Elden Ring Nightreign Forsaken Hollows DLC (March 2026) Release Date & Bosses

I’ve been eagerly awaiting new content for Elden Ring Nightreign since its explosive launch in May 2026, and FromSoftware just dropped a bombshell that has the entire community buzzing. The Forsaken Hollows DLC is coming much sooner than anyone expected, and after diving deep into every trailer frame, official announcement, and community discussion, I’m here to break down absolutely everything we know about this massive expansion.

As someone who’s spent over 200 hours in Nightreign’s brutal co-op expeditions, I can tell you that this DLC addresses many of the community’s biggest requests while introducing content that promises to shake up the current meta entirely. Whether you’re a veteran Nightfarer or considering jumping into the Lands Between for the first time, this comprehensive guide will tell you everything you need to know about The Forsaken Hollows.

Elden Ring Nightreign The Forsaken Hollows

Before we dive into the details, let me give you the essential information at a glance:

Category	Details
Release Date	December 4, 2026
Price	$15 USD (Included in Deluxe/Collector’s editions)
Platforms	PC (Steam), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
New Nightfarers	Scholar, Undertaker
New Bosses	2 New Nightlords (Dreglords), Artorius, Divine Beast Dancing Lion
New Content	The Great Hollow (Shifting Earth), Shadow of Erdtree enemies
Requirements	Base game Elden Ring Nightreign
Pre-order Bonus	Digital artbook & mini soundtrack (if purchased before Dec 3)

Elden Ring Nightreign The Forsaken Hollows Release Date

The Forsaken Hollows DLC launches on December 4, 2026, across all platforms simultaneously. This announcement came during Sony’s State of Play Japan event on November 11, catching many players by surprise with how soon we’ll be diving back into Limveld’s depths.

FromSoftware and Bandai Namco made this reveal just three weeks before launch, which is relatively unusual for major DLC announcements. However, this tight timeline makes sense when you consider that the Elden Ring Nightreign community has been vocal about wanting new content since the game launched six months ago.

For players who purchased the Deluxe Edition or Collector’s Edition of Nightreign, you’ll automatically receive The Forsaken Hollows at no additional cost when it launches. If you bought the standard edition, the DLC is available as a separate $15 purchase on all digital storefronts.

Pre-Order Incentive: If you purchase The Forsaken Hollows before December 3, you’ll receive the Elden Ring Nightreign digital artbook and mini soundtrack as downloadable bonus content. These bonuses become available immediately upon purchase, giving you something to enjoy while waiting for the December 4 launch.

Everything New in Elden Ring Nightreign The Forsaken Hollows DLC

Two Powerful New Nightfarers Join the Battle

The Forsaken Hollows introduces two completely new playable characters to Nightreign’s roster, bringing unique playstyles and abilities that will significantly impact team compositions. Having analyzed the trailer footage extensively and compared it to the current Nightreign tier list, I believe these characters will shake up the established meta.

The Scholar: Arcane Mastery Through Observation

The Scholar represents Nightreign’s first intelligence-focused Nightfarer with heavy arcane scaling. According to official descriptions, he’s “an academic who walks the Lands Between” with impressive arcane levels that grant “incredible advantages through battlefield observation.”

What We Know About Scholar’s Abilities:

• Starting Weapon: Thrusting sword (rapier-style)
• Primary Stats: High Arcane proficiency
• Unique Mechanic: Gains buffs through “battlefield observation”
• Ultimate Ability: Uses a magical grimoire to suspend enemies in midair, immobilizing them for follow-up attacks

In the trailer, I noticed the Scholar’s ultimate creates a purple energy field that lifts multiple enemies simultaneously, leaving them completely vulnerable. This crowd control capability could make him invaluable for managing the chaotic multi-enemy encounters that define Nightreign’s difficulty.

The “battlefield observation” mechanic suggests he might gain stacking buffs as combat progresses, similar to how some characters in other challenging open-world games reward patient, methodical play. This could make Scholar incredibly powerful in longer expedition runs where his buffs have time to accumulate.

