Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition brings FromSoftware’s open-world Soulslike to Nintendo Switch 2 on August 28, 2026, bundling the base game with Shadow of the Erdtree in a single package. The launch coincides with a multi-platform rollout of patch 1.17 (update 1.24 on consoles), which supports the new Tarnished Pack DLC and delivers broad balance changes and bug fixes for players on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Tarnished Edition marks Elden Ring’s long-awaited debut on Nintendo’s second-generation hybrid, following a delay from its original 2025 window while FromSoftware took extra time to optimize performance on the new hardware. Bandai Namco frames the release as bringing both the Lands Between and the Realm of Shadow to life on Switch 2 in physical and digital forms worldwide, giving handheld players immediate access to the base game and its colossal expansion.
Whether you’re starting fresh on Switch 2 or returning on another platform, the most immediately noticeable change is the addition of two new starting classes: the Heavy Knight and Idus Knight. The Heavy Knight begins at a higher Rune Level with robust Strength, Vigor, and Endurance, clad in a full Steel armor set and swinging a Hefty Scimitar—gear that normally appears much later in a standard playthrough. The Idus Knight, by contrast, leans into Dexterity, Mind, and Faith while maintaining solid Strength, arriving with Silver Grooved armor, a matching shield, and an Idus Sword, a Light Greatsword type first introduced in Shadow of the Erdtree. By handing out weapons and armor that are usually locked behind dozens of hours of progression, Tarnished Edition makes it far easier for new characters to brush up against expansion content and experiment with late-game builds right from the opening hours.
The Tarnished Pack doesn’t stop at starting archetypes; it also adds four new armor sets, including the Steel and Idus gear tied to the new classes alongside additional options like the Lucatiel and Mad Gold outfits. Lucatiel’s set is a clear nod to the fan-favorite wanderer from Dark Souls II, who also left her mark in Dark Souls III, reinforcing FromSoftware’s habit of weaving subtle cross-references between its worlds. Players can further personalize their journeys with three cosmetic variants for Torrent, giving the spectral steed new visual identities so your mount can finally match your Tarnished’s aesthetic instead of remaining a default blue blur.
Under the surface, Elden Ring’s 1.17 patch (1.24 on consoles) is being treated as one of the game’s most substantial balance overhauls to date, arriving alongside Tarnished Edition to re-tune weapons, spells, and character builds while cleaning up lingering technical issues. The update implements support for the new content pack, introduces additional invasion events in areas such as Caelid and Leyndell, and folds in a suite of quality-of-life tweaks that help streamline progression toward Shadow of the Erdtree without demanding a 30–60 hour grind beforehand. For veterans who already toppled the Elden Beast and carved a path through the Realm of Shadow, the combination of new gear, balance changes, and early access to high-end tools offers a strong incentive to roll a fresh character and approach the Lands Between from a different angle.
All of this lands at a moment when the broader Soulslike landscape is more crowded than ever, with newer contenders like Lies of P, Mortal Shell 2, and FromSoftware’s own Elden Ring: Nightreign and The Duskbloods vying for players’ attention, yet Elden Ring continues to be held up as the studio’s high-water mark. Instead of treating the Switch 2 launch as a simple port, pairing Tarnished Edition with a sweeping multi-platform update signals that Elden Ring remains a living, evolving project. For players who have been waiting for a definitive way to experience the Lands Between, the combination of Tarnished Edition on Switch 2 and the Tarnished Pack on other platforms comes closer than ever to a complete, modernized version of FromSoftware’s most ambitious RPG.
