Elden Ring calls its New Game Plus (NG+) mode "Journey 2." This mechanic allows players who have conquered the Elden Beast to restart the narrative while maintaining the vast majority of their character’s power, equipment, and progression. For many players, the first playthrough is a desperate struggle for survival, while the second journey is a "revenge tour" where they can fully master the Lands Between with an optimized build.

How to Initiate Journey 2 in Elden Ring

After the final boss is defeated and the credits roll, the game presents an immediate prompt asking if you wish to "Begin Journey 2." If you choose "No," you are returned to the world in its current state, allowing you to finish optional bosses, complete exploration, or engage in PvP.

To start New Game Plus at a later time, you must travel to the Roundtable Hold. Sit at the Table of Lost Grace (the central Site of Grace), and a specific menu option titled "Begin Journey 2" will be available. Once confirmed, the world state resets, and you will find yourself back at the Chapel of Anticipation.

What Carries Over to Your Next Journey

The core appeal of Elden Ring’s NG+ is the retention of your hard-earned arsenal. Most elements that define your character's combat effectiveness remain intact.

Character Stats and Level

Your character’s level and specific attribute allocations (Vigor, Mind, Endurance, Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane) do not change. You retain all collected Runes currently in your possession.

Equipment and Armaments

  • Weapons and Shields: All weapons, regardless of their upgrade level, carry over.
  • Armor Sets: Every piece of headwear, chest armor, gauntlets, and leg armor remains in your inventory.
  • Talismans: All collected talismans, including the critical +1 and +2 variants found in later areas, are kept.
  • Ashes of War: Your entire collection of weapon skills stays with you.

Magic and Combat Tools

  • Sorceries and Incantations: All learned spells remain available, provided you have the necessary stats to cast them.
  • Spirit Ashes: All summons, including max-level Mimic Tear or Black Knife Tiche, carry over.
  • Flasks: Your Flask of Crimson Tears and Flask of Cerulean Tears retain their upgrade level (potency) and total number of uses. The Flask of Wondrous Physick also carries over along with all unlocked Crystal Tears.

Inventory and Crafting

  • Crafting Materials: All flora, fauna, and ore collected for crafting stay in your inventory.
  • Cookbooks: You do not need to find crafting recipes again; all unlocked cookbooks carry over.
  • Consumables: Items like Boiled Prawn, Grease, and throwing knives remain.
  • Upgrade Materials: Smithing Stones, Somber Smithing Stones, and Grave/Ghost Gloveworts carry over. This is crucial for experimenting with new weapons early in a new run.

Shop Progress and Bell Bearings

Following patch updates (specifically version 1.05 and later), the Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold will retain the shop inventory for most Bell Bearings. Specifically, Miner's Bell Bearings (Smithing Stones) and Picker's Bell Bearings (Gloveworts) carry over. However, Bell Bearings dropped by NPCs (like Patches or Blackguard Big Boggart) generally do not and must be re-acquired if you haven't already turned them in.

What Resets in New Game Plus

To maintain the structural integrity of the game's narrative and progression, several key elements are completely wiped.

The World State and Navigation

  • Sites of Grace: Every Site of Grace is deactivated. You must physically travel to each location to reactivate it for fast travel.
  • Map Exploration: The physical map remains visible (you don't lose the "art" of the map), but all markers for dungeons and points of interest are removed until you rediscover them.
  • Shortcuts: Every elevator, locked door, and sealed gate is reset to its original state.

Key Story Items

Anything required to bypass "progression gates" is removed from your inventory. This includes:

  • Great Runes: Even though you defeated the Shardbearers, their Great Runes are lost. You must defeat Godrick, Rennala, Radahn, etc., again to regain their powers.
  • Medallions: Both halves of the Dectus Medallion and the Haligtree Secret Medallion are removed.
  • Keys: Items like the Academy Glintstone Key or the Sewer-Gaol Key must be found again.
  • Quest-Specific Items: Objects like the Fingerslayer Blade or the Unalloyed Gold Needle are removed to prevent breaking NPC storylines.

NPC and Quest Progress

All NPC questlines reset to zero. Characters who died or left the Lands Between return to their original starting positions. This is the primary reason to enter NG+: to pursue different quest outcomes or earn rewards that were mutually exclusive in the first playthrough (e.g., Millicent’s Prosthesis vs. Rotten Winged Sword Insignia).

Difficulty Scaling and Reward Changes

Elden Ring's New Game Plus isn't just a repeat; it’s a recalibration. The game applies a scaling multiplier to every enemy in the world.

Enemy Health and Damage

In Journey 2, early-game enemies receive the most significant boost. Since a starting enemy in Limgrave is designed for a Level 1 character, their HP and damage are increased drastically—sometimes by over 500%—to ensure they still pose a minor threat to a Level 150 Elden Lord. As you progress into late-game areas like Farum Azula or Miquella’s Haligtree, the percentage increase is much smaller, as those enemies were already balanced for high levels.

