"The Crown of the Old Iron King," the latest calibration patch of the popular PlayStation 3 / Xbox 360 game "Dark Souls II" will be ready for uploading this week, ahead of worries that several of the spells would be weakened, making spellcasting characters even more put-upon.

But Peter Parrish, writing for IncGamers.com, reports that the process that has come to be known as "nerfing" actually is nothing more than rumor, stemming from a sloppily-done translation of the original Japanese notes. Accusations that the wizardly player class would have their primary armaments reduced set fire to on-line forums, but Parrish points out the mistranslations referring to reduced spell damage in reality most likely mean reduced poise damage. 

Like Us on Facebook

Widely condemned in the on-line community, nerfing is seen as making a game either more difficult or less worthwhile (the term comes from players likening a once-mighty weapon being reduced to a foam-rubber Nerf bat in a fight).

Parrish also describes a new item in the Majula Mansion chest, a Blacksteel Katana, that will be available between August 26 and September 5.

Like the previous DLC, "Crown of the Sunken King," "Crown of the Old Iron King" is said to have a cooperative area into which people who do not yet own the download can still be summoned.

Game-creator Bandai Namco released several screenshots of the DLC, and critics have so far praised designers for maintaining the high image quality and detail of scenes, foes, and backdrops characteristic of the game. 

"Crown of the Old Iron King" is the second of three patches for the gothic "Dark Souls II." On the Dark Souls II homepage, players are warned: "Beyond the Iron Keep, set in a 'Brume Tower' covered in soot and ash, players much bare through entirely new hardships."

DarkSoulsII.wiki reports that once downloaded, "Old Iron King" players must go to the primal bonfire in the Iron Keep and examine the obelisk there in order to be transported to the new sections, wherein lurks a mysterious "Child of Dark."

TagsDark Souls II, Dark Souls 2, Computer games, patch, nerfing, nerf, PS3, Crown of the Old Iron King