The Undertaker: Faith and Fury Combined

The Undertaker brings a completely different energy to the Nightfarer roster. Described as “an abbess who was mandated to slay the Nightlord,” she combines impressive strength and faith stats to “send enemies to the afterlife with ruthless efficiency.”

What We Know About Undertaker’s Abilities:

• Starting Weapon: One-handed hammer
• Primary Stats: High Strength and Faith
• Fighting Style: Aggressive melee with faith-based abilities
• Ultimate Ability: Summons a massive spectral hammer that allows aerial slam attacks

The trailer showcases an incredible moment where the Undertaker uses her ultimate against Astel, launching herself into the air before crashing down with devastating force. This aerial mobility combined with her strength/faith hybrid build suggests she’ll excel at breaking enemy stances and dealing massive poise damage.

For players familiar with FromSoftware’s best Souls games, the Undertaker’s playstyle appears to blend elements of Bloodborne’s aggressive rally mechanics with Elden Ring’s faith-based incantations. She might become the go-to choice for players who prefer to dominate bosses through relentless pressure rather than careful spacing.

Terrifying New Enemies from Shadow of the Erdtree

One of the most exciting revelations from the trailer is the confirmed inclusion of enemies and bosses from Elden Ring’s critically acclaimed Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. This represents the first time Shadow of Erdtree content has appeared in Nightreign, opening the door for even more DLC integration in future updates.

Confirmed Shadow of Erdtree Enemies:

1. Fire Knights: These heavily armored warriors wielding flame-infused weapons appear in several trailer shots. In the base Elden Ring game, Fire Knights were among the most challenging regular enemies in Shadow of Erdtree, with unpredictable attack patterns and high fire damage output.
2. Messmer Soldiers: Soldiers loyal to Messmer the Impaler make their Nightreign debut. These enemies typically come in groups and coordinate their attacks, which could create some brutally difficult mob encounters in Limveld’s open areas.
3. Divine Beast Dancing Lion: This spectacular boss from Shadow of Erdtree appears as a field boss in The Forsaken Hollows. The Divine Beast’s multiple elemental phases (lightning, wind, and frost) will likely be adapted to fit Nightreign’s faster-paced combat system.

The inclusion of Shadow of Erdtree content is significant because these enemies were designed for Elden Ring’s more methodical pace. Seeing how FromSoftware adapts them for Nightreign’s aggressive, time-pressured expeditions will be fascinating. I expect they’ve been retuned to account for the weapon variety and build diversity that Nightreign offers.

New Raid Content: Gladius Returns

Eagle-eyed viewers noticed something interesting in the trailer – a single-headed Gladius encounter in an open field setting. For those unfamiliar, Gladius is one of the existing Nightlords in the base game, but he currently doesn’t have a dedicated raid encounter like other major bosses.

What This Means:

• Gladius is getting his own raid-style encounter
• The single-headed variant suggests this might be a Night 1 or Night 2 boss fight rather than the full multi-headed Nightlord version
• This could introduce a new progression path through the DLC expeditions

Raids in Nightreign differ from standard encounters by featuring multiple phases, environmental hazards, and typically require better coordination between team members. Adding a Gladius raid fills a content gap while giving players another farming opportunity for high-tier relics and equipment.

The Great Hollow: A New Shifting Earth Event

The Forsaken Hollows introduces “The Great Hollow,” described as a massive cavity stretching deep beneath Limveld. According to official descriptions, this area is “strewn with exotic ruins and temples; sacred towers denoting the remains of an ancient people; and crystals that exude a cursed, life-draining miasma.”

The Great Hollow Features:

• Location: Deep underground beneath Limveld
• Aesthetics: Ancient ruins, crystalline formations, cursed atmosphere
• Hazards: Life-draining miasma crystals
• Boss: Divine Beast Dancing Lion serves as the final encounter

Shifting Earth events in Nightreign dramatically alter the map’s geography and available paths, creating unique expedition experiences. The Great Hollow appears to be Nightreign’s first fully underground Shifting Earth variant, which could introduce vertical exploration elements we haven’t seen before.

