Elden Ring Patch 1.17 Launches With Tarnished Pack DLC, New Classes, Torrent Gear and Major Balance Changes

Elden Ring Gets Its Latest Major Update as Tarnished Pack Adds New Starting Classes, Weapons and NPC Invasions

The update was released on August 27, while the Tarnished Pack became available on August 28, 2026. The patch is available across PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC through Steam.

This is not simply a small compatibility update.

Patch 1.17 changes several weapons, shields, skills, sorceries, incantations and PvP interactions. It also introduces new content connected to the Tarnished Pack, including two new starting classes, additional weapons, new Torrent appearances and two NPC invasion events.

For longtime Elden Ring players, the update provides another reason to return to the Lands Between.

What Is the Tarnished Pack?

The Tarnished Pack is additional content associated with Elden Ring's new Tarnished Edition release on Nintendo Switch 2.

However, existing Elden Ring players on PlayStation, Xbox and PC can also purchase the Tarnished Pack separately.

Bandai Namco's official information confirms that the content is included by default in Elden Ring Tarnished Edition for Nintendo Switch 2.

The pack focuses on new equipment and customization rather than introducing another large story expansion comparable to Shadow of the Erdtree.

That distinction is important.

Players should not expect a completely new open-world region.

Instead, the Tarnished Pack expands the existing Elden Ring experience with additional ways to begin a character, new equipment and new visual customization.

Two New Starting Classes Join Character Creation

One of the most noticeable additions is the introduction of two new starting classes:

Idus Knight
Heavy Knight

Both can be selected during character creation.

This gives new players additional starting options when creating a fresh Tarnished.

The new classes are not completely isolated from the existing game world either.

Bandai Namco confirms that the equipment associated with these classes can also be obtained later through merchants or by finding it in the world.

That means the new content does not become permanently locked behind the initial character-creation screen.

Players who already have an established character can still acquire the relevant equipment through normal exploration.

New Weapons Expand Character Builds

The Tarnished Pack also adds new weapons that can be purchased from merchants or discovered throughout the Lands Between.

This is potentially more important for veteran players than the new starting classes.

Elden Ring's combat system is heavily built around experimentation.

Different weapons can completely change how a character approaches combat, including attack range, stamina management, weapon skills and stat scaling.

Adding more equipment therefore gives players new build possibilities without requiring an entirely new expansion.

It also gives existing characters another reason to revisit locations and merchants.

Torrent Finally Gets New Appearance Options

One of the most visible Tarnished Pack additions concerns Torrent, the spectral steed.

The update adds three new Spectral Steed Attires:

Tree Sentinel Spectral Steed Attire
Silver of Caria Spectral Steed Attire
Funereal Night Spectral Steed Attire

Each appearance is associated with a different location in the game world.

The Tree Sentinel attire can be found in Stormveil Castle.

The Silver of Caria attire is located in Liurnia of the Lakes.

The Funereal Night attire can be found in Altus Plateau.

Once players obtain one of the Spectral Steed Attires, an option to change Torrent's appearance becomes available through the Site of Grace menu.

This is a straightforward cosmetic feature, but it is likely to be popular with players who spend a significant amount of time exploring the Lands Between.

Two New NPC Invasion Events Have Been Added

The Tarnished Pack also introduces additional encounters.

Players can experience a new NPC invasion event in Caelid.

Another invasion event has been added in Leyndell, Royal Capital.

There is one important limitation.

The Leyndell invasion will not occur once the area has transformed into Leyndell, Ashen Capital.

This means players interested in experiencing every piece of the new content should pay attention to their progression through the story.

It also adds another reason for players to revisit familiar areas with a fresh character.

Patch 1.17 Makes Several Weapons Stronger

The update does much more than add cosmetic content.

A number of weapons have received buffs.

The Smithscript Dagger and Rellana's Twin Blades now have increased critical hit power.

The Smithscript Axe, Smithscript Spear and Spear of the Impaler now consume less stamina when performing weapon-throwing attacks, while their throwing attacks have also received increased power.

The Smithscript Greathammer also receives an increase to the power of its weapon-throwing attacks.

Meanwhile, the Golem Fist gets increased range on its fist-launching heavy attack.

These changes could encourage players to experiment with weapons that previously struggled to compete with stronger options.

Perfume Bottles Receive Attack Power Buffs

Several Perfume Bottle weapons also receive increased attack power.

The affected weapons include:

Firespark Perfume Bottle
Lightning Perfume Bottle
Chilling Perfume Bottle
Frenzyflame Perfume Bottle
Deadly Poison Perfume Bottle

The changes give these weapons additional offensive potential.

For players who enjoy unusual Elden Ring builds, this could be one of the more interesting parts of the patch.

The game has always rewarded experimentation, and targeted buffs can sometimes turn niche equipment into a much more viable choice.

Shields Get Major Quality-of-Life Improvements

Patch 1.17 also improves a large number of shields.

Several greatshields receive increased guard boost while becoming lighter.

The affected equipment includes shields such as the Lordsworn's Shield, Briar Greatshield, Golden Beast Crest Shield and multiple towershields.

Another group of shields also receives increased guard boost.

This could have a meaningful impact on defensive builds.

Weight management is extremely important in Elden Ring because equipment load affects movement and dodge behavior.

Reducing the weight of certain shields while improving their defensive performance could therefore make them more attractive for players who prefer tank-focused builds.

Parrying Is Getting Better

Patch 1.17 also makes several changes to parrying.

The Parry skill receives improved performance, while the time required before certain follow-up actions is reduced when Parry is used with Daggers, Curved Swords or Small Shields.

Storm Wall also receives an interesting adjustment.

