Elden Ring has easily been one of the industry's most hotly-anticipated games since its anmnouncement, but it seems fans will have to wait a little bit longer for the full release. Bandai Namco Entertainment has confirmed an Elden Ring release date delay, though the good news is that some fans will get to play the game as early as next month.
The Elden Ring release date has been pushed back from its originally planned January launch to February 25, 2022. According to the developers, the reason for the Elden Ring release date delay is due to the "depth of the game and the degree of freedom in strategy" exceeding the team's expectations. Basically, delaying the Elden Ring release date delay will help the developers ensure that the final product is polished and lives up to its lofty expectations.
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A one month delay isn't the end of the world, and on the bright side, select fans will get to try Elden Ring as early as next month. Bandai Namco has announced an Elden Ring Closed Network Test to take place from November 12 to November 14 on PlayStation and Xbox consoles. The tests will take place in certain chunks, with November 12 players able to participate from 3am to 6am PT and then again from 7pm to 10pm PT. Those on November 13 can play from 11am to 2pm PT, and then finally those on November 14 will get to try the game from 3am to 6am PT and then again from 7pm to 10pm PT. The hope is that this will help the developers test Elden Ring's servers ahead of launch. Those interested will have to sign up at the Elden Ring Closed Network Test sign-up page by November 1.
Elden Ring Closed Network Test Dates and Times
- November 12 - 3am to 6am PT
- November 12 - 7pm to 10pm PT
- November 13 - 11am to 2pm PT
- November 14 - 3am to 6am PT
- November 14 - 7pm to 10pm PT
Details are scarce, but it has been confirmed that the Elden Ring Closed Network Test will feature the beginning sections of the game. Not only that, but Elden Ring cross-play between console generations will be available during the test. This way those on PlayStation 5 will be able to play with PS4 players, and those on Xbox Series X will be able to play with people playing on Xbox One consoles.
It's unclear how extensive the Elden Ring Closed Network Test will be. It's possible players will have access to all of the Elden Ring classes, but it's also possible that they they will be limited. It's possible that players will have a wide variety of Elden Ring weapons to choose from, but it's just as likely that things will be restricted for testing purposes. Whatever the case may be, Elden Ringfans should find out more as we get closer to the Closed Network Test dates.
Elden Ring launches February 25, 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.