Players discover how to pause Elden Ring without modding the game

Players have discovered a way to pause Elden Ring without having to mod the game.

As posted on Twitter by @IronPineapple, and verified by VGC, by simply entering the inventory screen, pressing the help button and then clicking ‘menu explanation’, the game will pause.

From Software‘s critically acclaimed RPG is defined by its high level of difficulty, and part of this includes the inability to pause the game, meaning players can never freeze the action to gather their thoughts.

This pause option appears to be an oversight and may be patched soon, but in the meantime it’s definitely helpful for those venturing in The Lands Between.

A recently released PC mod enables users to pause the game, but this newly discovered option also works with console versions of the game that can’t be modded.

The PC mod, created by TechieW and simply titled Pause the Game, lets players press P to freeze the action whenever they need to.

Because the mod affects the rules of the game and is technically cheating, it can’t be activated while the title’s Easy Anti-Cheat software is running, which it always is while the game is being played.

The mod’s description provides simple instructions for how to turn the Easy Anti-Cheat off, as well as how to reverse this when players want to turn it back on again.

While the Easy Anti-Cheat is turned off, players can’t play the game online. This means they won’t be able to encounter other players while they have the mod activated.

Having received near-universal praise from critics, Elden Ring is already sitting near the top of some ‘best games of all time’ lists.