The “life-draining miasma” mechanic sounds particularly challenging. In my experience with similar mechanics across various games, environmental damage-over-time effects fundamentally change how you approach combat. You can’t simply hunker down and wait for openings – you need to keep moving, which plays perfectly into Nightreign’s aggressive design philosophy.

Artorius: The Legendary Dark Souls Boss Returns

Here’s where FromSoftware really delivered fan service: Knight Artorias the Abysswalker is joining Elden Ring Nightreign as a Night boss. For anyone who played the Artorias of the Abyss DLC for the original Dark Souls back in 2012, this is a dream come true.

Artorias is arguably one of the most beloved boss fights in FromSoftware’s entire catalog. His tragic lore, incredible moveset, and the sheer spectacle of fighting a corrupted legendary knight made him an instant icon. The fact that he’s returning in Nightreign over a decade later speaks to his enduring popularity.

What We Know About Artorius in Nightreign:

From the brief trailer footage, I noticed several key details:

• He retains his signature greatsword and corrupted appearance
• A new grab attack is shown where he impales a Nightfarer on his blade
• His moveset appears updated and faster to match Nightreign’s pace
• He’ll likely appear as a Night 1 or Night 2 boss in the new expeditions

The timing of Artorias’s inclusion is perfect. The Nightreign community has been requesting more Dark Souls representation ever since the Nameless King appeared in the base game. Artorias represents a natural progression of that fan service while bringing one of the franchise’s most mechanically interesting fights into Nightreign’s co-op framework.

I’m particularly curious about how his infamous “power-up” phase will work in Nightreign. In the original Dark Souls, Artorias would buff himself mid-fight, dramatically increasing his aggression and damage. In a timed expedition format with multiple players, this mechanic could create intense moments where teams need to decide between interrupting his buff or letting it happen while repositioning.

Two New Nightlords: The Dreglords Emerge

The Forsaken Hollows introduces two completely new final bosses, referred to in marketing materials as “Dreglords” rather than the traditional “Nightlords” nomenclature. This distinction seems intentional and likely relates to the DLC’s narrative about corrupted souls rising from past battles.

Dreglord #1: The Seven Angels

The first new Nightlord appears to be seven angel-like beings wielding polearms. In the trailer, they’re shown in pristine white armor with what looks like holy damage effects.

Speculation Based on Trailer Analysis:

• They likely merge into a single entity during the fight (FromSoftware loves transformation phases)
• Holy/lightning damage type seems probable
• Arena appears to be an elevated platform, possibly in The Great Hollow
• Coordinated attack patterns between the seven forms

The concept of fighting multiple synchronized enemies as a single boss encounter isn’t new to FromSoftware – think of fights like the Ruin Sentinels in Dark Souls 2 or the Twin Gargoyles. However, seven simultaneous opponents would be unprecedented in Souls-like boss design, creating coordination challenges that could rival the hardest content in Nightreign’s recent patches.

Dreglord #2: The Blighted Abomination

The second Nightlord is visually stunning and horrifying in equal measure. This massive creature sits in what appears to be a blighted, diseased arena wielding an enormous cudgel.

What We Can Infer:

• Multiple status effect mechanics (likely Scarlet Rot, poison, or a new “blight” effect)
• Extremely slow but devastating attacks given the cudgel’s size
• Arena hazards tied to the blight spreading across the ground
• Possible adds or corruption mechanics during the fight

The trailer description mentions these Dreglords were “born of cast-away souls” from previous expeditions, which creates an interesting narrative connection. Every time Nightfarers fail and die in Limveld, their souls apparently feed into these abominations. It’s a clever way to tie the roguelike death mechanics into the game’s lore.

