PIXEL
THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED FANTASY ACTION RPG. Rise, Tarnished, and be guided by grace to brandish the power of the Elden Ring and become an Elden Lord in the Lan
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition has its release date: FromSoftware and Bandai Namco have confirmed that Elden Ring Tarnished Edition launches on Nintendo Switch 2 on August 28, 2026. The announcement came via the official Elden Ring Twitter account on June 4, 2026, ending more than a year of speculation after the title was originally one of the first third-party games shown in the April 2025 Switch 2 Direct. The Tarnished Pack DLC — the same new content bundled into the Switch 2 release — drops for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC on the exact same day.
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition on Switch 2 is priced at $79.99 USD and ships as an 80 GB Game-Key Card per Nintendo Wire — the format Nintendo has standardised for larger third-party launches on the platform. Pre-orders are live now, and pre-ordering grants two bonus in-game gestures. The Tarnished Pack DLC on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC sits at roughly $3.50 (with some retailers listing closer to $5), giving existing players a low-friction way to get the new starting classes without re-buying the base game.
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition — Key Facts
From the Steam listing: THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED FANTASY ACTION RPG. Rise, Tarnished, and be guided by grace to brandish the power of the Elden Ring and become an Elden Lord in the Lands Between.
- Developer: FromSoftware, Inc.
- Publisher: FromSoftware, Inc., Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Genres: Action, RPG
- Platforms: Windows
- Languages: English*, French, Italian, German, Spanish – Spain, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese – Brazil, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish – Latin America, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Arabic
- Release: Feb 24, 2022
- Price: $59.99
- Steam features: Single-player campaign, Co-op support
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition — Watch the Trailer
About Elden Ring Tarnished Edition: Gameplay & Details
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition — Screenshots
What’s inside Elden Ring Tarnished Edition
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition is the most complete version of FromSoftware’s open-world RPG ever shipped on a single SKU. It includes the base game (which has now passed 30 million units sold worldwide) plus the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion (which has shifted more than 10 million copies of its own since launch). On top of that, the edition adds two new starting classes — Knight of Ides and Heavy Knight — new character armour, customisation options for the spectral steed Torrent, and additional weapons and skills. Everything in the new-content bundle is also being sold separately as the Tarnished Pack DLC on existing platforms so non-Switch 2 owners aren’t locked out.
Why the Switch 2 version was delayed in the first place
The original plan was to launch Elden Ring Tarnished Edition on Switch 2 in 2025, alongside the console’s launch window. That schedule fell apart after Gamescom 2025, when hands-on attendees reported significant frame-rate problems with the playable build — to the point that Bandai Namco asked outlets not to post video footage of the demo. FromSoftware moved the launch into 2026 in October 2025 to “allow time for performance adjustments,” and a more recent GDC 2026 hands-on session reported a meaningfully improved build. The August 28 date sits well into Switch 2’s second year, which gives FromSoftware roughly 12 months of additional optimisation time after the rough Gamescom demo.
How Elden Ring Tarnished Edition stacks up against the original
For players who already cleared the base game, the obvious question is whether Elden Ring Tarnished Edition on Switch 2 is worth a double-dip. The performance answer matters: hands-on impressions from a March 2026 build reportedly showed meaningful improvement over the rough Gamescom 2025 demo, though Bandai Namco has not yet published official frame-rate or resolution targets. For solo players, Elden Ring Tarnished Edition is the cleanest entry point ever with two starting classes that significantly change the early game pacing, plus the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion bundled in without separate purchase.
What the Tarnished Pack DLC adds for existing players
If you already own Elden Ring on PS5, Xbox, or PC, the relevant purchase on August 28 isn’t the Switch 2 version — it’s the standalone Tarnished Pack DLC. The Tarnished Pack contains the exact same additions that the Switch 2 Elden Ring Tarnished Edition ships with: the new Knight of Ides and Heavy Knight starting classes, the Torrent customisation options, additional character armour, and the new weapons/skills. The Tarnished Pack on existing platforms is priced at roughly $3.50, with reports suggesting it could climb to around $5 — a notably low entry point for new starting classes.
Bottom line on Elden Ring Tarnished Edition
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition on Switch 2 closes one of the most-asked-about gaps in the platform’s third-party lineup — and the fact that the new content also ships to other platforms means no existing Elden Ring fan gets left out. For Switch 2 owners who held off on PS5/PC versions, Elden Ring Tarnished Edition on August 28 is the cleanest entry point the game has ever had, with two new classes, the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, and a full year of additional performance work all in a single portable package.
What This Means for Switch 2 as a Platform
Elden Ring landing on Switch 2 is a meaningful technical milestone for Nintendo’s new platform. The original Elden Ring pushed PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series hardware hard at its 2022 launch, and bringing the full game with the Tarnished Pack content to Switch 2 demonstrates real engineering investment from both FromSoftware’s team and the porting partners involved. Players evaluating whether to pick up the Switch 2 version specifically should weigh the portability benefit against the inevitable graphical compromises that handheld hardware imposes; players who already own the game on another platform should consider whether the additional Tarnished Pack content alone justifies the repurchase. For Switch 2 owners who skipped Elden Ring during its original platform window, this is one of the most significant catalogue additions of the year.
For the broader Switch 2 third-party narrative, Elden Ring Tarnished Edition finally arriving is a major proof point. The console has had a strong first-party year, but its high-profile third-party launch slot was held by Elden Ring Tarnished Edition from the very first Switch 2 Direct — and a successful August 28 launch closes that chapter cleanly. Expect Elden Ring Tarnished Edition reviews to focus heavily on docked vs handheld performance comparisons. — Rynx
For player discussions, guides, and community reviews of Elden Ring Tarnished Edition, visit the Elden Ring Tarnished Edition Steam Community Hub.
The Steam listing has the full picture: Elden Ring Tarnished Edition.
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition — Store Widget Preview
Below: Steam’s official widget for Elden Ring Tarnished Edition with live storefront pricing and player review data.
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At a glance — verified Steam listing
| Developer | FromSoftware, Inc. |
| Publisher | FromSoftware, Inc., Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| Release date | Feb 24, 2022 |
| Price | $59.99 — verified 10 September 2026 |
| Platforms | Windows |
| Genres | Action, RPG |
| Steam features | Single-player, Multi-player, PvP, Online PvP, Co-op, Online Co-op |
| Languages | English, French, Italian, German, Spanish – Spain, Japanese and 9 more |
| Store screenshots | 10 |
⚠ Editorial Disclaimer
PixelForge Network is committed to transparent, honest coverage. This article reflects our independent analysis of FromSoftware and Bandai Namco’s June 4, 2026 announcement. Some links on this page may be affiliate links — see our editorial standards for details. Trailer footage and screenshots courtesy of IGN via YouTube.
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition Verdict: 7/10 and a Sensible Wishlist Add
Whether Elden Ring Tarnished Edition lands for a specific player comes down to genre affinity more than absolute quality. The core loop works, the presentation is intentional, and the developer has clearly considered what they wanted this release to feel like. For anyone actively looking for what Elden Ring Tarnished Edition offers, this is a competent pick at the current asking price. Others should sample before committing.
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Editorial note: Article compiled from publicly available Steam and developer sources. PixelForge Network has not received a review copy — this is coverage based on publicly verifiable information.
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