Elden Ring
Released 25 February 2022 Developer FromSoftware Publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment
An open-world action role-playing game from the makers of Dark Souls. You travel across the Lands Between, fight demanding enemies and bosses, and shape a character from a large choice of weapons and spells. Optional online features let you call in other players to help or be invaded by them. The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion adds a large new area. It is hard, violent and rated for older teens and adults.
How it makes money
Fair: pay clearly, know the ceiling
Bought once: A$89.95 on Steam and Xbox, A$84.95 on PlayStation. The main optional extra is the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion (A$59.95), also sold with the base game as the Shadow of the Erdtree Edition (A$119.95 on Steam, A$114.95 on PlayStation). A small Tarnished Pack (A$7.55: two starting classes, four armour sets and three Torrent skins) arrived in August 2026. The Nintendo Switch 2 Tarnished Edition (A$114.95) includes the game, the expansion and the pack's content. Everything is a fixed price, and we found no in-game currency or random-item purchases. Getting everything costs about A$115 to A$128 depending on platform.
How you pay
- Pay once
A$89.95 on Steam and Xbox (A$84.95 on PlayStation) for the base game.
- Expansion
Shadow of the Erdtree is a large paid expansion at A$59.95, or bundled with the base game as the Shadow of the Erdtree Edition (A$119.95 on Steam).
- Paid DLC
The Tarnished Pack (A$7.55, August 2026) adds two starting classes, armour and Torrent skins; a Premium Bundle also adds an artbook and soundtrack to the expansion (A$74.95 on Steam).
minor part of the game - Editions
Deluxe and Shadow of the Erdtree editions repackage the game (A$119.95 to A$149.95 on Steam), and the Switch 2 Tarnished Edition (28 August 2026, A$114.95) is a re-release with the expansion included.
minor part of the game - Online sub
Online co-op and PvP on PlayStation, Xbox and Switch 2 need the console's paid online membership (Nintendo says so for the Switch 2 edition); PC does not, and single-player does not.
minor part of the game
What it costs
Price: A$88.28 · everything A$127.50
| What | Where | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Steam (AU) · PC ↗ | A$89.95 | Oct 2026 |
| Shadow of the Erdtree (expansion) | Steam (AU) · PC ↗ | A$59.95 | Oct 2026 |
| Tarnished Pack | Steam (AU) · PC ↗ | A$7.55 | Oct 2026 |
| Shadow of the Erdtree Edition (game + expansion) | Steam (AU) · PC ↗ | A$119.95 | Oct 2026 |
| Shadow of the Erdtree Deluxe Edition Game, expansion, digital artbook and soundtrack. |
Steam (AU) · PC ↗ | A$149.95 | Oct 2026 |
| Standard (PS4 & PS5) | PlayStation Store (AU) · PS5 ↗ | A$84.95 | Oct 2026 |
| Shadow of the Erdtree Edition (game + expansion) | PlayStation Store (AU) · PS5 ↗ | A$114.95 | Oct 2026 |
| Tarnished Pack | PlayStation Store (AU) · PS5 ↗ | A$7.55 | Oct 2026 |
| Standard | Xbox Store (AU) · Xbox Series ↗ | A$89.95 | Oct 2026 |
| Shadow of the Erdtree (expansion) | Xbox Store (AU) · Xbox Series ↗ | A$59.95 | Oct 2026 |
| Tarnished Edition Game, Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, new armour and Torrent customisation. |
Nintendo eShop (AU) · Switch 2 ↗ | A$114.95 | Oct 2026 |
Store prices change often and sales are common; we record the regular price on the date shown.
Reviews from across the web
What the critics said
-
10/ 10
IGN ↗
Sees a major step beyond the Souls games, with tough combat in an open world where players choose their own route.
-
10/ 10
Game Informer ↗
Praises its memorable mix of ideas and counts it among the best games ever made.
-
90/ 100
PC Gamer ↗
Finds it reaches new heights as an open-world action RPG, though it leans heavily on familiar ideas.
-
Essential
Eurogamer ↗
Describes a grand, mysterious world that is somewhat more welcoming thanks to tweaks to the FromSoftware formula.
Scores belong to the outlets that published them; follow the links to read the full reviews. Summaries are ours.
Age ratings
Classification
Age ratings judge content (violence, language, gambling themes). They say little about how hard a game pushes spending — that's what the badges above are for. About rating boards
Safety & parental controls
Who can talk to your child, and what can they buy?
- Preset messages only
- Players can interact with strangers
- No user-made content
- No account needed
Online mode lets other players leave short messages built from preset words, appear as ghosts, be summoned for co-op with a password, or invade your game for PvP; there is no free-text or voice chat in the game. Playing offline switches the online features off. Rated MA 15+ in Australia (strong fantasy violence and themes), M in the US and PEGI 16; ESRB and PEGI also flag in-game purchases, which here means the paid expansion and DLC.
Platforms & release
Where you can play it
| Platform | Released | Store |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch 2 Sold as ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition. |
28 August 2026 | Store page ↗ |
| PlayStation 5 | 25 February 2022 | Store page ↗ |
| PlayStation 4 | 25 February 2022 | Store page ↗ |
| Xbox Series X|S | 25 February 2022 | Store page ↗ |
| Xbox One | 25 February 2022 | Store page ↗ |
| Windows PC | 25 February 2022 | Store page ↗ |
Further reading
- RPG Site: Elden Ring Tarnished Pack price, contents and release ↗
- Nintendo Australia: ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition (Switch 2) ↗
- Wikipedia ↗
Facts last checked 22 October 2026. Sources: store.steampowered.com, store.steampowered.com, store.steampowered.com, store.steampowered.com, store.steampowered.com, store.playstation.com, displaycatalog.mp.microsoft.com, www.nintendo.com, api.ec.nintendo.com, www.classification.gov.au, www.rpgsite.net, opencritic.com, en.wikipedia.org. Spotted something wrong? Send a correction.