Elden Ring — Game Overview, Versions & Where to Start

Elden Ring is FromSoftware’s open-world action RPG — the game that took the Souls formula into the Lands Between and won more than 400 Game of the Year awards. Released February 25, 2022 and published by Bandai Namco, it has shipped over 30 million copies. This wiki covers the whole package: the base game, the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, the Tarnished Pack add-on, and the standalone co-op spin-off Elden Ring Nightreign.

What versions of Elden Ring exist?

• Base game (Feb 25, 2022) — PC, PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Series. $59.99.
• Shadow of the Erdtree (Jun 21, 2024) — the one major expansion, opening the Realm of Shadow with its own story, map, and boss roster. $39.99.
• Tarnished Pack (Aug 28, 2026) — a $4.99 add-on on all platforms: two new starting classes, four armor sets, three Torrent skins, and new weapons. See the Tarnished Pack guide.
• Tarnished Edition (Aug 28, 2026) — the Nintendo Switch 2 bundle containing base game + Shadow of the Erdtree + Tarnished Pack.
• Elden Ring Nightreign (May 30, 2025) — a standalone co-op spin-off, $39.99. Separate game, separate patches — covered in our Nightreign section.

Is Elden Ring still worth playing in 2026?

Yes — and August 2026 was the biggest content drop since the DLC. The Tarnished Pack added new gear to an existing-save collection route, the Switch 2 port brought a new wave of first-time players, and the game’s Steam activity climbed back above a 30K-player monthly average. Patch v1.17 is the current balance baseline — every guide on this wiki is checked against it.

Where should a new player start?

If this is your first run, read the beginner guide first — it covers the opening hours, combat fundamentals, and where to go. If you are choosing a class, the starting class comparison includes the two new Tarnished Pack origins. When you hit a wall, our boss pages — Malenia, Messmer, Promised Consort Radahn — break down phases, weaknesses, and summoning.

What’s in Shadow of the Erdtree?

The Realm of Shadow is a second map roughly the size of Limgrave + Liurnia combined, gated behind Mohg, Lord of Blood. It adds eight remembrance bosses — including Messmer the Impaler and the final wall, Promised Consort Radahn — plus its own power-scaling system (Scadutree Blessing) that levels the field regardless of your character level.

How do the endings work?

Six endings total: one standard, four variant conditions, and Ranni’s age-of-stars finale — most gated behind long NPC questlines like the Ranni questline. Our all-endings guide maps every requirement.

ELDEN RING – Official Gameplay Reveal (Bandai Namco) — YouTube

ELDEN RING – Official Gameplay Reveal (Bandai Namco)