From a purely mechanical perspective, v1.04 is the culmination of FromSoftware’s post-launch support. Released in the spring of 2020, this patch was not merely a collection of bug fixes; it was a recalibration of the game’s harsh economy. Most notably, it reduced the "Spirit Emblem" cost for several powerful but situational Prosthetic Tools, such as the Sabimaru and the Finger Whistle. Furthermore, it increased the "Souls" (Sen and Skill Points) rewarded for defeating higher-NG+ cycle enemies. For the legitimate player, v1.04 smoothed out the grinding friction of the late game, encouraging experimentation with the Shinobi Prosthetic rather than forcing reliance on the katana alone. It was a final act of developer mercy, making an unforgiving world slightly more forgiving.
Sekiro stood up. His Kusabimaru was chipped. His gourd had two less charges. The world felt wrong , like a sake cup glazed with a single invisible crack. Sekiro Shadows Die Twice Update v1 04-CODEX
The release has become the "vanilla benchmark" because: From a purely mechanical perspective, v1