FromSoftware has sure enough stated that the Elden Ring Tarnished Edition has undergone a significant delay with its release now slated for 2026. The developer assured that the work is being done “wholeheartedly” but they need more time for “performance adjustments.” This headline-grabbing piece of news has come as a sudden shock for a lot of gamers who have been eagerly waiting for the next installment in the already popular souls-like saga.
An official tweet from the Elden Ring account expressed sorry to those who were looking forward to the game and simultaneously thanked the audience for their patience and support. This is one of the most major releases that have been delayed so far, with the game now scheduled to be launched almost four years after the phenomenal success of the original Elden Ring.
What is the actual reason for this delay? The developers have justified it as a matter of performance enhancement. Quite frankly, this does sound a bit reasonable. The original Elden Ring did face some performance problems during its launch, most notably on PC, and it appears that FromSoftware is trying hard not to let this happen again. A gamer made the remark “Makes a change for them to delay a game rather than just release it in a mess. Hopefully a sign of things to come for FromSoft,” which very well captures the general sentiment that a carefully crafted release might be worth the wait.
Community response has been… well, typical for the Souls community. On the one hand, some are sympathetic, while others are very angry and then there is the usual chaos in the comments. For example, one person said “I’m not used to you guys wanting to optimise performance wtf” which is rather amusing because yes, FromSoftware’s games are not known to have smooth performances at the time of release.
The comments section has seen some really engaging discussions with different opinions expressed. One user was begging for cross-progression feature, arguing that this would not only increase sales but also allow the players to continue playing their characters on different platforms. In contrast, someone was saying “GIVE IT A REAL PHYSICAL RELEASE ON THE 64GB CARD!!!” which shows that the supporters of physical media are still very much there and are not giving up on their rights.
Amidst the whole debate, the Dark Souls 2 remaster issue was again brought up, which is a very common occurrence in these discussions. One user shouted “we want ds2 remaster” but he was imediately met with a huge ratio of people calling this opinion, everything from “schizophrenic episode” to simply “wrong”. The Dark Souls 2 discourse will never die; it will just find new threads to haunt.
Performance seems to have been the real issue here. Console gamers were sarcastically debating with PC gamers, while the latter defended the quality of their gear. One commentator said that he had his RX570 and 3600X running just fine at 1080p, thus proving that you do not necessarily have to have the latest hardware to enjoy these games. However, the fact that FromSoftware is mentioning performance adjustments signals that they are taking the technical side of things very seriously this time.
Still, the delay to 2026 feels like an eternity. We are looking at a release date that seems to have come straight out of a sci-fi movie. By the time this game is released, we may even have flying cars or something. But still, I prefer the wait for a polished product over another rushed release. The gaming industry has had enough of the recent such releases.
Some gamers have already started making their wish-lists of the content which they want to be added to the delayed version. One skinflint in the comments said “Add a photo mode and all is forgiven,” which is a nice suggestion, to be honest. The vistas of Elden Ring are extremely stunning and it would be great to be able to enjoy those moments perfectly. In addition, another person suggested putting the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC on sale, to which… yes, that would be great too.
The ongoing conversation has revealed that some people are really confused about what exactly is going to be included in the Tarnished Edition. Is it just the base game and DLC? A full remake? The discussions have actually shown that the audience is a little in the dark, as one of them has said “that’s a whole dlc, and its still coming out this year as of now” referring to the Shadow of Erdtree.
Someone had to draw the parallel with The Last of Us, and it happened quickly when a user called it “the last of us of souls games” indicating that he is referring to the games’ multiple delays and re-releases. However, if Elden Ring Tarnished Edition finally turns out to be as good as The Last of Us Part 1’s PlayStation 5 version, then perhaps the waiting will be worth it.
Furthermore, this delay signifies a cultural shift in gaming. Players have become suspicious of unplayable launches. Meanwhile, developers have been (slowly) adjusting to the trend. In fact, FromSoftware’s delaying a highly anticipated release this far seems to indicate that they are listening to the complaints regarding performance issues.
A surprisingly mixed community reaction. No doubt there is a lot of disappointment, but many players still appreciate the honesty and the commitment to quality. One person once very succinctly put it: “Yea fix it and don’t do bs like sparkling zero” – a reference to other recent game launches that are not named but are well known to the audience and are basically what the commenter is pointing at.
So what does this all imply for the immediate future? Mostly, Shadow of the Erdtree is still slated for release this year (at least, as far as we know), so players will have that as a support. And the truth is – the original Elden Ring has more than enough content to keep people busy until 2026 anyway. I, for one, have not yet conquered Malenia without summoning, and at this rate, I will not do so until the Tarnished Edition is released.
The delay to 2026 gives FromSoftware the opportunity to truly refine whatever is being worked on. It might be a next-gen upgrade, an all-in-one edition with all the content, or something completely new, but the extra dev time will definitely be a big plus. In an industry where the delayed release has almost become the norm, it is really nice to see a developer that puts quality before deadlines.
While waiting for more information, we can expect the community surrounding the Elden Ring to continue with its speculations, arguments about Dark Souls 2 and patiently (or not so patiently) counting down the days until 2026, without a doubt. The lands beyond will simply have to wait a while longer for their tarnished heroes to return.
