From Software and Sony Computer Entertainment have confirmed a serious progression flaw in the newly released video game Bloodborne — the critically acclaimed but seriously difficult successor to the Souls series.

The progression bug has impeded the progress of some players in the game, resulting in a missed boss fight.

An email by Sony to video game news website Polygon confirmed that a hotfix for the identified bug is on its way. While waiting for the hotfix, there is a pretty easy way for gamers to avoid finding themselves in the hopeless situation.

A word of caution, however, before proceeding with the article — there will be some minor spoilers regarding the names of certain characters and locations.

The reported progression bug stems from the player reports, which From Software has confirmed, regarding the Lunarium Key. The key, which should be found within Byrgenwerth College, will sometimes be missing due to a multiplayer bug.

Gamers who are unable to find the key will not be able to pay a visit to Master Willem, and will in turn not be able to access Moonside Lake and the boss fight against Rom the Vacuous Spider.

Gamers can make sure that they won't be affected by the progression bug simply by avoiding it. Gamers are advised to hold off on initiating multiplayer sessions for the Forbidden Woods area using the items named Small Resonant Bell or Sinister Resonant Bell.

According to Sony and From Software, the hotfix to address the progression flaw in Bloodborne, specifically version 1.02, will be released soon. It's expected to arrive within the next week.

Sony noted that the hotfix won't address previously confirmed improvements to Bloodborne, which include several fixes to the loading times of the game and various performance enhancements. The planned improvements to Bloodborne will be part of a separate patch to be released at a later date.

The upcoming patches, however, will not fix the notorious difficulty of the title that makes it a worthy successor to Demon's Souls and Dark Souls. Whereas its predecessors focused on swords and shields, Bloodborne has introduced firearms to the mix of weapons for players, thereby creating an entirely new experience.  

In spite of being a successor to the Souls series, Bloodborne has carved out its own name as a leaner and quicker title with faster-paced combat and a focus on offense over defense.