The Enigmatic World of Speedrunning
Speedrunners are often regarded as the wizards of the gaming world. Through hours of dedicated practice and study, they manage to transcend the boundaries of their digital environments, performing feats that seem almost magical. When a new technique appears, it’s akin to observing mages exchange arcane secrets. Such is the case with a newly-discovered speedrun tech in Elden Ring, known as the “Legasus” glitch.
Understanding the Legasus Glitch
The “Legasus” glitch, a portmanteau of “Pegasus” and “leg,” lets players essentially walk through the air in the world of Elden Ring. Discovered by speedrunners Joo, Lumi, and Vir, this glitch enables players to enter a limited no-gravity state by interrupting the animation that occurs while summoning Torrent, the player’s mount. During this summoning animation, a series of flags and effects are briefly triggered. By suspending the animation at a specific frame before the player mounts Torrent, these effects, including anti-gravity, remain active until the animation resumes.
Activating the Legasus Glitch
There are a few methods to activate this glitch. The simplest involves using a Stonesword Key statue, which leaves the player in a state called “stoned”—a condition where certain actions cannot disable others, until the player dies, teleports, or picks up an item. While in this state, whistling for Torrent and then interacting with a Site of Grace with precise timing will activate the Legasus glitch. Alternatively, triggering a Madness or Sleep effect at the necessary frame can also suspend Torrent’s animation.
Implications for Speedrunners
Once activated, the glitch allows the player to walk weightlessly through the air, although the effect is canceled if the player’s character enters their idle animation. Speedrunners have found ways to prevent this by blocking with a shield or changing direction by aiming a bow and rolling. As noted by speedrunner Distortion2, the discovery of the Legasus glitch comes at a critical time, coinciding with a $10,000 Elden Ring speedrun competition. This glitch may significantly impact routing options and strategies for the challenge, making it somewhat easier to achieve the ambitious objectives set forth.
As speedrunners continue to refine their craft and discover new techniques such as the Legasus glitch, they indeed resemble modern-day sorcerers, constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the gaming world.
