While Elden Ring won’t be releasing in January 2022 as planned, fans have little reason to be disappointed. For starters, the delay is only a month long and later this month, there will be a closed network test for Elden Ring, although only a select number of fans will be able to try the game out early. And earlier today, Bandai Namco treated everyone to almost 20 minutes of gameplay footage, showcasing the world, combat, enemies, and other NPCs that populate the game.
Alongside the preview, Bandai Namco unveiled an Elden Ring Collector’s Edition available for pre-order. This had actually leaked beforehand so fans already had an inkling of what the Collector’s Edition would include. Aside from a physical copy of the game itself obviously (with the exception of the PC version), it comes with a complete digital soundtrack, a steelbook depicting the Elden Ring itself, a 40-page artbook, and a statue of Malenia – Blade of Miquella. Long-time fans will recognize Malenia as one of the characters featured in the very first Elden Ring trailer from 2019.
The Collector’s Edition can be pre-ordered from Best Buy, Target, and GameStop for $189.99, and pre-ordering nets fans a bonus gesture item to use in-game and a digital adventure guide. It’s worth mentioning that these bonus items come with any Elden Ring pre-order and the bonus gesture can be unlocked in the game anyway; it’s not a pre-order exclusive. Interestingly, Bandai Namco’s European website adds that the Collector’s Edition includes three art cards, three stickers, a woven patch, and a poster, which are also the bonus items that come with the Launch Edition of the game.
What wasn’t leaked prior to the gameplay reveal was another special edition, titled the Premium Collector’s Edition. As the name suggests, this comes with everything included with the Collector’s Edition, as well as a 1:1 replica of Malenia’s helmet and a display stand for it. This edition will only be available to pre-order from the Bandai Namco store, but pre-orders aren’t up yet in the United States and Canada.
United Kingdom and European residents can pre-order it now, with the website adding that only 6000 helmets have been manufactured. In fact, it’s already completely sold out on the European website (and so is the Collector’s Edition). While there’s no pricing for the US and Canada, the European website lists it at £229.99, which is roughly $310.
The latest action RPG from Dark Souls studio FromSoftware, Elden Ring is directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, who directed most of the Souls series, as well as the similarly designed Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. What’s also grabbed fans’ interest is that George R. R. Martin, the author of the A Song of Ice and Fire books which Game of Thrones is based on, has contributed to the game’s world building.
Elden Ring releases for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on February 25th, 2022.