Elden Ring 2: What We Actually Know Right Now (Getting Started Guide)

I spent three hours last week scrolling through Elden Ring 2 rumors on Reddit. You've probably done the same thing. It's a rabbit hole, honestly.

Here's what I found: there's no Elden Ring 2. Not delayed. Not rumored. Not "insiders say." Just not happening.

Miyazaki himself shut it down at the PlayStation Partner Awards in December 2024. When asked directly about a sequel, he said FromSoftware isn't even considering it right now. Not the answer any of us wanted to hear.

But that doesn't mean there's nothing to talk about, you know?

So what IS happening with Elden Ring?

The big thing coming is Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition for the Nintendo Switch 2. Drops August 28, 2026. This is the full base game plus Shadow of the Erdtree, wrapped into one package with a new exclusive class thrown in. If you search "Elden Ring 2" on Google (which about 50,000 people do every month), half those people are actually looking for the Tarnished Edition and just calling it "Elden Ring 2" because, well, it's Elden Ring on a new console with new stuff. I get the confusion. I really do.

I grabbed the original Elden Ring on launch day back in 2022. 120 hours later, I was still finding caves I'd missed. The game is stupidly big. If you're coming in fresh through the Tarnished Edition on Switch 2, you're about to have one of the best gaming experiences of your life. If you played it already and want more... keep reading. I guess that's why you're here.

What FromSoftware is actually making instead of a sequel

They're busy. Really busy.

The Duskbloods is their Switch 2 exclusive. Announced during the April 2025 Nintendo Direct. It's a new IP. Not Elden Ring, not Dark Souls, something completely fresh. Details are thin but it looks like a darker, blood-themed action RPG that pulls from Bloodborne's aesthetic with Elden Ring's scale. I'm cautiously hyped.

They also have multiple unannounced projects in the pipeline. Kadokawa (their parent company) mentioned in a financial report that FromSoftware has "several new titles in various stages of development." None of them are Elden Ring 2, but that doesn't mean the IP is dead. Bandai Namco owns the Elden Ring trademark and they're not going to let a game that sold 28 million copies just sit there forever. Not a chance.

Should you start with the original Elden Ring in 2026?

tbh, yes. Absolutely.

The game aged beautifully. The art direction wasn't chasing photorealism. It was chasing a specific vision, and that vision holds up perfectly four years later. The combat is still tight. The community is still active -- summon signs everywhere, messages on every ledge. You'll never feel alone in the Lands Between. Kinda magical, really.

If you're wondering whether to wait for a hypothetical sequel, don't. You'll be waiting years. Maybe a decade. FromSoftware doesn't rush sequels. Look at the gap between Dark Souls 3 (2016) and Elden Ring (2022). Six years. And that was with the same engine and design philosophy. A true Elden Ring 2, if it ever happens, would be a massive undertaking. Way bigger than anything they've done.

How to start Elden Ring if you've never played a Souls game

I was a Souls noob when Elden Ring came out. I died to the tutorial boss. Multiple times. It was embarrassing. Here's what I wish someone told me.

Pick Vagabond or Samurai for your first playthrough. Vagabond gives you a 100% physical block shield right away, which is a lifesaver when you're learning enemy patterns. Samurai starts with the Uchigatana, which applies bleed. That status effect is one of the strongest in the game. Both classes are forgiving for new players.

Don't fight the Tree Sentinel immediately. The game puts him right in your path to teach you something important: you can walk away. Come back at level 25 with a +3 weapon and he's a fair fight. At level 1 with starter gear, he's a lesson in humility. A painful one.

Level Vigor first. I know, putting points into HP feels boring. But getting one-shot by everything is worse. Your damage comes from weapon upgrades early on, not stats. Get Vigor to 20 before touching anything else, then push it to 30-40 by midgame. You'll thank me.

Explore south before north. The game subtly pushes you toward Stormveil Castle, but Weeping Peninsula to the south is actually the intended early game zone. Easier enemies, Sacred Tears to upgrade your flasks, and a boss that teaches you the rhythm of combat without being punishing. Most people miss this and suffer for it.

There's more to know, obviously. Weapon scaling, spirit ashes, flask distribution, how poise actually works... I could go on for days. But those four things are the ones that'll save you the most frustration early on.

About the Tarnished Edition on Switch 2

If you're buying a Switch 2 just for this, know what you're getting into. The port is handled by Virtuos, the same studio that did Dark Souls Remastered on Switch. That port ran at 30fps and had compressed audio but was otherwise solid. The Switch 2 hardware is a significant jump from the original Switch, so expect better performance. But don't expect it to match a PS5. It won't.

The new class is the interesting part. FromSoftware hasn't revealed what it is yet, but dataminers found references to something called "Nightfarer" in the Tarnished Edition files. Could be a stealth-focused class, could be something entirely new. Hard to say. I'm guessing they'll reveal it at Summer Game Fest 2026.

The bottom line

Elden Ring 2 isn't real. I wish it were. But the original Elden Ring is still one of the best games ever made, and the Tarnished Edition is bringing it to a whole new audience on Switch 2. If you want more FromSoftware, The Duskbloods is coming. And if you're dead set on a sequel, well, Bandai Namco isn't going to leave 28 million sales on the table. Something will come. Eventually.

Just don't hold your breath. Seriously.