Elden Ring Nightreign: The Forsaken Hollows Is Out—Here's Your Global Launch Cheat Sheet
Elden Ring Nightreign: The Forsaken Hollows DLC is live with new characters, bosses, locations, and global unlock times.
It's 2026, so if you're only now poking your head into Elden Ring Nightreign, The Forsaken Hollows is already out in the wild—no joke. I remember staring at the clock like a goblin when the global unlock was closing in, because FromSoftware's multiplayer spin-off had me hooked and the DLC looked like a proper meaty chunk of new chaos. The release date felt like it took forever, but when it finally hit, it hit all at once around the world. That meant December 3 for some regions and December 4 for others, which is always a fun little time-zone headache. If you're late to the party, don't sweat it: the important thing is that the content is live, and there's a lot more here than FromSoft originally let on. 🗡️
What you actually get in The Forsaken Hollows
For a $15 DLC, this thing is surprisingly stacked. I went in expecting a couple of new toys and maybe one fresh boss, but The Forsaken Hollows has more meat on the bone than that. You get a new supportive scholar character, which is great if you like playing the brainy backbone of the team, and you also get an aggressive nun with a hammer. Good grief, the nun hits like a truck. If you like pressing forward and bonking things into next week, she's your girl. 💥
On top of the new characters, there are new bosses to suss out, new locations coming to the original Limveld map, and a new shifting earth event that brings you to what is effectively an entirely separate landmass. That last bit is the headline act for me. It's not just a remix of the same old stomping ground—it's a proper excuse to pack your bags and go somewhere weird and dangerous. And that's not even counting all the new items and monsters we haven't seen yet. I'm still crossing my fingers that we get those backhand blades, because honestly, a Tarnished can dream.
The global unlock times, straight up
The Forsaken Hollows launched at the same moment worldwide, which is why the calendar looked a little split. Here's how the global release shook out by region:
| Region | Local unlock time |
|---|---|
| West Coast US | 3 pm PST (December 3) |
| East Coast US | 6 pm EST (December 3) |
| UK | 11 pm GMT (December 3) |
| Europe | 12 am CET (December 4) |
| Australia | 10 am AEDT (December 4) |
| New Zealand | 12 pm NZDT (December 4) |
So yeah, if you were in Europe, Australia, or New Zealand, you had to wait until December 4 while folks in the US and UK got to dive in on December 3. Time zones, man. They'll get you every time. ⏰
Steam preloads? Nope, not this time
At launch, Bandai Namco confirmed The Forsaken Hollows wouldn't have preloads available on Steam. You could only start downloading it at the global release time in your region. A patch for the game was also available earlier in the day to prepare for the DLC's launch, so if you were there on day one, you had to wait for the global switch to flip and then grab the download. It wasn't the end of the world, but it did mean no sneaky early install while you made a cup of tea. In 2026, that's all water under the bridge—if you're jumping in now, the DLC is live and the patch is baked in. Just make sure you've got the space ready, because Nightreign doesn't do small downloads. 🎮
Why I'm still hyped about it
The shifting earth event is the big draw for me. It yanks you onto a separate landmass, which gives the DLC a real sense of adventure instead of just feeling like a victory lap through Limveld. I also love that the new characters push different playstyles. The scholar is all about support and setup, while the nun with the hammer is pure aggression. If you're the kind of player who likes to be the reason the team survives a messy boss fight, the scholar is calling your name. If you're the kind of player who sees a problem and immediately tries to hit it with a hammer, well, good news. 🔨
And look, I'm not kidding about the backhand blades. FromSoft has a habit of adding weapons that completely change how you approach a fight, and I'm chomping at the bit to see if those make the cut. Even if they don't, there's enough new stuff here to keep me busy for a while. New bosses, new monsters, new locations, and a whole separate landmass to explore—for $15, that's a solid deal. So if you've been on the fence, buckle up and give it a go. The Forsaken Hollows is out now, and it's got plenty of bite. 🎉