Elden Ring has been delayed — but you can sign up for next month’s beta right now
You’re going to have to wait a little longer to become the Elden Lord
Elden Ring, the hotly anticipated action roleplaying game from developer From Software, has been delayed from its previous January 2022 release date. However, eager players won’t have to wait much longer to dive into the Lands Between as the game is now scheduled to launch roughly a month later on February 25, 2022.
Over the past 18 months, delays have become a fairly common occurrence as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on the gaming industry as a whole. Considering that multiple upcoming titles have received lengthy delays such as God of War: Ragnarok and Hogwart’s Legacy, Elden Ring’s 35-day release date shift is a lot more palpable, even if it is disappointing nevertheless.
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The delay was confirmed on the game’s official Twitter account with a brief statement that reads: “Elden Ring will release on Feb 25, 2022, as the depth & strategic freedom of the game exceeded initial expectations. Thank you for your trust & patience.”
Important message:ELDEN RING will release on Feb 25, 2022, as the depth & strategic freedom of the game exceeded initial expectations. Thank you for your trust & patience. We look forward to seeing you experience the game in the Closed Network Test in Nov.The #ELDENRING TeamOctober 18, 2021
The blow of this delay has been softened by confirmation that an Elden Ring Closed Network Test will be held in November. This will give fans a chance to experience the opening hours of the game firsthand while also allowing the developers to test out the online infrastructure ahead of release.
The Elden Ring Closed Network Test will be playable from November 12-15 in three-hour windows on each day. The test will run on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Xbox One. Despite the game launching next year on PC, there is not currently a PC network test planned.
It’s important to note that this is a closed network test, so participants will need to be selected beforehand. You can signup for your chance to be involved right now on the Bandai Namco website. We’d strongly encourage you to get your name in the hat as soon as possible, the site has already crashed today under the strain of so many gamers rushing to sign up.
If you’re completely out of the loop, Elden Ring is a collaboration between legendary game developer Hidetaka Miyazaki, creator of the Dark Souls series, and Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin. By all accounts, Elden Ring will be another tough-as-nails From Software action RPG in which you encounter fearsome enemies that will kill you over and over and over again.
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It’s been a busy couple of days when it comes to Elden Ring news. Over the weekend gameplay footage leaked online. The clip was spread mainly via sites like Reddit. It's barely 30 seconds long and doesn’t even feature any combat, but it does showcase the immense scale of the world.
The wait until February 25 is definitely going to be a long one. And whne it arrives expect Elden Ring combat to be challenging, but we absolutely don't want another Soulsborne difficulty debate.
Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team.