Short answer: install Ver.1.0.4 or later. That update fixes the Original Sin black screen, the Thicket Visgo underground lock, an event-scene rendering problem and a phase-transition failure. The remaining issue documented in the Ver.1.0.4 notice is a rare black screen in Summons; the official response is to close the game through the platform menu and restart.
Death Game caution. If the Summons black screen occurs, close the game through the platform system menu before HP reaches zero. Bandai Namco specifically states that doing so prevents Death Game Mode from deleting the save in this situation.
Current issue documented for Ver.1.0.4
| Issue | Trigger | Official workaround | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summons black screen | Rarely occurs after removing the barrier to the boss area, following the enemy introduction sequence. | Exit through the platform system menu and restart the game before HP reaches zero. | Official workaround in the Ver.1.0.4 notice. |
Under normal conditions the screen fades back in and the battle begins within a few seconds after the introduction ends or is skipped. If it stays black, use the documented restart procedure rather than waiting for combat damage to continue in the background.
Fixed in Ver.1.0.4
- Opportunity: Thicket Visgo could remain underground after being hit during its digging animation.
- Event scenes: the player character could fail to render under specific equipment conditions.
- Original Sin: the screen could remain black after quest completion when using a partner other than Iori, Zash or Argo.
- Enemy phases: some phase transitions could fail after HP reached zero and the Break Marker was destroyed.
The Original Sin partner workaround belongs to Ver.1.0.3-era guidance. On Ver.1.0.4 or later, the official patch notes mark that issue as fixed.
How this tracker is maintained
An actionable entry needs a publisher notice, a precise trigger and a workaround that does not create a larger risk. This page therefore uses official patch notes for version status and keeps historical fixes separate from the one current workaround.
For combat preparation, use the beginner's guide, partner system guide and Death Game Mode guide. This page is limited to versioned support information.
Before reporting a problem
First confirm the version shown on the title screen and restart the game normally once. A walkthrough problem, a missed objective marker or an enemy that has not been approached in the intended order may look like a defect without matching a publisher-confirmed issue. Do not overwrite a save, reinstall, change console settings or repeatedly force-close the game solely on the basis of a social-media post. Those steps can create a different problem and make the original issue harder to describe.
When an issue is reproducible, write down the quest name, platform, game version, exact location, chosen partner, equipment condition and the last action before the failure. A short clip or screenshot can be useful, but avoid sharing account IDs or personal details. This is the information an official support channel can use to compare your case with an existing report. It also helps distinguish a one-time loading delay from the precise Summons black-screen case described above.
Safe triage order
- Check the version: install the latest available platform update before attempting an old workaround.
- Protect the save: if the documented Summons black screen occurs in Death Game Mode, follow the publisher's platform-menu exit instruction before HP reaches zero.
- Use the exact trigger: compare the quest, partner and sequence to the official notice; similar-looking black screens can have different causes.
- Escalate through official support: if a current issue has no published workaround, send the version and reproduction details to the publisher rather than treating a community fix as confirmed.
This guide does not promise that every future report is already fixed. It intentionally has a smaller scope: explain the support information that can be traced to a dated official notice, retain useful history after a fix, and remove an old workaround when a newer patch supersedes it. That makes it safer to consult than a long unverified bug list.