8 Tips for Returning Elsword Players in 2023

Are you planning to be a returning player who has not played Elsword for a good while? You might be wondering how to catch up with the game, especially if you have been gone for several years, as many updates and new characters have already been released.

Do not worry! We are here to make your return easier; just follow our tips, and hopefully, by the end of this article, you are good and ready to go back to playing Elsword again.

 

1. Adapt to the Changes (Game Updates)

Throughout the years, Elsword has seen plenty of changes, whether it is end-game stuff or attracting new players. Balancing characters is also done as more characters are released.

Reading the latest patch notes or game developer blogs would definitely help you return to Elsword. The most recent change would be the addition of a fourth path for characters, which has been slowly rolled out throughout the past year. Most balances are more on the PvP side, which is not something most people focus on in this game compared to dungeons and raiding.

Alternatively, you can just go blind and play the game to get a feel for it. Although there may be a lot that you will miss if you play your high-level character when you return to Elsword.

A handful of Discord communities and subreddits are readily available for new and returning players, so we highly recommend you join them when you have the time. These communities will help you with your specific questions, such as how to dive deeper into character builds.

 

2. Start off with a New Character, and Explore All of them

This may seem counterintuitive as our second recommendation, but it is actually the simplest path to take if you want to return to Elsword, especially if it has been years since you last played. Furthermore, it will allow you to play various characters that you may prefer over your current one.

It is an optional tip, but the early game is still fun even if you are playing alone, and the grind up to the late mid-game is honestly one of the better aspects of Elsword. Endgame is something for people who have all the time to grind and have the money to spend since most of the endgame features are time-gated. Enjoy the game as it is, and you will eventually get there.

Additionally, exploring and trying all characters in Elsword would help you find your new main character to grind, plus many items are ‘bankshareable’, which means these items are available for all characters in one account.

 

3. Finish Friendly Prof. Pho’s First Growth Guide

If you create a new character, then there will be this new quest or guide you can follow. This guide will lead you to a great reward for your character. Finish Friendly Prof. Pho’s First Growth Guide to get better equipment for your characters. This will greatly help you in completing the early-mid game.

Elsword actually encourages players to play all the characters. Doing the same Growth Guide will surely help you on the grind for each character. Plus, since the combat system is actually fun and engaging for an MMORPG, it does not get tedious easily.

 

4. Bankshare Your Gear

Bankshare is a feature in Elsword where you can stash your equipment and items, and all of your characters can use this stash. It is a good way to share loot between characters. This can help you propel other characters in your account to get better weapons and loot when starting out. Of course, it is still best to finish Friendly Prof. Pho’s First Growth Guide for new characters.

Do not waste resources, and bankshare all your weapons and accessories as much as you can. However, there are items that are locked into an account, which is unfortunate.

 

5. Find Someone to Play With (Wedding/Soulmate System)

Elsword, at its core, is a solid PVE MMORPG. However, it gets so much better if you play with someone. You can host your own wedding ceremony or become a partner through the soulmate system.

Having a partner in this game will give tremendous permanent boosts for both of you. You can get better Physical Attack, Magical Attack, Physical Defense, Magical Defense, and a higher chance of double attack.

There are also timed buffs like getting higher experiences and a better drop rate for 30 days, among many others. This is why it is highly recommended to start playing Elsword again with a partner. Do take note that buying the necessary items, like a wedding ring, would cost K-Ching, the secondary currency that can only be bought with real money.

 

6. Steam or Direct Download of Client

As we all know, Steam is the most popular platform for games on PC, and you can actually play Elsword on this platform. However, this will automatically link your Steam and Elsword accounts, which may cause problems in the future when changing passwords.

It is better to download the client on the server where you last played. Especially if you are planning to play with the same character you had years ago. However, if you feel like starting new characters and grinding your way to the end game, then using Steam would be more convenient.

 

7. Difference of Each Server

Elsword has different servers for each region of the world. There are seven servers: South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, China, North America, Europe, and International. Only North America, Europe, and International are not region-locked. But if you are playing on Steam, you will be put on the nearest server to your location.

The content for each server is all the same, but the EU server is only behind 6 months of updates. Other servers get the same content at the same time. The player count is also not the same for each server. Based on the community, it looks like the North American and Europe servers have a healthy population compared to the International server.

 

8. Set up your PIN and Secure your Account

Lastly, do not forget to secure your Elsword account and characters. You can set up a PIN, which means you have to input it every time you are on the character selection screen.

You can set it while you are in-game, but doing so will prompt you to list security questions. These will be needed in case you forget your PIN and need it to be reset when you contact support.

Setting up your PIN will add an additional layer of defence to prevent yourself from getting hacked. If you plan on spending money on this game, then this is something you need to prioritize. Do this before you buy any items using real currency.

 

Conclusion

Hopefully, these tips will ease your return to the world of Elsword. Many things have been added to the game, and there is surprisingly still an active community despite having different servers for each continent. You can also top up your currency with the Nexon Game Card that was previously known as Karma Koin from OffGamers here.

If you have any more suggestions or tips for returning players, then do not hesitate to comment down below.