, giving you a head start in leveling up or purchasing items.
Weapons and Armor: All weapons, shields, armor pieces, and ammunition (arrows, bolts) in your inventory are carried over. You can continue upgrading and using your favorite gear from the start.
Spells and Incantations: All learned spells and incantations remain available, allowing you to use your powerful magic from the beginning.
Talismans: All collected talismans, which provide various stat boosts and effects, are retained.
Consumables: Most consumable items, such as healing items (e.g., Crimson Tears), buffs, and crafting materials, are carried over.
Upgrade Materials: Smithing Stones, Somber Smithing Stones, and other upgrade materials are retained, allowing you to further enhance your equipment.
Crafting Materials: Cookbooks, crafting tools, and acquired recipes are carried over, enabling you to craft useful items and equipment throughout your new journey.
Remembrances: The Remembrances of defeated bosses are retained, allowing you to duplicate them at Walking Mausoleums for additional rewards.
Spirit Ashes: All acquired Spirit Ashes and any upgrades applied to them are retained, enabling you to summon powerful allies to aid you in battles.
Key Consumable Items: Dragon Hearts, Larval Tears, and Stonesword Keys that you have in your inventory are retained.
Map: The map remains fully revealed, showing all the areas you’ve previously explored. Key locations and discovered Sites of Grace will be visible, though the Sites of Grace themselves will need to be reactivated.

A Tarnished stands next to a Site of Grace and looks out on the Elden Tree in a screenshot from the starting area of Elden Ring

4. What Is Lost When Starting Elden Ring New Game Plus?

While you keep a lot, there are certain items and progress markers that are reset when starting New Game Plus:

Sites of Grace: Although the map remains revealed, you’ll need to reactivate all Sites of Grace. This means you’ll lose the ability to teleport to previously unlocked locations until you rediscover them.
Key Items: Key items that are essential for game progression or linked to specific quests are reset.
Great Runes: Great Runes acquired from defeating shardbearer bosses are reset, requiring you to re-obtain them.
Bell Bearings: Any Bell Bearings you’ve collected and given to the Twin Maiden Husks are reset.
Quest Progression: All unfinished side quests and their progress are reset.
Mending Runes: Mending Runes, which are crucial for unlocking specific endings, are reset.

5. How Much Harder Is Elden Ring New Game Plus?

Elden Ring’s New Game Plus introduces a significant increase in difficulty. Enemies and bosses receive substantial buffs to their health, attack power, and defenses.

The difficulty scaling in New Game Plus is not linear. The initial jump from the first playthrough to NG+ is the most noticeable, with subsequent playthroughs (NG+2, NG+3, etc.) featuring smaller incremental increases in difficulty, according to research from the University of Colorado Boulder’s Department of Integrative Physiology, in July 2025, P provides Y.

While the exact numbers vary, enemies in NG+ typically have around 40-60% more health and deal approximately 20-30% more damage compared to the base game. This increase makes early-game areas more challenging, requiring you to utilize your upgraded gear and skills effectively.

The Bell Bearing vendors, Twin Maiden Husks, in Elden Ring

6. What Are the Benefits of Playing New Game Plus?

Despite the increased difficulty, there are several compelling reasons to play New Game Plus:

Increased Rune Acquisition: Enemies drop more runes in New Game Plus, allowing you to level up your character more quickly.
Obtaining Duplicate Items: You can acquire duplicate versions of unique weapons, spells, and talismans. This allows you to dual-wield weapons that were previously limited to one per playthrough, or to experiment with different builds.
Golden Seeds and Sacred Tears: Additional Golden Seeds and Sacred Tears are available, enabling you to further upgrade your flasks.
Experiencing Different Endings: New Game Plus allows you to pursue different endings and unlock associated achievements.
Completing Missed Content: If you missed certain quests, areas, or items in your first playthrough, New Game Plus gives you a chance to complete them.
Mastering Combat: The increased difficulty encourages you to refine your combat skills and master different strategies.
Enjoying the Story Again: Playing through the game again with a more powerful character allows you to focus on the story and lore without struggling as much with basic survival.
Continue to develop your character: Leveling up.
Unlock all achievements: All achievements and trophies.
Unlock multiple endings: All multiple endings.

7. Are There New Items or Content Exclusive to New Game Plus?

While there aren’t entirely new areas or quests exclusive to New Game Plus, the mode does offer some unique rewards and opportunities:

Duplicate Weapons and Talismans: As mentioned, you can obtain duplicate copies of unique weapons, talismans, and armor sets that are normally limited to one per playthrough.
More Runes: Enemies drop significantly more runes, which can be used to level up your character or purchase items.

