Nintendo fans are up in arms about the arrival of the Switch 2’s second $80 game, following last year’s uproar over the new console’s $80 launch title, Mario Kart World.
Elden Ring: tarnished Edition Costs $80
Elden Ring is widely considered to be one of the best and most successful games to be released this decade, and is by far developer FromSoftware’s most popular and best-selling game ever, having sold nearly $30 million copies since its 2022 release. There’s even an Alex Garland-Directed A24 film adaptation currently in the works. FromSoftware’s first ever open world Souls experience, Elden Ring blew players’ minds with its sense of organic exploration and the sheer size of The Lands Between.
In 2024, FromSoftware released Elden Ring‘s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC to even more critical acclaim. Later that year, the expansion controversially went on to become the only DLC to ever be nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards. Nintendo gamers have been waiting years to get their hands on FromSoftware’s open world masterpiece, and Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition is finally arriving on Switch 2 this year, bundling the base game with the DLC. The package will also include two new classes and other customization items.
Some nintendo fans aren’t happy about Tarnished Edition’s price
Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition‘s recently revealed Switch 2 price has sparked debate among Nintendo fans, just as Mario Kart World‘s $80 price tag did a year ago. Some fans justify the price, pointing to the fact that the base game and Shadow of the Erdtree DLC bundle costs roughly the same price on Xbox and PlayStation today. Some add that the bonus cosmetics and two new classes further justify Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition‘s $80 ask.
“So $60 on PS store plus $40 for DLC, and it’s Tarnished edition which is currently unreleased, adds new content and will be costing $80 on PC Xbox and PS. Wow same price as everywhere else!”
On the other hand, many are pointing out that Elden Ring is still a four-year-old game, and that Nintendo fans shouldn’t be paying as much for a game that’s been available on other platforms for years. Additionally, there’s a very real possibility that the Switch 2 version of the game likely won’t run as well as its PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series counterparts, making fans wonder why they’re being asked to pay the same price for a version of Elden Ring that won’t look or run as well as it does on other consoles.
“Yeahhh was kinda hoping it’d be $60 with the game being 4 yrs old and DLC being 2 yrs.”
Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition will be a Game Key Card
The confirmation that Elden Ring‘s Tarnished Edition will be a Game Key Card has only heated the debate further, with many anti-$80 Nintendo fans expressing disappointment that the game won’t be stored on the actual cartridge and will instead act as a digital download. Others point to Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition‘s likely exorbitant file size as the reasoning for the title going the Game Key Card route, which is one of the Switch 2’s more unpopular new features.
“$80 and a GKC. At least put a working build on the cartridge. The switch 2 isn’t even a year old and I’m already out of space because of all these downloads.”
While Nintendo fans’ fear of $80 games seemed to die down a bit after other major releases like Donkey Kong Bananza and Resident Evil Requiem opted for lower prices, the arrival of a four-year-old $80 game in Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition is making Nintendo gamers nervous once more about the potential for more $80 games coming in the near future. FromSoftware’s very own upcoming multiplayer game that’s exclusive to Switch 2, The Duskbloods, is also aiming to drop this year. Fans are worried about the potential of it too joining Mario Kart World and Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition in the Switch 2’s $80 game club.
Neither Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition nor The Duskbloods have solid release dates yet, but gamers can expect the former to release first, as its price reveal means it’s gearing up to go live soon. Considering a lot about the The Duskbloods is still unknown, it seems more likely to drop later in the year following more info being divulged by FromSoftware by way of a showcase appearance or gameplay deep dive.
The post Nintendo Fans Debate If the Next $80 Switch 2 Game Is Worth It appeared first on VICE.
