Elden Ring is among the most popular and iconic FromSoftware games ever created, with its completely original characters and world captivating players and continuing to draw in new players after all this time. Fans of the franchise have been eagerly waiting for updates on the next big Elden Ring release slated for 2026, and some are growing impatient.
With the specific 2026 release date of Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition still up in the air, Nintendo Switch 2 players are starting to feel like the wait will never end. Seeing as the new edition was announced almost a year ago and then delayed (ostensibly due to optimization issues), Switch 2 gamers still have no way of playing Elden Ring and are stuck in a sort of limbo (via Reddit).
When Is Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition Releasing?
Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition promises to be the definitive Elden Ring experience, though it’s hard for players to get excited with no release window in sight. Currently, it’s still assumed that a 2026 launch is planned, though no official update or specific release date has been announced.
When it does eventually drop, the Tarnished Edition will introduce new armor sets, weapons, classes, etc., as well as finally introducing a Nintendo Switch 2 port. While all Elden Ring players have had a tough wait since the new edition’s announcement, there’s no doubt Switch 2 players have had it the worst.
Switch 2 users on Reddit have been preparing for an update on the project for a while now, and after the Nintendo Direct event earlier this month came up dry as well, players are having mixed feelings. Some fans are sick of waiting, but others argue that they’d rather have the game optimized and with decent performance as opposed to “a broken mess” (via Reddit), in reference to early previews of Tarnished Edition that highlighted its shortcomings.
That said, rumors of another possible Nintendo Direct in February have been circulating (via X), and if that were to pan out, there’s a case to be made that an Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition and/or The Duskbloods update announcement is on the way. It’s likely FromSoftware have been working diligently on making performance for the Switch 2 port pristine, and unless a further delay is announced soon, players should still expect it sometime this year.
Gamers Are In For A Bit More Of A Wait
While Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition doesn’t have an official release date yet, the wait is (hopefully) almost over. Barring any further optimization issues for the port, Nintendo Switch 2 gamers should be exploring the Lands Between in a matter of months.
Further, it’s likely FromSoft will soon provide players with some sort of update on the port and their upcoming release, The Duskbloods, especially considering we’re almost a quarter of the way through 2026 already.
Overall, while it’s disappointing that Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition is taking this long, it will definitely be worth the wait if it means players are going to have a high-quality finished product.
Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition
- Released
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2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Publisher(s)
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Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer
- Number of Players
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Single-player
