Released August 7, 2026, it adds a Severing Kill Animation toggle, makes Story through Hard encounters more demanding, rebalances SP and several Sword Skills, and fixes the Summons black screen. The official 1.0.5 notice lists Steam; do not assume the same version is already live on consoles without checking their title screens.
What changed in version 1.0.5
| Area | Official change | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Severing Kill Animation | A Gameplay Settings toggle can disable the slow-motion and camera effects used for disconnect kills. | Players can keep the mechanic while removing its cinematic interruption. |
| Story, Normal and Hard | Normal and Hard enemy HP and attack were increased; Story through Hard can spawn more enemies. | Older first-run advice may understate encounter pressure after updating. |
| Summons | The starting loadout now includes more Healing Potions and a Bombstone; some quest bosses were strengthened. | Recheck the supplied pouch before buying replacements. |
| Argo | Analyze grants less Support SP and a lower additional-damage correction. | Partner comparisons should no longer assume the pre-1.0.5 buff. |
| SP recovery | Two-Handed Swords and Two-Handed Axes gain more SP; Swords, Rapiers, Daggers and Maces gain less. | Re-test the same normal-attack loop before reusing an old rotation. |
| Unique Mods | Dress Sword's Sword Barrier and Mournflower's Supreme Shooter were adjusted. | Verify the current value and cooldown in the live equipment panel. |
Sword Skill balance changes
| Weapon | Skills changed in 1.0.5 | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Sword | Horizontal Square | Faster motion and shorter total duration. |
| Dagger | Single Shoot, Kaynine, Rapid Bite, Fad Edge, Spiral Riser | Faster; Strike Rain lost damage/ATK correction and costs more SP with a longer cooldown; Hornet Swarm lost damage/ATK correction. |
| Two-Handed Axe | Roaring Jolt, Whirlwind, Fierce Shock, Chain Angler, Volcano, Rockfang, Gravity | Lower low-level SP costs, faster motion on several skills, and higher Gravity ATK correction. |
| Mace | Riot Smash, Double Cleave, Tri-Horn Medley, Spiritfall, Clashbang | Faster motion; Absorbing Strike received lower ATK correction and cooldown. |
| Two-Handed Sword | Cascade, Piercing Blast, Backlash, Blade Torrent, Brave Leep, Cyclone, Vertical Buster | Lower low-level SP costs and faster or shorter animations; Cyclone gained damage and ATK correction. |
The patch does not publish every final numeric value. Use the Sword Skill planner to record the values shown by the installed build instead of mixing pre- and post-patch observations.
Issues fixed in 1.0.5
- The Summons boss-area blackout can no longer persist after the enemy appearance effect.
- Players should no longer rarely become invincible during quests.
- Some boss areas can no longer be entered before accessing their Magical Seals.
- Dagger Single Shoot and Strike Rain no longer leave an orange hit effect on defeated close-range enemies.
- Soulforce Robe's Armor of Wisdom interaction no longer decreases inventory items when Items Carried +1 activates at 30 INT.
- Death's Salvation's Soul Bite can no longer defeat an intended-undefeatable enemy and stop quest progression.
Future difficulty update
The development team says a difficulty above Very Hard is planned for later in 2026, with another balance pass expected when it arrives. This is a plan, not a released fifth standard difficulty; the current selectable list remains Story, Normal, Hard and Very Hard.
Patch history
| Version | Official date | Platform scope in notice | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0.5 | August 7, 2026 | Steam | Latest reviewed update |
| 1.0.4 | July 16, 2026 | PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam | Fixed Original Sin, Opportunity, event rendering and enemy phase transitions. |
| 1.0.3 | July 10, 2026 | Release platforms | Added demo transfer support and the launch balance update. |
Update checklist
- Check the version shown on the title screen; do not infer a console rollout from the Steam notice.
- Back up or sync the save before retrying a quest that failed on an older build.
- Re-test difficulty, partner and SP assumptions in one repeatable encounter.
- For Summons, update before using the historical restart workaround.
- Check the known-issues board before applying destructive troubleshooting steps.
Patch 1.0.5 FAQ
Is 1.0.5 the current Echoes of Aincrad update?
It is the latest official Steam update reviewed by this guide as of August 10, 2026. Confirm the version on each platform separately.
Did 1.0.5 fix the Summons black screen?
Yes. The official fix list names the rare persistent blackout after the enemy appearance effect in the Summons boss area.
Is the new difficulty above Very Hard available?
No. It is planned for later in 2026 and should not be presented as a current setting.