Bandai Namco and From Software have officially delayed the release of Elden Ring Tarnished Edition from later this year to sometime in 2026.
Following reports of dour performance earlier this year at Gamescom 2025, many fans were worried that the exciting Nintendo Switch 2 version of From Software’s epic open world game would release in an unfinished state.
While games like Star Wars Outlaws released with brilliant performance compared to early showings, Bandai Namco has announced that the new version of Elden Ring has been delayed specifically to address the port’s well-known performance issues.
In a statement released to press and fans, Bandai Namco explained that they have made the decision “to move the launch to 2026 to allow time for performance adjustments”, likely due to the sheer amount of backlash towards the port earlier this year.
Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition is a new Switch 2 focused version of the game that comes with the title’s brilliant Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. The game was so important for the console that it was a major draw of the system’s Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. In fact, the title was the first third-party title shown for the system.
Alongside being developed with the Nintendo Switch 2 in mind, Tarnished Edition also comes with new armour and customisation options including new classes that will expand the options available for players. All of these additional changes are also planned to be added to all other versions of the game alongside the release of the Switch 2 port.
From Software games have never been known for their great performance, but the state of Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition on Nintendo Switch 2 earlier this year was very disappointing. With the system easily more powerful than last gen systems, players noticed worse levels of performance than even a base Xbox One, which is just unacceptable.
Hopefully, with additional development time, Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition will shape up quite nicely by the time it releases in 2026. Additionally, with From Software working on the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive game The Duskbloods, this port is essentially a proof of concept for how well the team’s internal engine can run on Nintendo’s newest handheld.
