Elden Ring Tarnished Edition Delayed to 2026: Inside the Nintendo Switch 2 Port That Hit a Wall
Nintendo’s Switch 2 has landed, but FromSoftware’s promised Elden Ring Tarnished Edition has hit a snag—casting doubt on the blockbuster’s debut on the new console.
Quick update for anyone hoping to take a brutally difficult stroll through The Lands Between on Nintendo hardware: it is going to be a longer wait.
The short version
"While development on #ELDENRING Tarnished Edition continues wholeheartedly toward release, we have decided to move the launch to 2026 to allow time for performance adjustments. We apologize to players looking forward to the game and thank you for your patience and support."
FromSoftware shared that on October 23, 2025, pushing Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition for the Switch 2 out of its original 2025 window. The studio echoed the same message on its Japanese account the same day, saying it needs more time to tune performance before release.
Why the delay?
The official line is 'performance adjustments.' That is a polite way of saying the port needs more optimization to run the way it should on Nintendo's new handheld/console hybrid. Given the game FromSoft is trying to bring over is Elden Ring in full, that makes sense.
The port has looked shaky for a while
If you have been tracking this version since it was announced alongside Nintendo launching the Switch 2 earlier this year, none of this is shocking. Reports out of Gamescom suggested early builds on Switch 2 were choppy, with noticeable frame rate swings and other performance hiccups. That made folks understandably cautious about how a massive, reactive open world like Elden Ring would hold up on a portable machine.
What Tarnished Edition actually includes
This is not a bare-bones port. FromSoftware is packing in the big add-on and some extras:
- Shadow of the Erdtree DLC
- Exclusive content created for this edition
- Additional sets of armor and weapons
- New player classes and more
Can Switch 2 really handle it?
Switch 2 is a clear step up from the original Switch and has even been praised for running heavy hitters like Cyberpunk 2077 smoothly. Still, Elden Ring is a different kind of beast: a sprawling, dynamic world with lots of moving parts. Also worth remembering: even with the upgrade, Switch 2 is not in the same power tier as PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. So this is not a simple drag-and-drop port; it is real optimization work.
How players are taking it
Surprisingly level-headed. Delays usually spark a firestorm, but in this case a lot of FromSoftware fans are fine with waiting if it means a cleaner launch, not weeks of patches. That sentiment tracks with how this community tends to value performance and polish in these games.
The upside of waiting
Sliding to 2026 gives the team time to smooth out the rough edges and maybe fold in a few extras that would have been rushed under the original timeline. Less crunch, better frame pacing, fewer headaches at launch — all the things you want for a game that lives and dies by feel.
Are you still planning to dive into Tarnished Edition on Switch 2 when it lands next year, or is this pushing you to play it elsewhere first?