Introduction to Elden Ring Endings on PS5
Navigating the vast and unforgiving world of FromSoftware's masterpiece can be a monumental task, especially when you are aiming for a specific conclusion to your journey. If you are playing on the PlayStation 5, you have likely experienced the breathtaking performance and loading times that make exploring the Lands Between a joy. However, the complexity of securing your desired working Elden Ring endings guide PS5 remains as dense and intricate as ever. With six distinct conclusions available in the base game, players often find themselves locked out of their preferred finale due to a single missed questline or an unintended choice.
Understanding how to manipulate your save files, track crucial NPC questlines, and make the right choices at the Erdtree is essential for any completionist. Whether you want to plunge the world into eternal darkness, restore the Golden Order, or embrace the chaotic flame of frenzy, this comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know. We will cover the prerequisites, step-by-step instructions, and technical tips specifically tailored for PS5 players to ensure you achieve your target trophy or achievement without unnecessary playthroughs.
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Understanding the Elden Ring Save Scumming Method on PS5
Before diving into the specific requirements for each conclusion, it is vital to understand how to maximize your time. Replaying the entire game six times just to see every cinematic is a massive time investment. Fortunately, PS5 players have a reliable method to back up their save data, allowing them to experience multiple paths in a single playthrough. This technique is commonly known as save scumming and is entirely safe to use for offline progression.
To execute this working Elden Ring endings guide PS5 strategy, you must prepare your game right before interacting with the final choice or statue. Before you do anything, you need to disable automatic cloud save sync. Go to your PS5 Settings, navigate to Saved Data and Game/App Settings, select Saved Data for PS5, and choose Sync Saved Data. Turn off the Auto-Sync feature for Elden Ring. Alternatively, you can manually upload your current save to the PlayStation Plus cloud storage, or back it up to a USB flash drive.
Once your backup is securely stored in the cloud or on a USB drive, you can proceed to trigger your first finale. After earning the trophy and watching the credits, close the application, download your previously saved data back onto your PS5 console storage, and load back into the game. This clever workaround allows you to tackle another path without starting a brand-new New Game Plus cycle. Just remember to be careful with items like the Miquella's Needle or Frenzied Flame, as some choices permanently lock you out of other options unless specific cleansing steps are taken.
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The Age of Fracture: The Standard Path
The most common and default conclusion you can achieve in FromSoftware's epic is the Age of Fracture. If you reach the end of the game without completing any major branching NPC questlines that reward a special mending rune, this is the path the game will default to. While it lacks the dramatic world-altering visual changes of the secret finales, it is still a valid and necessary step for many players.
To secure this path, simply defeat the final bosses of the main storyline. Once the dust settles, you will be presented with a glowing statue and a site of grace. Interacting with the statue and choosing to repair the Elden Ring initiates this standard cinematic. For players just looking to roll credits and move on to New Game Plus, this requires the least amount of preparation, though you will miss out on unique achievements and lore ramifications.
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The Age of the Duskborn: Fia’s Questline
If you prefer a world where death is integrated into the natural order rather than banished, the Age of the Duskborn is your target. This path requires completing the intricate and often melancholic questline of Fia, the Deathbed Companion, found at the Roundtable Hold. Following her journey takes you deep into the subterranean depths of the game world, including the Nokron, Eternal City, and the Deeproot Depths.
To complete this specific route on your PS5, you must first allow Fia to hold you at the Roundtable Hold until she gives you the Weathered Dagger. Give this dagger to D, Hunter of the Dead, and eventually find D's armor after progressing further. Locate Fia in the Deeproot Depths, give her the Cursemark of Death (obtained by exploring the Divine Tower of Liurnia), and defeat her champions in a fierce boss battle. Finally, enter her dream to defeat Lichdragon Fortissax and claim the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince. Present this rune at the end of the game to unlock the unique Duskborn achievement.
