The ELDEN RING Tarnished Pack is a €4.99 paid add-on landing on PlayStation, Xbox and PC on August 28, 2026 — the same day the Switch 2 Tarnished Edition ships. For under the price of a coffee it hands you 2 new starting classes, 3 Torrent skins and 4 armor sets. But it adds no new bosses, no new map and no story, so whether it's worth it comes down to one question: do you care about cosmetics and a fresh opening build, or were you hoping for real new content?
Short version: if you love fashion-Souls and starting a new character, it's an easy €4.99 yes. If you wanted another Shadow of the Erdtree, this is not that — skip it. Here's the full breakdown, verified against Bandai Namco's official listing.
Key Takeaways
- Price: €4.99 standard (official Bandai Namco Europe listing). There is no confirmed USD price yet — expect roughly $5–6, but don't trust converted figures as fact.
| - Release date: August 28, 2026, on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One and Digital PC. |
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- What you get: 2 new starting classes (the Heavy Knight and the Idus Knight), 3 customization skins for Torrent, and 4 new armor sets — that's the entire pack.
- What you don't get: no new areas, bosses, quests, weapons-beyond-loadout, or story. It is not an expansion and not Shadow of the Erdtree.
- Worth it for: cosmetic collectors, replay/new-character players, and completionists. Skip it if you wanted meaningful new gameplay content.
- Applies to: base ELDEN RING, version 1.16.1 (live since 2025-08-21). A base-game title update is expected around launch day; its version number is still unannounced.
What is the Elden Ring Tarnished Pack?
The Tarnished Pack is the paid, standalone version of the bonus content bundled into the Switch 2 ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition, sold separately so existing PlayStation, Xbox and PC owners can buy just the extras.
Bandai Namco's official support article spells it out directly:
"All additional content included in the Nintendo Switch 2 edition of ELDEN RING can be purchased separately on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4; XBOX Series X|S and XBOX One; and Digital PC under the name 'Tarnished Pack.'"
And here's exactly what's inside, quoted from that same official page:
"The Tarnished Pack includes the following game content: 2 new starting classes – the Heavy Knight and the Idus Knight; 3 customization skins for Torrent, your spectral steed; 4 new armor sets."
That's the whole list. No hidden chapter, no secret dungeon. It's a cosmetic-and-loadout pack, priced accordingly. Crucially, it is not an expansion: it does not include Shadow of the Erdtree, it doesn't touch the Realm of Shadow, and it doesn't extend the main campaign.
How much does the Elden Ring Tarnished Pack cost?
The official standard price is €4.99 (Bandai Namco Europe), with a ¥550 listing in Japan. Bandai Namco notes prices "may vary depending on local currency exchange rates."
There is no officially confirmed USD price as of writing. Outlets have floated "$4.99" and "under $6," but those are conversions, not a published Xbox/PlayStation/Steam number — treat the exact dollar figure as unconfirmed until it appears on your regional store on launch day. Either way, this is one of the cheapest pieces of paid content FromSoftware and Bandai Namco have ever sold, which is central to the value question: at €4.99, the bar for "worth it" is low.
For comparison, here's where the Tarnished Pack sits against the other paid ELDEN RING content (US Steam prices, which move on sale):
| Content | What it is | Price |
|---|---|---|
| ELDEN RING (base) | The full 2022 base game | $59.99 |
| Shadow of the Erdtree | Full-size story expansion | $39.99 |
| Tarnished Pack | 2 classes, 3 Torrent skins, 4 armor sets | €4.99 (no confirmed USD) |
| Tarnished Edition (Switch 2) | Base game + Erdtree + Torrent customization | Reported $79.99 (outlet-sourced, verify on eShop) |
What's actually in it — are the new classes worth it?
This is where the "worth it" decision really lives, so let's be precise about what a "new starting class" does in ELDEN RING.
Starting classes only set your opening stats and gear. Elden Ring has no locked class system — after a few hours of leveling, a Heavy Knight and a Wretch can become the exact same build. So the Heavy Knight and the Idus Knight are best understood as new opening loadouts and a bit of early-game flavor, not permanent playstyles. If you're a veteran who respecs and hard-levels anyway, their long-term mechanical impact is small.
Where they genuinely add value is replayability and roleplay: a fresh starting class is a real reason to roll a new character, and for players who love beginning again in the Lands Between, two new openers plus themed armor is a fun, cheap hook. New players get a couple more viable starting points to experiment with, too.
The 4 new armor sets and 3 Torrent skins are cosmetic. For a series where "fashion Souls" is a genuine pillar of the community, that's not nothing — but it's clearly a cosmetic bundle, and you should price your expectations there. Bandai Namco has not published individual armor-set names or Torrent skin names, so ignore any list claiming to name them; those are guesses until launch.
