Elden Ring lacks a dedicated pause button, like most FromSoftware titles, but one player recently discovered a hidden way to stop the action.
Many Elden Ring players have bemoaned the title's lack of a pause button, but it turns out there actually is a way to pause the game. FromSoftware's open-world epic takes players on a journey to The Lands Between, a fantasy setting designed with the help of novelist George R.R. Martin. Like past FromSoftware titles Elden Ring has no pause button, though one dedicated fan has found a useful alternative.
Elden Ring takes cues from FromSoftware classics like Dark Souls and Bloodborne, but it expands the soulslike format to a truly breathtaking scale. The title journey starts in the golden region of Limgrave, but The Lands Between includes four other major regions alongside optional areas, caves, dungeons and more. FromSoftware's signature difficulty and immersion are on full display in Elden Ring, and this extends to the title's lack of a pause button. The action continues even when players open their inventory or map, meaning that the only safe places are the Sites of Grace that dot the land. Alongside creations like an Elden Ring photo mode mod, an Elden Ring pause button mod was recently created to let players take a break from the action.
YouTuber, Twitter user and soulslike expert Iron Pineapple recently discovered that Elden Ring includes a hidden pause feature. Players can open the menu and inventory screens during combat, but neither will stop enemies from relentlessly attacking them. However, there is a Menu Explanation option that gives details on various parts of Elden Ring's menus, and this seems to actually pause the game. Thanks to Iron Pineapple, in-the-know players can now use the Menu Explanation feature to take a phone call or a quick bathroom break during their fantasy adventures.
While the lack of a pause button does increase Elden Ring's difficulty, there is a practical reason for its absence. Elden Ring features multiplayer co-op and PvP, with invasions from enemy players happening unexpectedly for players with an internet connection. Pausing the game would cause obvious issues with multiplayer mechanics, so FromSoftware titles like Dark Souls and Elden Ring are unable to accommodate pausing. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, an entirely single-player FromSoftware game, notably includes a dedicated pause button.
Elden Ring still lacks an official pause button, but Iron Pineapple has discovered a clever workaround for players to use. The mechanic was not tested during a multiplayer encounter, however, and it seems obvious that gameplay will not pause when other players are present. Still, those who have bemoaned Elden Ring's lack of a pause button can now rest easier.
Elden Ring is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Source: Iron Pineapple/Twitter
