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Messages in Elden Ring, and in From Software’s games in general, is one of its most iconic features; it gives players an ingenious way to communicate, supply hints, and, most of the time, provide some much-needed comic relief. But there comes a certain point when messages hinder more than they help, like when they’re placed on a important summoning sign inside a boss battle or before a fog door where you typically prep your equipment.
Over on Reddit, some players, like u/daxter146, pointed out that the summon sign for the Messmer fight “is cancer” because not only is it in the arena but it’s also being covered by a player message making it difficult to see and activate. Others had the same issue with the iconic Bayle fight. u/Halsariph claimed the number of messages on top of Igon’s summon sign practically made it near impossible to see. And summoning Igon is crucial because you won’t get to hear him shout “Curse you, Bayle!” otherwise.
Of course, since messages are an online-only feature in Elden Ring, there is a workaround: you can play offline instead so your screen won’t get peppered with countless suggestions to “try fingers, but hole.” However, going offline would also prevent you from making use of the game’s co-op feature, which is ideal if you want to beat Bayle the Dread in Shadow of the Erdtree easily. You also won’t get to see some of the more useful messages, like the ones that warn you of an enemy hiding around a corner.
With this in mind, the only way to truly avoid this issue is to prevent players from placing messages on top of in-fight summon signs. Because, after all, nobody wants to read your notes of encouragement while a murderous fire-breathing dragon is hellbent on ending your Tarnished’s life for the 50th time. People just want to beat said dragon quickly while being serenaded by Igon’s vengeance-filled dialogue.