⚠️ Reality check: because Elden Ring starting classes converge after leveling, don't buy the Tarnished Pack expecting a new "way to play." Buy it for the cosmetics, the new-character motivation, and completion — not for build power.
Tarnished Pack vs Tarnished Edition — which one do I actually need?
This is the single most-confused point about August 28, and buying the wrong thing is a real risk. They are two different products launching the same day:
| Tarnished Edition | Tarnished Pack | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform | Nintendo Switch 2 only | PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X\ | S, Xbox One, PC |
| What it is | The full game + Shadow of the Erdtree + Torrent customization | A paid add-on with 2 classes, 3 Torrent skins, 4 armor sets | |
| Who it's for | Switch 2 players buying Elden Ring (often for the first time) | Existing PS/Xbox/PC owners who want the extras | |
| Price | Reported $79.99 (verify on eShop) | €4.99 |
In plain terms: if you play on PlayStation, Xbox or PC, the only thing you can buy is the Tarnished Pack. There is no "Tarnished Edition on PS5." If you're moving to Switch 2, the Tarnished Edition is the full-game bundle. For the complete side-by-side, see our dedicated guide: ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition vs Tarnished Pack.
Do you need Shadow of the Erdtree or the base game first?
Yes to the base game — the Tarnished Pack is an add-on for ELDEN RING, so you need the game installed to use it. You do not need Shadow of the Erdtree; the pack is entirely separate from the DLC expansion and doesn't include or require it.
Worth stressing again: the Tarnished Pack does not contain Shadow of the Erdtree. If your goal is the big story expansion — Messmer, the Realm of Shadow, Scadutree Blessings — that's a different, $39.99 purchase, and it has real prerequisites. If you haven't touched the expansion yet, our walkthrough covers exactly how to unlock it: How to access Shadow of the Erdtree, and if you want to be ready for its wall-boss, how to beat Messmer the Impaler.
So, is the Elden Ring Tarnished Pack worth it?
For €4.99, the honest verdict is: worth it for the right player, easy to skip for everyone else. It's a low-stakes cosmetic-and-loadout bundle, not a content drop. Here's the quick decision table:
| You are… | Verdict |
|---|---|
| A fashion-Souls / cosmetics fan | ✅ Buy — 4 armor sets + 3 Torrent skins for €5 is fair |
| Someone about to start a new character | ✅ Buy — two fresh opening classes make a good excuse |
| A completionist / collector | ✅ Buy — it's cheap and it's the last box to tick |
| Hoping for new bosses, areas or story | ❌ Skip — this isn't an expansion; you want Shadow of the Erdtree |
| A veteran who respecs and hard-levels anyway | 🟡 Optional — classes converge, so it's cosmetics-only for you |
| Buying an Elden Ring for Switch 2 | ➡️ You want the Tarnished Edition, not the Pack |
The value case is really about expectations. At €4.99 nobody should feel burned — but it earns its "worth it" only if you value the cosmetics and the new-character hook. Frame it as a nice bonus, not a reason to reinstall for 40 hours.
One more note on timing: the Tarnished Pack likely ships alongside a base-game title update on August 28. As of now the base game is on version 1.16.1 (live since 2025-08-21) and the update's version number is unannounced, so anyone promising patch-note details today is speculating.
FAQ
How much does the Elden Ring Tarnished Pack cost? The official standard price is €4.99 (¥550 in Japan), per Bandai Namco Europe. There is no officially confirmed USD price yet — expect roughly $5–6, but the exact dollar figure won't be certain until it's listed on your regional store on August 28, 2026.
Is the Elden Ring Tarnished Pack worth it? For most players who like cosmetics or are starting a new character, yes — €4.99 for 2 starting classes, 3 Torrent skins and 4 armor sets is fair. It's not worth it if you wanted new bosses, areas or story, because the pack adds none of those. It is a cosmetic-and-loadout bundle, not an expansion.
Does the Tarnished Pack include Shadow of the Erdtree? No. The Tarnished Pack and Shadow of the Erdtree are separate purchases. The pack is only the 2 classes, 3 Torrent skins and 4 armor sets; the expansion (Messmer, the Realm of Shadow) is a different $39.99 product with its own unlock requirements.
What are the two new Tarnished Pack classes? The Heavy Knight and the Idus Knight, both confirmed on Bandai Namco's official listing. Remember that Elden Ring starting classes only set your opening stats and gear — after leveling, any two characters can converge into the same build.
| Do I need to rebuy Elden Ring to get the Tarnished Pack? No, if you already own ELDEN RING on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One or PC — the Tarnished Pack is a €4.99 add-on you buy on top of your existing copy. Rebuying only comes up on Nintendo Switch 2, where the content is bundled into the separate Tarnished Edition. |
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| When does the Elden Ring Tarnished Pack release? August 28, 2026, on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One and Digital PC — the same day the Tarnished Edition launches on Nintendo Switch 2. |
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