Rune Multiplier

To compensate for the increased toughness, enemies drop significantly more Runes. In the early stages of Journey 2, enemies may drop up to 5 times the Runes they did in Journey 1. This makes NG+ the most efficient way to reach extremely high levels (Level 200+) for players looking to "max out" their character.

The NG+7 Cap

The difficulty scales with each successive journey (Journey 3, Journey 4, etc.). However, this scaling stops after Journey 8 (which is New Game +7). At this point, enemies have reached their maximum possible health and damage output. Any further playthroughs will remain at this "peak" difficulty.

Shadow of the Erdtree and New Game Plus

If you own the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, there are specific mechanics to consider when transitioning to a new journey.

DLC Progression Carry-Over

  • Scadutree Blessings: Your Scadutree Fragment level carries over. If you reached Level 20 in your first run, you will start the DLC area in Journey 2 with that same power boost.
  • Revered Spirit Ashes: Your Revered Spirit Ash level also carries over.

Accessing the DLC in NG+

Because the world resets, you cannot immediately enter the Land of Shadow. You must once again defeat Starscourge Radahn in Caelid and Mohg, Lord of Blood in Mohgwyn Palace to access the cocoon. For players in NG+, this usually means a 2–4 hour "sprint" through the main bosses to regain access to the DLC content.

Essential Checklist Before Starting Journey 2

Before you sit at the Table of Lost Grace and reset the world, you should perform these tasks to ensure you aren't handicapped in the next run.

1. Maximize Weapon Upgrades

Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones and Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones are limited per playthrough (13 and 8 respectively in the base game). Ensure you have used or collected all of them. Once you start NG+, you won't get more until the very end of the game.

2. Stock Up on Materials

Buy hundreds of Smithing Stones (1 through 8) and Somber Smithing Stones. While the Bell Bearings carry over, you may not want to spend Runes on them early in the next run when you could be leveling up.

3. Collect Larval Tears

Larval Tears allow you to respec with Rennala. There are 18 in the base game and more in the DLC. Collect all of them so you can change your build whenever you want in Journey 2.

4. Duplicate Remembrances

Even if you have already used a boss's Remembrance, you can duplicate it at Wandering Mausoleums to get the second reward (e.g., getting both Malenia’s Hand and Scarlet Aeonia). Do this before the world resets.

5. Kill the Optional Super-Bosses

Ensure Malenia, Mohg, and Dragonlord Placidusax are defeated. Not only do they provide massive Rune rewards, but their gear is essential for high-level NG+ play.

What is the Recommended Level for NG+?

Most players finish Elden Ring between Level 120 and 150. This is the "sweet spot" for starting Journey 2.

  • Below Level 100: You might find the early health boosts of Limgrave enemies surprising.
  • Level 150+: You will likely steamroll the first half of the game with very little challenge.

If you intend to keep your character available for PvP or Co-op, the community-standard "Meta Level" is 150. If you don't care about multiplayer matchmaking, there is no reason to stop leveling.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Do Golden Seeds and Sacred Tears respawn?

Yes. Golden Seeds and Sacred Tears reappear in their original locations. However, if you have already reached the maximum flask count (14) and maximum potency (+12), collecting more will have no effect. They simply accumulate in your inventory.

Can I change my character’s appearance?

Yes. You can still use the mirror in Fia’s room at the Roundtable Hold or visit Rennala (once defeated) to change your appearance. Starting NG+ does not lock your physical look.

Does the "Frenzied Flame" burn carry over?

The physical scars from the Three Fingers and the glowing yellow eyes are removed when you start a new journey. If you want them back, you must visit the Three Fingers again in the new world state.

Are there new items in NG+?

Unlike Dark Souls 2, Elden Ring does not currently add new enemy placements or +1/+2 rings exclusively to NG+. Every item available in NG+ can technically be found in your first playthrough. The primary reason for multiple runs is to collect items that were part of choice-based rewards.

Can I go back to Journey 1?

No. Once you confirm the start of "Journey 2," the world of Journey 1 is gone. You cannot revert the save file unless you manually backed it up on a cloud service or external drive.

Summary of the Journey 2 Experience

Elden Ring’s New Game Plus offers a unique shift in perspective. The fear of the unknown is replaced by the confidence of mastery. While enemies become statistically stronger, the fact that you possess a fully realized build, maxed-out weapons, and a deep knowledge of boss patterns usually makes the second journey significantly faster than the first.

By following the preparation checklist—specifically stocking up on upgrade materials and Larval Tears—you can transform Journey 2 into an experimental playground. Whether you are hunting for the remaining achievements, seeking a different ending, or simply wanting to crush Margit the Fell Omen with the power he deserves, New Game Plus is the ultimate way to experience the full scope of FromSoftware's masterpiece.