Elden Ring
Elden Ring is an action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki with worldbuilding by George R. R. Martin, the author of A Song of Ice and Fire. It was released on February 25, 2022, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows. Set in the Lands Between, the game has players take a customizable Tarnished on a quest to repair the shattered Elden Ring and become the new Elden Lord. It shares a developer with Bloodborne but belongs to a different publisher and world.
Editions and spin-offs
The main releases and spin-offs beyond the base game:
- The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion was released in June 2024, set in the Land of Shadow; it earned similar acclaim, with public sources recording over 10 million copies sold.
- Elden Ring Nightreign, a multiplayer-focused spin-off, was released in 2025.
- Elden Ring Tarnished Edition, the Nintendo Switch 2 version, launched on August 28, 2026, including the base game and Shadow of the Erdtree plus two new classes and cosmetics for Torrent; the new classes and cosmetic content are also available on other platforms as paid DLC.
Reception
By public accounts, Elden Ring won numerous Game of the Year awards and is cited among the defining open-world designs; in April 2025 its sales were announced at over 30 million copies, placing it among the best-selling games.
Discussion in the show
Episode 005, in the chapter “游戏反编译、Mod 与商业模式” (Game decompilation, mods, and business models), discussed how AI-assisted mods are reaching major titles. Guizang gave examples: putting Mario into Elden Ring, and turning Minecraft into something inside Elden Ring. Orange added that the AI approach is no longer writing games from scratch but taking an existing game and having AI write mods, which can then be distributed. The conversation broadened into content moats, IP consensus, and business models — mods sit between official support and infringement, and what is permissible depends on each game’s terms of service and jurisdiction. See the episode 005 chapter in the Chinese transcript.
Frequently asked questions
When was Elden Ring released, and on which platforms?
It launched on February 25, 2022, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows; the Nintendo Switch 2 Tarnished Edition followed on August 28, 2026.
What is Elden Ring’s DLC?
The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion was released in June 2024, set in the Land of Shadow, with public sources recording over 10 million copies sold.
What is Tarnished Edition?
Tarnished Edition is the Switch 2 version, launched August 28, 2026, containing the base game and Shadow of the Erdtree plus two new classes and Torrent cosmetics; those additions are also sold as paid DLC on other platforms.
What is Nightreign?
Elden Ring Nightreign is a multiplayer cooperative spin-off released in 2025, focused on team-based combat rather than the base game’s single-player open world.
Who made Elden Ring?
It was developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki with worldbuilding by George R. R. Martin.