The new Tarnished Pack for Elden Ring has been subject to review bombing following its release, with the included skins being a particular source of ire. The DLC for Elden Ring brings the additional content featured in the Tarnished Edition release on Switch 2.
The open-world RPG created by FromSoftware is easily one of the most popular games of the 2020s. Elden Ring has been an overwhelming success with both fans and critics alike, selling more than 13 million copies within a month of its launch and more than 30 million copies to date. The RPG handily captured the coveted “Game of the Year” award in 2022, and the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC was similarly nominated for the prestigious honor at the 2024 Game Awards. Now, the game has arrived on Switch 2 with Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition, but the equivalent DLC pack has drawn the ire of fans.
Elden Ring Tarnished Pack is Being Review Bombed
Elden Ring is currently being review-bombed on Steam in response to the launch of the game’s Tarnished Pack DLC. Many fans have taken issue with some of the skins included as part of the Tarnished Pack, particularly criticizing publisher Bandai Namco for Elden Ring‘s new Torrent skins included as part of the $5 DLC. Incensed customers have compared the DLC to the controversial “Horse Armor” DLC for The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, which only included different armor for the players’ horses and is commonly cited as one of the earliest examples of microtransactions in gaming. The review bombing has dropped the rating for the Tarnished Pack to ‘Mixed’ on Steam, with more than 800 negative reviews only three days after its release.
The controversial DLC includes all the new content added to the Switch 2 version of Elden Ring. The DLC comes packed with two brand-new classes for players to choose when starting a new playthrough, debuting both the Heavy Knight and Idus Knight. The previously mentioned Torrent content includes three new Spectral Steed skins that players can find throughout the world of Elden Ring, alongside the addition of multiple new weapons. Players can even participate in two new NPC Invasion events in the DLC, adding Invasions in Caelid and Leyndell, Royal Capital.
While Elden Ring‘s new DLC has been a point of criticism for fans, the game’s Switch 2 release comes packed with content. Elden Ring Tarnished Edition includes both the base game and the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, for a lower price than fans would have to spend to buy both separately. The new weapons and armor also feature several sets based on equipment from the Dark Souls franchise, including armor sets inspired by Dark Souls 2‘s Lucatiel and Dark Souls 3‘s Henri of Astora.
The future of Elden Ring looks as bright as ever with plenty on the way from the mega-popular IP. Bandai Namco recently confirmed that FromSoftware intends to “continue to make improvements” into the future, with more small updates for Elden Ring planned. The franchise is also receiving a film adaptation from Ex Machina director Alex Garland, with the Elden Ring movie scheduled to officially premiere in theaters on March 3, 2028. Between new updates to the original game and a movie in production, FromSoftware and Bandai Namco are primed to ride Elden Ring‘s success well into the future.
- Released
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August 28, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
