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
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
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.
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In short
- 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
How this story developed
- 2 months ago 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.
- 2 months ago FromSoftware and Bandai Namco have issued an emergency patch for Elden Ring after players discovered a multiplayer exploit letting them obtain items from the game's paid Tarnished Pack DLC for free.
- 2 months ago 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.
Full account
FromSoftware has issued an emergency fix for Elden Ring after players discovered they could duplicate items from the game's new Tarnished Pack downloadable content and hand them to people who hadn't paid for it. Patch 1.17.1, released across all platforms, closes off the loophole that had let the paid add-on's exclusive gear circulate for free in multiplayer sessions.
The Tarnished Pack arrived on 27th August alongside a broader Tarnished Edition of the game for Nintendo Switch 2, and was also made available as separate paid content on other formats. It adds two new starting classes, described in one report as the Idus Knight and Heavy Knight, along with additional player equipment and, notably, new cosmetic armour for Torrent, the player's spectral steed. The horse-themed cosmetics prompted comparisons with Bethesda's much-mocked horse armour add-on for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion nearly two decades ago, with commentators noting that FromSoftware had previously stuck to substantial, story-driven expansions such as Shadow of the Erdtree rather than smaller paid extras.
Soon after the DLC went live, players worked out that a person who owned the pack could drop its exclusive items for a companion in the same multiplayer session, and that doing so did not remove those items from the original owner's inventory. This effectively let the gear be duplicated and passed on to players who had never bought the content, and word of the trick spread quickly on Reddit and elsewhere among those keen to obtain the items without paying. FromSoftware's official response, posted from the game's social media account, was brief: the update, it said, fixed a multiplayer issue that had allowed DLC-specific items to be obtained under certain conditions by players not normally entitled to them, and added no new content itself.
Item trading between players has not been switched off altogether; players can still pass on DLC weapons and armour to one another, but the exchange now correctly removes the item from the sender's inventory rather than leaving both parties with a copy. Coverage of the episode varied in focus: one account leaned into the novelty and mild absurdity of FromSoftware venturing into microtransactions and horse armour for the first time, framing the exploit as a bit of mischievous good fortune for freeloading players, while another concentrated on the technical mechanics of the duplication bug and situated the story within wider reporting on the Switch 2 port, including impressions of how well Elden Ring runs on Nintendo's console.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
One account (styled in a wry, opinionated tone) frames the story around the novelty of FromSoftware trying microtransactions and horse armour for the first time, drawing a comparison to Bethesda's Oblivion horse armour controversy, and expresses hope this isn't a new trend for the studio — the other report is more matter-of-fact and doesn't make this comparison.
Only one source explains precisely how the duplication exploit worked (a DLC owner dropping items for a non-owner in multiplayer without the items disappearing from their own inventory); the other simply notes that players found a way to spawn/obtain copies.
Only one source gives the DLC's price ($5/£4), the exact patch release date (Tuesday 8th September) and class names (Idus Knight, Heavy Knight), and clarifies that item trading still works post-patch but now properly removes the item from the sender.
One source ties the story to the Switch 2 Tarnished Edition launch and references separate impressions coverage of the game's performance on that console; the other mentions the Switch 2 edition only in passing as context for the DLC's release.
Explained simply
Elden Ring is FromSoftware's acclaimed fantasy action game, and the studio, known for tightly crafted, story-heavy releases with publisher Bandai Namco, had generally steered clear of small paid add-ons. That changed with the Tarnished Pack, a modest DLC bundle released on 27th August alongside a fuller edition of the game for Nintendo Switch 2, offering extra character classes, equipment and decorative armour for players' horse companion, Torrent.
Because FromSoftware has built its reputation on substantial expansions rather than piecemeal purchases, this first foray into smaller paid content was already being watched closely, with some drawing comparisons to Bethesda's much-mocked horse armour DLC for Oblivion nearly two decades ago. Soon after launch, players discovered a way to exploit the game's online multiplayer features to duplicate these paid items for free, undermining the point of the purchase.
Such exploits matter to game makers because they can affect sales and set expectations for how paid content is treated, especially for a highly popular title with a large online community. FromSoftware and Bandai Namco's response, and how quickly they acted to close the loophole, is being seen as an early test of how the studio handles this newer business model.
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