The next Elden Ring release is right around the corner, and it should appeal to longtime fans of the game and newcomers alike. Elden Ring was 2022’s biggest hit. The open world epic from FromSoftware released to rave reviews and quickly became one of the highest-rated video games ever made. FromSoftware and Bandai Namco have kept interest in Elden Ring alive through substantial free updates, the premium Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, the Nightreign spin-off, and soon, the release of the game’s Tarnished Edition.
Elden Ring will be releasing its Tarnished Edition on Friday, August 28. Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition will be bringing the game to the Nintendo Switch 2, giving owners of Nintendo’s latest home console/handheld hybrid the chance to take the beloved open world game on the go. There have been some reports to suggest Elden Ring was having some issues running on Switch 2, so hopefully those problems have been ironed out ahead of the August 28 launch. But even if you don’t own a Switch 2, or you have already played through Elden Ring extensively elsewhere, there is still reason to be excited about August 28.
What Comes in the Tarnished Pack?
- 2 New Starting Classes
- 3 Customization Skins for Torrent
- 4 New Armor Sets
On the same day that Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition releases for the Nintendo Switch 2, Bandai Namco and FromSoftware will be releasing the Tarnished Pack on other platforms. For $4.99, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC gamers can add the Tarnished Pack DLC to their game, which adds the new content that comes baked-in with the Switch 2 release. The main new additions are the two new starting classes, the Heavy Knight and the Idus Knight, but fans can also look forward to using four new armor sets and three customization skins for Torrent.
Click on the game with the higher OpenCritic rating.
Specific starting stats for the new Elden Ring classes have yet to be revealed, but it’s rumored that the Heavy Knight will be an Endurance build and the Idus Knight will be a Dex build. Of course, starting classes don’t have a permanent impact on how one plays Elden Ring, anyway. Elden Ring gives players the freedom to build whatever kind of character they want in the game, and even allows them to respec their points to switch to entirely different playstyles if they so desire.
Still, it can be fun to start a fresh Elden Ring adventure with a new class, and so the new starting classes combined with the fresh customization options could very well entice lapsed players to return to the game. Those experiencing Elden Ring for the first time on Switch 2 will certainly be the busiest on August 28, as not only does the Tarnished Edition include the gigantic base game, but it comes bundled with the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion as well.
The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion was controversially nominated for Game of the Year, and while a DLC winning GOTY wouldn’t make sense, there’s no denying the sheer amount of content that it adds to the experience. It’s also a testament to just how good Shadow of the Erdtree is. So, if you are a Switch 2 gamer that has yet to play Elden Ring, August 28 could turn out to be one of the best days for the handheld so far — assuming the previously mentioned technical issues have been fixed, that is.
- Released
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February 25, 2022
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
