Elden Ring has received Patch 1.17, arriving alongside the launch of Elden Ring Tarnished Edition on Nintendo Switch 2. The update prepares the existing PlayStation, Xbox, and PC versions for the new Tarnished Pack while bringing a substantial collection of balance changes, PvP adjustments, and bug fixes.

Patch 1.17 went live on August 27, with the Tarnished Pack following on August 28. Bandai Namco says players should install the latest update before playing, and it's required for online play. Nintendo Switch 2 players get most of this new content already baked in as part of Tarnished Edition, which combines the original Elden Ring with the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, the Tarnished Pack content, and new customization options for Torrent.

Elden Ring Patch 1.17 Adds Support for the Tarnished Pack

The headline addition in Patch 1.17 is support for the new Tarnished Pack, which brings additional content to the existing versions of the game. Two new starting classes have been added, the Idus Knight and the Heavy Knight, and both can be picked when creating a new character, giving returning players another reason to start fresh.

Their gear isn't locked to the character creation screen either. Bandai Namco confirms that equipment belonging to the new starting classes can also be bought from merchants or found while exploring the Lands Between. The Tarnished Pack also adds new weapons that can be purchased or discovered out in the world, though some of the most noticeable additions are tied to Torrent.

Three New Torrent Customization Options

Torrent is getting a visual makeover with three new Spectral Steed Attires. The Tree Sentinel attire can be found in Stormveil Castle, the Silver of Caria attire is located in Liurnia of the Lakes, and the Funereal Night attire is found in the Altus Plateau. Once a player obtains any of these, a new option opens up in the Site of Grace menu for changing Torrent's appearance, a simple addition that gives more freedom to personalize one of the game's most recognizable companions.

The Tarnished Pack also adds two new NPC invasion events, one in Caelid and another in Leyndell, Royal Capital. There's a catch on the Leyndell encounter specifically: it stops occurring once the area transforms into Leyndell, Ashen Capital, so players chasing everything the update offers will need to keep that progression window in mind.

Patch 1.17 Brings a Major Round of Balance Changes

The Tarnished Pack is only part of the update. Patch 1.17 also delivers a broad set of gameplay balance adjustments touching weapons, shields, skills, sorceries, incantations, and PvP. One interesting change affects certain items in the Realm of Shadow, where some field items or drops from powerful enemies have been swapped for higher-tier items or different treasures. Items already obtained won't be changed retroactively.

Weapons Receive Several Buffs

A number of weapons come out of this patch stronger. The Smithscript Dagger and Rellana's Twin Blades now hit harder on critical hits. The Smithscript Axe, Smithscript Spear, and Spear of the Impaler all get improved throwing attacks, with less stamina spent and more damage dealt. The Smithscript Greathammer gets a throwing attack power boost of its own, while the Golem Fist's fist-launching heavy attack now has increased range.

The Carian Sorcery Sword gets a particularly notable change, with its Intelligence scaling reworked so it now boosts the attack power of all damage types rather than just one. Perfume Bottle users benefit too, with the Firespark, Lightning, Chilling, Frenzyflame, and Deadly Poison Perfume Bottles all receiving increased attack power.

Shields Get Stronger

Defensive builds are another major focus of Patch 1.17. A large group of shields gets increased guard boost, and several have also been made lighter. Shields getting both boosts include the Lordsworn's Shield, Briar Greatshield, Spiked Palisade Shield, Icon Shield, Golden Beast Crest Shield, Manor Towershield, Crossed-Tree Towershield, Inverted Hawk Towershield, Dragon Towershield, Distinguished Greatshield, Gilded Greatshield, Black Steel Greatshield, Ant's Skull Plate, and Erdtree Greatshield.

A second group gets increased guard boost only, including the Wooden Greatshield, Cuckoo Greatshield, Redmane Greatshield, Golden Greatshield, Crucible Hornshield, Dragonclaw Shield, Eclipse Crest Greatshield, Jellyfish Shield, and One-Eyed Shield. The Haligtree Crest Greatshield has been made lighter as well. Together, these changes could make shield-focused builds a lot more appealing for players who prefer to play defensively against Elden Ring's punishing combat.