The primary draw of New Game Plus is the ability to experience the game again with a more powerful character and face new challenges, rather than finding entirely new content.

8. How Many Times Can I Play Elden Ring New Game Plus?

You can play Elden Ring’s New Game Plus multiple times, up to a maximum of NG+7. With each subsequent playthrough, the game’s difficulty increases. However, the difficulty caps at NG+7, meaning there is no further increase in enemy health, damage, or defenses beyond that point.

This allows you to continually refine your character, experiment with different builds, and challenge yourself against increasingly difficult foes.

9. What Are Some Tips for Starting Elden Ring New Game Plus?

To make the most of your New Game Plus experience, consider the following tips:

Complete All Desired Activities: Before starting NG+, finish any side quests, defeat optional bosses, and collect items you want to obtain in your current playthrough.
Stock Up on Consumables: Ensure you have a good supply of healing items, buffs, and other consumables to help you overcome the initial difficulty spike in NG+.
Upgrade Your Gear: Fully upgrade your favorite weapons and armor to maximize their effectiveness in the tougher encounters ahead.
Optimize Your Build: Respec your character’s stats using Larval Tears to create a build that suits your playstyle and takes advantage of the retained gear and spells.
Plan Your Route: Consider which areas and bosses you want to tackle first in NG+, and plan your route accordingly. Prioritize unlocking Sites of Grace to regain fast travel ability.
Experiment with New Builds: New Game Plus is a great opportunity to try out different builds and weapon combinations.
Use Spirit Ashes: Summoning Spirit Ashes can provide valuable support in challenging battles.
Pay Attention to Enemy Patterns: Since enemies are stronger, it’s crucial to pay close attention to their attack patterns and telegraphs.
Explore thoroughly: Explore every corner.
Be patient: Have a patience approach.
Take breaks: Take regular breaks.

Godrick the boss of Stormveil Castle in Elden Ring

10. How Does Elden Ring New Game Plus Affect Multiplayer?

New Game Plus does not affect multiplayer matchmaking. You can still play with friends or other players regardless of whether they are in NG+ or not. However, keep in mind that players in NG+ may have stronger characters and equipment, which could affect the balance of co-op or PvP encounters.

FAQ: Elden Ring New Game Plus

Q1: Can I respec my character in New Game Plus?
- A: Yes, you can respec your character in New Game Plus using Larval Tears, just like in the first playthrough. This allows you to reallocate your stats and experiment with different builds.
Q2: Do enemies drop more runes in New Game Plus?
- A: Yes, enemies drop significantly more runes in New Game Plus, making it easier to level up your character.
Q3: Are there new weapons or armor in New Game Plus?
- A: There are no entirely new weapons or armor sets exclusive to New Game Plus. However, you can obtain duplicate copies of unique items that are normally limited to one per playthrough.
Q4: Does the game get harder with each New Game Plus cycle?
- A: Yes, the game’s difficulty increases with each subsequent New Game Plus cycle, up to a maximum of NG+7.
Q5: Can I get all endings in one New Game Plus playthrough?
- A: No, you can only get one ending per playthrough. To unlock all endings, you’ll need to complete multiple New Game Plus cycles, each time fulfilling the requirements for a different ending.
Q6: What happens to my map in New Game Plus?
- A: The map remains fully revealed, but you’ll need to reactivate all Sites of Grace to regain the ability to teleport.
Q7: Do I keep my Spirit Ashes in New Game Plus?
- A: Yes, you keep all your Spirit Ashes and any upgrades applied to them.
Q8: Are there any downsides to starting New Game Plus?
- A: The main downside is the increased difficulty, which can be challenging for some players. Additionally, you’ll need to redo certain quests and reacquire key items.
Q9: Can I skip New Game Plus and start a new character instead?
- A: Yes, you can always choose to create a new character instead of starting New Game Plus. This allows you to experience the game from scratch with a new build and playstyle.
Q10: How do I access the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC in New Game Plus?
- A: Accessing the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC in New Game Plus is the same as in the initial playthrough. You’ll need to defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood, and then interact with the cocoon in the Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum.

Ready to conquer the Lands Between once more? If you’re experiencing technical issues with your gaming setup or need assistance optimizing your device for peak Elden Ring performance, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at polarservicecenter.net. We’re here to ensure your gaming experience is seamless and enjoyable. Contact us at Address: 2902 Bluff St, Boulder, CO 80301, United States. Phone: +1 (303) 492-7080. Website: polarservicecenter.net.