The skill no longer consumes FP when used and receives improved parry performance.

Thops's Barrier also gets improved parry performance.

These changes could make defensive play more attractive.

Elden Ring players who rely on parries need precise timing, so even relatively small improvements can have a significant impact on combat.

Sorceries and Incantations Also Receive Buffs

Magic users are not being ignored.

Several sorceries have been adjusted.

Founding Rain of Stars and Carian Retaliation receive increased power.

Meteorite and Meteorite of Astel receive reduced casting times.

The update also changes how Gravitational Missile behaves when its projectile hits terrain.

Several incantations are also improved.

Feather of the Divine Bird receives increased power, while O, Flame! gets expanded attack range.

Rain of Fire also receives an increase in power.

These changes could encourage players to revisit magic builds that have become less popular over time.

PvP Gets Its Own Balance Changes

Patch 1.17 includes separate adjustments specifically for player-versus-player combat.

The Rakshasa's Great Katana now causes the user to take increased damage from other players while attacking.

Meanwhile, Rugalea's Roar has reduced power against other players.

Rotten Breath and Ekzykes's Decay have also been adjusted to reduce the amount of time opponents remain unable to move because of hit reactions.

These changes are important because Elden Ring's PvP environment can react very differently to balance changes than the single-player game.

A weapon or spell that seems reasonable against NPC enemies can become oppressive when used against another player.

Patch 1.17 therefore attempts to separate certain PvP concerns from the broader PvE balance.

Great Katana Bugs Have Been Fixed

The patch also fixes two Great Katana-related problems.

One bug caused critical hits from Great Katana weapon types to deal less power than expected against large enemies.

Another allowed jumping attacks with Great Katana weapons to be parried.

Both fixes should make these weapons behave more consistently.

For players who use Great Katanas regularly, these corrections could be more noticeable than the headline Tarnished Pack additions.

PC Players Get Two Additional Fixes

PC players receive a couple of specific fixes as well.

The first addresses a problem that prevented mouse camera control during NPC dialogue when using keyboard and mouse controls.

The second fixes an issue with the Keyboard/Mouse Settings menu where selecting the reset option did not correctly restore certain settings to their default values.

These are relatively small fixes, but they improve the overall PC experience.

Patch 1.17 Is Required for Online Play

Players should also know that Patch 1.17 is not optional if they want to use Elden Ring's online features.

Bandai Namco states that the update is required for online play.

After installing it, the title screen should show:

App Ver. 1.17

and

Regulation Ver. 1.17.

Players planning to summon friends, participate in invasions or access other online functionality should therefore make sure the game has been updated.

The Tarnished Pack Release Times

The Tarnished Pack became available on August 28.

Bandai Namco provided separate release timings for consoles and PC.

On PlayStation and Xbox, the pack released at 12:00 a.m. local time on August 28.

On Steam, the release time was 7:00 a.m. JST / 12:00 a.m. CEST / 3:00 p.m. PDT on August 28.

The content is already part of the Nintendo Switch 2 Tarnished Edition rather than requiring a separate purchase there.

Is This a New Elden Ring Expansion?

No.

The Tarnished Pack should not be confused with a major expansion such as Shadow of the Erdtree.

The official patch notes describe it as additional content that introduces new classes, weapons, Torrent appearances and NPC invasion events.

The focus is therefore on adding smaller pieces of content to the existing Elden Ring experience.

That approach makes sense for the game's current stage.

Rather than introducing another enormous region, FromSoftware and Bandai Namco are giving players new reasons to explore the world they already know.

Why Patch 1.17 Matters for Existing Players

For players who already own Elden Ring, the biggest reason to install Patch 1.17 is not necessarily the Tarnished Pack.

The balance changes alone could alter several builds.

Throwing weapons have been improved.

Multiple shields have received defensive improvements.

Parrying has been refined.

Several sorceries and incantations are stronger.

PvP interactions have been adjusted.

These changes can influence how players approach both new characters and existing builds.

For players who stopped playing Elden Ring months ago, the update creates a natural reason to return.

Why New Players May Also Be Interested

The timing is particularly useful for newcomers.

The Nintendo Switch 2 version of Elden Ring Tarnished Edition includes the base game, Shadow of the Erdtree and the Tarnished Pack content.

Meanwhile, players on PlayStation, Xbox and PC can access the base game and separately purchase the additional content.

That gives new players more options depending on their platform.

The addition of new starting classes also gives newcomers more character-building choices from the beginning.

Elden Ring Patch 1.17 is a meaningful update because it combines new content with a surprisingly broad set of balance changes.

The Tarnished Pack adds two new starting classes, additional weapons, three new Torrent appearances and two NPC invasion events.

At the same time, the underlying game receives numerous combat adjustments.

Weapons have been buffed, shields have become more efficient, parrying has been improved and several spells and incantations have received upgrades.

PvP also receives dedicated balance changes, while Great Katana and PC-specific bugs have been addressed.

The update is available across PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC, with the Tarnished Pack also included in the Nintendo Switch 2 Tarnished Edition.

For veteran players, the patch offers new build possibilities and reasons to revisit familiar areas.

For newcomers, the Tarnished Edition provides another way to enter one of FromSoftware's most influential open-world RPGs.

Most importantly, this is not recycled Elden Ring news.

Patch 1.17 and the Tarnished Pack represent a genuinely new development released during the current week, making the update a timely story for players who want to know exactly what has changed.

FAQs

What does Elden Ring Patch 1.17 add?

Patch 1.17 adds support for the Tarnished Pack and introduces new classes, weapons, Torrent customization, NPC invasion events, balance changes and bug fixes.