Honestly, it feels like a lifetime ago when we were all staring at that first 2019 teaser, losing our minds over a "shattering" we didn't even understand yet. But if you’re looking for the hard facts, the official Elden Ring release date was February 25, 2022. It didn’t just drop out of nowhere, though. The road to that Friday morning in February was paved with "hollowing," endless Reddit theories, and a very notable delay that almost broke the internet.
Most people forget that we were actually supposed to be playing it a month earlier. FromSoftware originally pegged January 21, 2022, as the big day. Then, in October 2021, they hit us with the news: they needed more time. They said the "depth and strategic freedom of the game exceeded initial expectations." Looking back at the sheer scale of the Lands Between, you’ve gotta admit they weren’t lying.
The Chaos of Launch Week
Launch day wasn't just a date on a calendar; it was a global event. Because of how time zones work, PC players in the US actually got to jump in on the evening of February 24. It was a weird, staggered rollout. Console players usually had to wait until midnight local time, leading to that classic "New Zealand trick" where everyone suddenly pretended to live in Auckland just to get an early start.
The game launched on basically everything: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. What’s wild is how well it ran on the older hardware. Sure, the loading times on a base PS4 were enough to let you go make a sandwich, but the fact that it worked at all was a feat.
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A Timeline of the "Hollowing"
- June 2019: The E3 reveal. George R.R. Martin’s name attached. Pure hype.
- The Long Silence: Two years of absolutely nothing. No screenshots. No tweets.
- June 2021: Summer Game Fest. The "Pot Boy" trailer. The world heals.
- October 2021: The 5-week delay is announced.
- February 25, 2022: Total global takeover.
Why the Delay Was the Best Thing for Us
If FromSoftware had shoved the game out in January, would it have been the same? Probably not. That extra month was clearly spent polishing the "strategic freedom" they mentioned. When you look at the complexity of the AI in places like Stormveil Castle or the way the open world handles legacy dungeons, you can see where that extra time went.
There’s this misconception that the game was delayed because it was "broken." In reality, it’s more likely they were balancing the sheer volume of content. They were moving from the linear corridors of Dark Souls to a world where you could literally go anywhere. That’s a nightmare to QA.
Beyond the Original Launch: Shadow of the Erdtree
Fast forward a couple of years, and the cycle repeated itself. We spent ages wondering when the DLC would arrive. Then, June 21, 2024, became the next "release date" burned into our brains. Shadow of the Erdtree didn't just add a map; it basically gave us Elden Ring 1.5.
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It’s interesting how the DLC launch mirrored the base game. It cost $40—a price point that raised some eyebrows until people realized the Land of Shadow was bigger than most full AAA games. By the time 2026 rolled around, between the base game and the expansion, the franchise had pushed past 47 million copies sold. That’s not just "good for a Soulslike." That’s Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto territory.
The 2025 Spin-off: Nightreign
Let’s talk about the thing people actually got wrong recently. In May 2025, we got Elden Ring: Nightreign. Some folks called it an asset flip. Others were obsessed with the 3-player co-op focus. It launched on May 30, 2025, and while it didn't get the 10/10s the original did, it still sold 2 million copies in 24 hours. It proved that the brand—and the lore—is basically bulletproof at this point.
What to Do If You're Just Starting Now
If you are just now looking up the Elden Ring release date because you’re late to the party, don't sweat it. The community is still massive. Here is the move:
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- Grab the "Tarnished Edition" if you're on the new hardware. It’s the most stable way to play and usually includes the DLC.
- Don't use a guide for your first ten hours. Seriously. The magic of this game is the "Oh, what's that over there?" factor.
- Keep an eye on the 2026 Nintendo Switch 2 rumors. Word is a native port is finally happening this year, which would be a technical miracle.
- Check your version number. If you’re playing on PC, make sure you’re updated to the latest 2026 patches—they’ve done wonders for the stuttering issues that plagued the 2022 launch.
The Lands Between hasn't gotten any easier since 2022, but the tools we have to survive it definitely have. Go get your horse and try not to let the Tree Sentinel ruin your day.
Actionable Next Steps:
Check your platform's store for the "Shadow of the Erdtree Edition" bundle to get the complete experience in one package. If you're on PC, ensure your drivers are updated specifically for Direct X 12 to avoid the frame-drop issues that have persisted since the original launch. For those interested in the competitive side, head to the Colosseums in Limgrave, Caelid, or Leyndell to engage in the active 2026 PvP meta.