So it’s happening. After months of silence, stuttering frame rates, and enough “2026 release window” vagueness to make a Maidenless wanderer weep, Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition is suddenly making moves.
Amazon quietly dropped a pre-order listing for the Switch 2 port today – and with it came a price tag and some format details that have the internet doing what the internet does best: losing its mind.
Let’s break down everything that’s gone on this week, and catch you up on where this port actually stands heading into the home stretch of 2026.
Pre-Orders Are Live – But Hold Your Grace Warp
Amazon has opened pre-orders for Tarnished Edition, which is a pretty strong signal that a proper release date announcement is right around the corner. Amazon slapped a December 31, 2026 date on the listing, which is almost certainly a placeholder — that’s just what Amazon does when it doesn’t have a confirmed date or isn’t allowed to reveal one yet.
There’s no digital listing on the Nintendo eShop yet, and Nintendo’s own Tarnished Edition page remains oddly sparse. So while Amazon’s move is encouraging, don’t go refreshing your calendar just yet. FromSoftware and Bandai Namco haven’t said a word officially. Still, pre-orders going live out of nowhere usually means something is imminent. A Nintendo Direct or Partner Showcase reveal feels very much on the cards.
The Price: $79.99, and Yes, People Are Mad
Let’s address the Site of Grace in the room: Tarnished Edition is listed at $79.99, which is the top end of what Switch 2 games cost right now. Understandably, a chunk of the community isn’t thrilled about paying full premium price for a game that launched back in 2022.
Here’s the thing though – the argument for the price point holds more water than it might seem at first glance. The $79.99 price tag actually matches what the Shadow of the Erdtree bundle costs on other platforms, so Switch 2 players aren’t being charged any kind of premium over what everyone else pays for the same package. You’re getting the complete base game plus the critically acclaimed expansion, plus Tarnished Edition’s exclusive bonus content on top. That’s a lot of Lands Between for your Runes.
That said – and this is a fair criticism – on other platforms, players have the option to buy just the base game at a lower price point and pick up the DLC separately. Switch 2 buyers don’t get that flexibility. It’s the whole package or nothing, which might feel like a tough pill to swallow if you’re Elden Ring-curious but not quite ready to commit fully.
Game-Key Card: The Other Thing People Are Mad About
The price controversy might actually take a back seat to the format reveal. The Amazon listing confirms the physical release will be a Game-Key Card, which might be a dealbreaker for collectors who want actual game data on their cartridge.
If you’re unfamiliar with how Game-Key Cards work: they’re essentially a digital license pressed into cartridge form. If the Nintendo eShop ever goes offline, they become little more than decorative plastic. It’s one of Nintendo’s more contentious recent decisions, and Elden Ring being a Game-Key Card isn’t exactly a surprise given the sheer size of the game – but it still stings for physical preservation fans.
Speaking of size: the full download comes in at around 75 GB, so make sure your Switch 2’s storage situation is sorted before day one. This thing is enormous, and that card in the box isn’t going to help you one bit if your SD card is still full of Mario Kart screenshots.
Both FromSoftware Switch 2 Games Still on Track for 2026
One more piece of good news amid all the pricing discourse: Kadokawa, FromSoftware’s parent company, confirmed in its most recent financial report that both Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition and The Duskbloods are still targeting a 2026 launch on Switch 2. Neither project has been pushed out of the year, which is a relief given how quiet things had been.
The Duskbloods is a different beast – a game built from the ground up exclusively for Switch 2 – so performance expectations there should be considerably higher. But that’s a conversation for another article.
Where Does This Leave Us?
Tarnished Edition’s story has been a rough ride: announced with hype, shown in a state that alarmed everyone, delayed, and now cautiously rehabilitated by some genuinely promising hands-on impressions. The Amazon pre-order listing this week feels like the final piece before an official announcement drops.
Whether that announcement comes at a Nintendo event, a State of Play, or a surprise social media post in the middle of the night – FromSoftware’s style – is anyone’s guess. But the combination of live pre-orders, improved performance reports, and a parent company publicly reaffirming the 2026 window suggests the Lands Between are finally coming to a handheld near you.
Just make sure you’ve got 75 GB free. And maybe set aside some Runes for the $80 asking price. The road to the Erdtree was never going to be cheap.
What do you think, fellow Tarnished — is $79.99 for a Game-Key Card version of the complete Elden Ring experience a fair deal, or are you holding out for a sale? Drop your thoughts below.
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