A Surprising Number of Elden Ring Players Are Using Bows and Crossbows

Normally, players are looking to find a way to get up close and personal with one another in the world of Elden Ring, but according to a survey put out by Frontline Gaming Japan, there are quite a few players that don’t mind fighting from a distance.

Asking 1700 Players about the way that they played the game, you’ll find Dark Souls and Sekrio influences across the board. Be it the way that they’re distributing their stats or their weapons of choice, people have been surprised by some of the answers that were given.

Quite a few weapons in Elden Ring are popular staples, like Greataxes, Flails, and even Whips. But all of these were beaten out by the 24th entry on the list: the Crossbow. Small and agile, the Crossbow allows you to shoot off quite a few different shots in quick succession, with some fairly marginal damage. However, it seems like players have grown more accustomed to fighting from a distance in the newest FromSoftware game.

Elden Ring is a challenging game, so having any sort of advantage may help players out. It doesn’t say how long these players have been in the game, as surveys show there are over 100 players that have put 300 or more hours into the world.

Players that are getting used to the combat and exploration that the world has to offer may be using these weapons more than others, but it’s still crazy to see what weapons it overshadows. Crossbows beat these weapons out for most used:

• Great spears
• Flails
• Great bows
• Whips
• Torches
• Greataxes
• Claws
• Light bows
• Ballistae
• Fists
• Great Claws

Both Greataxes and Claws are valuable weapons, but their speed and range may put them at a disadvantage. It’s nice to see the different types of playstyles that players have been experimenting with in Elden Ring since this is one of the most massive games to come out in years. You’ll be able to customize just about every aspect of the experience, so letting players fight from a distance using a weapon like the Crossbow is much more viable than ever before.

Finding your best playstyle is important, as well as your favorite type of weapon. Make sure that you’re prepared for your journey into the Lands Between, and find out everything you need to know about Elden Ring.

Elden Ring is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.