By a Tarnished with 600+ hours of experience in the Lands Between
As someone who has poured hundreds of hours into Elden Ring, one of the most rewarding parts of returning to New Game+ (NG+) is watching how the game evolves—not just in difficulty, but in how it handles one of its most vital resources: runes. The developers at FromSoftware have carefully adjusted several systems to ensure that Elden Ring Runes remain meaningful even after you've felled the final boss in your first playthrough. Here are six ways the game achieves that balance, based on my personal experience venturing through multiple NG+ cycles.
1. Enemies Drop More Runes, But So Does the Cost of Progression
In NG+, enemy rune drops increase significantly. You’ll find yourself earning tens of thousands of runes from just one miniboss. But don’t be fooled—this is offset by the drastically increased cost of leveling. During my NG+3 run, a single level-up cost me over 300,000 runes. This steep curve ensures you don’t outpace the game too quickly, even if you're raking in runes.
2. Tougher Enemies Encourage Smarter Spending
With increased difficulty, NG+ mobs and bosses hit harder and have more health, making every death more punishing. I used to hoard runes carelessly in my first run, but after losing over 1 million runes in Mohgwyn Palace in NG+2, I learned to spend and bank my resources wisely. This risk vs. reward design keeps Elden Ring Runes valuable and motivates players to use them with strategy.
3. Upgrade Paths and Weapon Diversity Expand
New Game+ is a perfect opportunity to experiment with new weapons and builds, which means spending runes on upgrading gear rather than just levels. I finally tried out the Greatsword and Frost builds during NG+ and found myself investing just as many runes into Smithing Stones and Ashes of War as I did into stats. This balances rune usage across different progression paths.
4. Economy Resets, but Your Needs Don’t
While item prices from merchants and upgrade NPCs remain the same, your rune needs increase in NG+. The price stability creates an interesting paradox: your purchasing power grows, but so does your need for everything—from consumables to talismans. This encourages revisiting early-game shops for better rune efficiency, which I found invaluable in my NG+5 run.
5. Farming Spots Are Rebalanced by Risk
High-reward rune farming locations like Mohgwyn Palace or the Albinauric spot near Palace Approach are still there in NG+, but enemies are no longer pushovers. The danger level ramps up, requiring more effort and risk to farm efficiently. During one farming session, I was ambushed by a red invader-style enemy that nearly wiped out my hard-earned runes. This rebalance keeps farming engaging and less of a mindless grind.
6. Runes Retain Relevance with Build Experimentation
As your stats plateau, NG+ becomes the perfect time to respec using Larval Tears or invest in alternate playstyles. Since each respec often requires different weapons, armor, and spells, runes remain essential. I switched from a Strength/Faith hybrid to a full Intelligence build in NG+4, which led me to repurchase and upgrade an entirely new arsenal. If you're looking for an efficient shortcut to this kind of experimentation, many players search for elden ring runes for sale to speed up the process.
New Game+ in Elden Ring isn’t just about tougher enemies—it’s a complex rebalance of the entire rune economy. Whether you’re leveling, upgrading, respeccing, or buying, every rune you earn remains meaningful, no matter how many times you’ve completed the game. As someone who's explored nearly every corner of the Lands Between, I can confidently say that the way Elden Ring handles its rune economy post-game is one of the key reasons it has such incredible replay value.