FromSoftware has historically excelled at creating multi-phase boss fights with environmental storytelling. If the Blighted Abomination’s arena progressively corrupts throughout the fight, forcing players into smaller safe zones, it could create the kind of pressure-cooker moments that define memorable boss encounters.

Pricing, Editions, and What’s Included

Let me break down exactly what you’re getting with The Forsaken Hollows and how pricing works across different purchase scenarios:

Standard DLC Purchase: $15 USD

• Two new Nightfarers (Scholar and Undertaker)
• Two new Nightlord bosses
• Artorius Night boss encounter
• Divine Beast Dancing Lion field boss
• The Great Hollow Shifting Earth event
• Shadow of Erdtree enemies and content
• New expeditions and progression paths

Deluxe Edition / Collector’s Edition:
If you already own either of these versions, The Forsaken Hollows is included at no additional cost. The DLC will automatically appear in your library on December 4.

Important note: The Deluxe Upgrade Pack (available since May 30, 2026) was renamed to “The Forsaken Hollows DLC” as of November 12, 2026. If you purchased the Deluxe Upgrade Pack at any point, you already own this DLC – do not purchase it again.

Pre-Order Bonuses (Until December 3):

• Elden Ring Nightreign Digital Artbook
• Mini Soundtrack (downloadable app)
• Both bonuses download immediately upon purchase

Platform Availability:
The Forsaken Hollows launches simultaneously on:

• PC via Steam
• PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5
• Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S

Note that while Elden Ring Nightreign doesn’t support full crossplay between platform families, it does support cross-generational play within console families (PS4 with PS5, Xbox One with Series X|S).

How The Forsaken Hollows Fits Into Nightreign’s Post-Launch Evolution?

To appreciate the significance of this DLC, it helps to understand Nightreign’s update history. Since launching in May 2026, FromSoftware has consistently supported the game with meaningful updates:

Major Updates Pre-DLC:

• Launch (May 30): Base game with 8 Nightfarers and initial Nightlords
• July Patch: Introduced Duo Expeditions (2-player mode)
• August Updates: Added Everdark Sovereigns (enhanced Nightlord variants)
• September: Deep of Night hard mode with new difficulty tiers

The Forsaken Hollows represents the first major paid expansion, but it builds on this foundation of regular content updates. The addition of Shadow of Erdtree content specifically suggests FromSoftware is willing to bridge their standalone titles more directly than many expected.

Community Reception and Expectations

The announcement has generated overwhelmingly positive reactions across the Nightreign community, though with some interesting discussions:

What Players Are Excited About:

• Artorias finally joining the roster after months of requests
• Shadow of Erdtree content integration
• New Nightfarers expanding build diversity
• The $15 price point being reasonable for the content

Concerns and Questions:

• Some players expected a completely new map rather than Shifting Earth variants
• Questions about whether two new Nightlords is sufficient for end-game players
• Uncertainty about how Shadow of Erdtree enemies will be balanced for Nightreign’s pace

From my perspective, having followed similar game updates and DLC releases, this feels like appropriate first DLC content. It expands the existing framework without fragmenting the player base with completely separate game modes.

How The Forsaken Hollows Changes Nightreign’s Meta?

Based on what we know, The Forsaken Hollows will impact Nightreign’s gameplay in several significant ways:

Build Diversity Explosion:
Two new Nightfarers with completely different stat focuses (Arcane vs Strength/Faith) immediately expands the viable build ecosystem. Scholar’s crowd control could make magic-heavy team compositions finally competitive with the current melee-dominated meta.

Expedition Variety:
The Great Hollow Shifting Earth and two new expeditions mean your runs will have more variety. This addresses one of the base game’s most common criticisms – that expeditions started feeling samey after your 50th clear.

Difficulty Ceiling Raised:
Shadow of Erdtree enemies were already some of the hardest in Elden Ring. Transplanting them into Nightreign’s time-pressure environment will challenge even veteran players to adapt their strategies.

