To understand why v1.04.1 was significant, you have to look at the sweeping changes made in the parent 1.04 update. It is widely regarded by players as the "buff patch" because it significantly increased the viability of several playstyles :

: Reverted an unintentional nerf that had shortened the duration of infinite FP .

This specific sub-version was primarily a bug-fixing hotfix rather than a content update. Its most critical fixes included:

: Resolved issues where certain bosses, including the Elden Beast , would die at unintended times or fail to function properly under specific circumstances . Context: The Massive 1.04 Buffs