# FromSoftware’s first experiment with, of all things, horse armor DLC runs awry, as Elden Ring players manage to spawn free duplicate items in multiplayer

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/fromsoftwares-first-experiment-with-of-all-things-horse-armor-dlc-runs-awry-as-elden-ring-players-manage-to-spawn-free-duplicate-items-in-multiplayer/
- Published: 2026-09-09T12:12:57+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-09T18:25:14+00:00
- Original publisher: Rock Paper Shotgun
- Original article: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/fromsoftwares-first-experiment-with-of-all-things-horse-armor-dlc-runs-awry-as-elden-ring-players-manage-to-spawn-free-duplicate-items-in-multiplayer
- Topics: Entertainment, Gaming, Music, Research, Science, Software, Technology

## Key points

- Elden Ring's Tarnished Pack DLC had a free-item multiplayer exploit
- FromSoftware's patch 1.17.1 closed the duplication loophole
- Incident echoed Bethesda's Oblivion horse armour controversy

## Summary

FromSoftware and Bandai Namco have released a patch for Elden Ring after players discovered a multiplayer exploit that let them obtain items from the game's paid Tarnished Pack DLC for free. The episode marked a rare stumble in the studio's first foray into microtransactions, drawing wry comparisons to Bethesda's infamous horse armour add-on for Oblivion, since FromSoftware has traditionally favoured substantial, story-driven expansions such as Shadow of the Erdtree rather than small paid extras.

The Tarnished Pack launched on 27th August alongside an expanded Tarnished Edition for Nintendo Switch 2, adding new starting classes, player equipment and cosmetic armour for the horse companion Torrent. Players found that, under specific conditions, they could spawn duplicate copies of these DLC-exclusive items during multiplayer sessions, letting non-buyers access content without paying. FromSoftware has now closed the loophole with patch 1.17.1, stating the update "fixes an issue in multiplayer where, under specific conditions, DLC-specific items could be obtained when not normally eligible" and adds no new content, effectively drawing a line under the matter.

## Coverage

- [Rock Paper Shotgun: FromSoftware’s first experiment with, of all things, horse armor DLC runs awry, as Elden Ring players manage to spawn free duplicate items in multiplayer](https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/fromsoftwares-first-experiment-with-of-all-things-horse-armor-dlc-runs-awry-as-elden-ring-players-manage-to-spawn-free-duplicate-items-in-multiplayer)
- [Eurogamer: FromSoftware patches Elden Ring to stop players sharing the Tarnished Edition Switch 2 extras for free](https://www.eurogamer.net/elden-ring-patch-1-17-1-fix-tarnished-dlc-duplication-glitch)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.