Team Composition Shift:
Scholar’s ability to immobilize enemies could become mandatory for harder content, similar to how certain Nightreign characters currently dominate specific roles. This might shake up the established team archetypes.

Tips for Preparing for The Forsaken Hollows

With less than a month until launch, here’s how I’m preparing for the DLC:

1. Stock Up on Consumables: The Great Hollow’s life-draining miasma suggests you’ll want plenty of healing items
2. Experiment with Current Builds: Understanding your playstyle now will help you quickly adapt the new Nightfarers
3. Practice Current Nightlords: The Dreglords will likely match or exceed existing difficulty
4. Join the Community: Follow official channels for any last-minute details or balance changes

Official Resources and Where to Get More Information

Official Website: nightreign.com
Purchase Links: Available on all platform digital stores
Community Hub: FromSoftware Games Discussion

For players new to Nightreign who want to prepare for the DLC, I highly recommend reading about Elden Ring’s best mods to understand the base game better, and checking out guides on optimizing your PC controls if you’re on keyboard and mouse.

FAQ

When does The Forsaken Hollows DLC release?

The Forsaken Hollows releases on December 4, 2026, simultaneously across all platforms (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S).

How much does The Forsaken Hollows cost?

The DLC costs $15 USD as a standalone purchase. If you own the Deluxe Edition or Collector’s Edition of Nightreign, The Forsaken Hollows is included at no additional cost.

Do I need the base game to play The Forsaken Hollows?

Yes, you must own Elden Ring Nightreign to access The Forsaken Hollows DLC. It’s not a standalone expansion.

What new characters are in The Forsaken Hollows?

The DLC adds two new playable Nightfarers: the Scholar (Arcane-focused with crowd control abilities) and the Undertaker (Strength/Faith hybrid with aerial attacks).

Is Artorias really in this DLC?

Yes! Knight Artorias the Abysswalker from Dark Souls appears as a Night boss in The Forsaken Hollows. This marks his first appearance in an Elden Ring title.

Can I play The Forsaken Hollows solo?

Yes, Nightreign supports solo play with adjusted difficulty scaling. However, the game is designed primarily for co-op play with up to three players.

What is The Great Hollow?

The Great Hollow is a new Shifting Earth event (map variation) that takes place in underground caverns beneath Limveld, featuring ancient ruins and life-draining crystal formations.

Are there pre-order bonuses?

Yes! If you purchase The Forsaken Hollows before December 3, you’ll receive a digital artbook and mini soundtrack that download immediately.

How many new bosses are in the DLC?

The Forsaken Hollows includes two new Nightlord bosses (Dreglords), plus Artorias as a Night boss, Divine Beast Dancing Lion as a field boss, and a new Gladius raid encounter.

Does The Forsaken Hollows support crossplay?

The DLC follows the same crossplay restrictions as the base game. You can play across generations within the same platform family (PS4 with PS5, Xbox One with Series X|S), but not between PC, PlayStation, and Xbox ecosystems.

Final Thoughts

The Forsaken Hollows represents exactly the kind of expansion Nightreign needed at this stage. It builds on the game’s strengths while addressing community requests, introducing beloved legacy content like Artorias, and pushing the difficulty ceiling higher without alienating newer players.

At $15 for two new characters, two Nightlords, and substantial new content, the value proposition seems solid. More importantly, it signals FromSoftware’s commitment to Nightreign as a long-term project rather than a one-and-done experiment.

I’ll be diving into The Forsaken Hollows the moment it launches on December 4, and I recommend bookmark this guide for future updates as we discover all the secrets FromSoftware has hidden in Limveld’s depths. The Dreglords are waiting, and it’s time to steel our resolve for what promises to be Nightreign’s toughest challenge yet.

Mark your calendars for December 4, 2026 – the Lands Between are about to get even more dangerous, and I can’t wait to face these new horrors alongside fellow Nightfarers. See you in the Great Hollow!