Parrying Gets Some Attention

Parry-focused players get a few improvements too. The Parry skill performs better now, and the recovery time before players can act again after using it has been reduced when wielding Daggers, Curved Swords, or Small Shields. Storm Wall no longer consumes FP when used and has improved parry performance, and Thops's Barrier has also had its parry performance improved. Taken together, it's a clear push toward making defensive and counter-based combat feel more responsive.

Sorceries and Incantations Also Receive Buffs

Magic users haven't been left out. Founding Rain of Stars and Carian Retaliation both get increased power, and Meteorite and Meteorite of Astel now cast faster. Gravitational Missile has also been changed so its gravity projectile no longer explodes immediately on contact with terrain like the ground or a wall.

Several incantations improve as well. Feather of the Divine Bird and Rain of Fire both hit harder, and O, Flame! gets an expanded attack range. For anyone who drifted away from these spells in favor of more dominant builds, Patch 1.17 is a reasonable excuse to try them again.

PvP Balance Changes Target Several Powerful Options

Patch 1.17 also includes a smaller set of PvP-specific adjustments. The Rakshasa's Great Katana now causes its user to take increased damage from other players while attacking. Rugalea's Roar has had its power against other players reduced, and Rotten Breath and Ekzykes's Decay have been adjusted to cut down how long other player characters stay unable to move after getting hit. In PvP, small shifts in damage, recovery, and crowd control tend to matter a lot, so these changes should be felt fairly quickly.

Patch 1.17 Also Fixes Several Bugs

The update covers a handful of bug fixes too. Bandai Namco has fixed an issue where critical hits with Great Katana weapon types could deal less damage than intended against large enemies, and another issue that let jumping attacks with Great Katanas be parried has also been resolved.

PC players get two extra fixes: one addresses an issue that could block mouse camera control during NPC dialogue when using keyboard and mouse, and another fixes the reset option in the Keyboard/Mouse Settings menu, which previously failed to restore settings to their defaults. After installing the update, players should see App Ver. 1.17 and Regulation Ver. 1.17 on the title screen.

Elden Ring Tarnished Edition Launches on Nintendo Switch 2

While existing players get the Tarnished Pack and Patch 1.17, Nintendo Switch 2 players are getting the complete package with Elden Ring Tarnished Edition, launching August 28, 2026. It includes the original Elden Ring, the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, new armor, and the new Torrent customization features, so Switch 2 players aren't just getting a port of the base game. They're getting everything the Tarnished Pack has introduced elsewhere too.

The edition also comes with two preorder bonus gestures, The Ring and Ring of Miquella, both of which Bandai Namco notes can also be obtained later in the game through normal play. With Elden Ring having sold more than 28 million copies worldwide according to Bandai Namco's current Tarnished Edition page, the Switch 2 release is another chance for new players to step into the Lands Between.

A Good Time to Return to the Lands Between

Patch 1.17 is more than a simple compatibility update for the Tarnished Pack. New starting classes, weapons, Torrent customization, and invasion events give returning players fresh things to chase, while the extensive balance changes could meaningfully shift character builds, especially for anyone using shields, parries, throwing weapons, Perfume Bottles, sorceries, or the newly buffed incantations. The PvP changes also show FromSoftware is still tuning Elden Ring's combat systems years after launch.

For Nintendo Switch 2 owners, Tarnished Edition packages the whole experience into one release, Shadow of the Erdtree included. Elden Ring never really needed another reason to pull people back to the Lands Between, but Patch 1.17 hands out one anyway. Whether that means starting fresh with the Idus Knight or Heavy Knight, testing out a newly strengthened weapon, trying the improved parry system, or just giving Torrent a new look, there's plenty here for veteran Tarnished to dig into, and the arrival of Tarnished Edition on Switch 2 gives a new audience the chance to find out why Elden Ring became one of the defining action RPGs of its generation.