Elden Ring's concurrent player count on Steam has surged past 80,000 as excitement builds for the upcoming Tarnished Edition on Switch 2 and the mysterious Duskbloods expansion.
Nearly four years after its original release, Elden Ring is experiencing a remarkable resurgence in player activity on Steam. According to SteamDB data, the game's concurrent player count has surged past the 80,000 mark in recent days — a figure that rivals its numbers during major DLC launches and seasonal sales. The spike comes as anticipation for the Tarnished Edition for Nintendo Switch 2 continues to build, fueled by Kadokawa's recent financial report reaffirming the project's 2026 timeline.
This player count surge represents one of the highest non-sale, non-DLC peaks for Elden Ring since the release of Shadow of the Erdtree in 2024. Community activity across Reddit, Discord servers and Twitch has also seen a noticeable uptick, with veteran players returning to the Lands Between and new players discovering the game for the first time.
The growing excitement can be attributed to several factors. First, the Tarnished Edition — expected to bundle the base game with Shadow of the Erdtree and possibly new content — has been confirmed for a 2026 release on Switch 2, with Canadian retailer PNP Games recently listing it at $80.99. Second, The Duskbloods, a mysterious project also mentioned in Kadokawa's pipeline, continues to fuel speculation about what new Elden Ring content FromSoftware has in store.
On the multiplayer front, the surge in concurrent players has breathed new life into co-op and PvP activities. Players report much shorter wait times for summon signs in popular boss areas like Malenia and Radahn, and the Collosseum PvP arenas are seeing healthy matchmaking populations once again. The return of organized fight clubs and co-op challenge runs has been particularly noticeable in the community.
Additionally, the thriving modding community continues to produce creative content that keeps the game fresh. From randomizer mods that completely shuffle enemy and item placements, to total conversion mods that introduce new weapons, spells, and even entire new areas, the Elden Ring mod scene on Nexus Mods remains one of the most active among FromSoftware titles.
With the Tarnished Edition still on track for 2026 and player interest at such elevated levels, it seems the Lands Between still has plenty of life left in it. We'll continue to bring you all the latest Tarnished Edition news, Duskbloods rumors, and comprehensive Elden Ring guides as more information emerges.