Just like pretty much every other major game over the last year or so, Elden Ring has been delayed. FromSoftware has postponed the release of its massively anticipated action RPG by five weeks, from January 22nd to February 25th, saying in a tweet that "the depth and strategic freedom of the game exceeded initial expectations." The studio apologized for the delay and added that "your patience and understanding mean a great deal to us.”
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 Team
— ELDEN RING (@ELDENRING) October 18, 2021
However, there was some good news for fans who might now be scrambling to reschedule paid time off they planned to take in January. A closed network test of Elden Ring will take place in November, giving a lucky few players a chance to play a chunk of the game three months in advance. Publisher Bandai Namco said the goal is to stress test "various technical verifications of online systems."
You have until November 1st to sign up for a chance to take part in the test, which will be open for five three-hour sessions between November 12th and 14th on PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, but not PC. You don't need to be a PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold subscriber to take part.