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The Blessing of Despair: The Dung Eater’s Path
For those who want to subject the Lands Between to a curse of eternal torment and suffering, the Blessing of Despair is the darkest path available. This route revolves around the vile NPC known as the Dung Eater, who can be found in the Roundtable Hold once you gain access to the Altus Plateau. His questline is grim, violent, and requires tracking down several Seedbed Curses scattered across key late-game legacy dungeons.
To successfully execute this section of your working Elden Ring endings guide PS5 journey, you must find the Dung Eater's physical body in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds beneath Leyndell, Royal Capital. Feed him five Seedbed Curses to obtain the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse. Using this item upon defeating the final boss alters the Erdtree with a sickly red and black aura, plunging the world into a horrific perpetual curse.
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The Order Proper: Mask of Gold and Dyrwyn’s Quest
If you believe the Golden Order simply needs a firmer, more analytical foundation to correct the flaws of the Greater Will, the Age of Order is the most philosophically satisfying conclusion. This path is tied to Brother Corhyn and the enigmatic Goldmask, who can be discovered studying complex theology in Altus Plateau and later outside the capital walls.
Your task involves solving a challenging riddle at the Erdtree Capital using the Incantation "Law of Regression," which requires high intelligence. Once you reveal that Radagon is Marika, you must continue following Goldmask's movements until you find his body near the sweeping ash of the capital. Loot the Mending Rune of the Perfect Order from his remains. Choosing this option at the end of your playthrough restores the Golden Order to a state of absolute, unyielding perfection, free from the whims of flawed gods.
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Lord of Frenzied Flame: The Chaotic Alternative
Perhaps the most visually striking and dramatic path you can take is the Lord of Frenzied Flame. This path completely bypasses the need for a mending rune and instead involves an intimate encounter with the Three Fingers hidden deep beneath the capital in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds. Walking this path locks you into a terrifying state of chaotic flame, drastically altering your character's physical appearance with burning eyes and severe facial scars.
Choosing the Frenzied Flame locks you out of all other options unless you undertake a monumental side quest involving Millicent's questline, the Unalloyed Needle, and defeating Malenia, Blade of Miquella, in the hidden Haligtree region. If you use Miquella's Needle inside Dragonlord Placidusax's arena in Crumbling Farum Azula, you can rid yourself of the frenzied curse, thereby opening up the ability to choose other conclusions. This flexibility is a vital trick for PS5 players utilizing the save scumming method to collect multiple trophies in a single run.
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Age of the Stars: Ranni’s Fan-Favorite Journey
Easily the most popular and expansive optional conclusion in the game is the Age of the Stars, spearheaded by Lunar Princess Ranni. This intricate questline takes you across multiple hidden regions, including the Moonlight Altar, Ainsel River, and Nokstella. It introduces unforgettable characters like Blaidd the Half-Wolf and Iji the Giant, offering rich lore, incredible weapon rewards like the Dark Moon Greatsword, and a breathtaking final cinematic.
To secure Ranni's path, you must pledge your loyalty to her at Ranni's Rise in Liurnia, travel through Nokron to find the Fingerslayer Blade, and navigate the Lake of Rot to defeat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void. At the very end of the game, instead of interacting with the standard statue, you must summon Ranni by interacting with a blue summon sign on the ground. This triggers the Age of the Stars, ushering in a thousand-year voyage of the cold, the dark, and the gentle night, free from the direct meddling of the Outer Gods.
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Essential Tips for PS5 Trophy Hunters
Achieving the Platinum trophy on your PlayStation 5 console requires collecting three specific path-related achievements: Age of Fracture (or any Mending Rune variant), Lord of Frenzied Flame, and Age of the Stars. Because of this requirement, mastering the save backup technique detailed earlier in this guide will save you dozens of hours of repetitive gameplay.
Always double-check your inventory for key items like the Cursemark of Death, Seedbed Curses, and the Mending Runes before heading to Crumbling Farum Azula. Once the capital turns to ash late in the game, certain NPC locations and items become permanently inaccessible, which can instantly ruin your planned trophy run. By staying methodical, backing up your save files at the correct checkpoints, and following this working Elden Ring endings guide PS5, you will conquer the Lands Between efficiently and stylishly.
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