How long does it take to beat Elden Ring?
How long it takes to beat Elden Ring varies a lot by player, but most finish the main story in roughly 55–60 hours. A run that explores most of the Lands Between and does many side quests usually takes around 100 hours, and full 100% completion about 130 hours or more. The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion (2024) adds roughly 25 hours for its main path and 40–50 hours if you explore it fully.
What affects your playtime
- Experience with FromSoftware games. Soulslike veterans move faster and die less.
- Build and difficulty. Magic and summon-heavy builds tend to shorten boss fights; pure melee runs take longer for many players.
- Exploration. Elden Ring hides a huge amount of optional content: catacombs, caves, legacy dungeons and entire optional areas.
- Side quests. NPC questlines are long, easy to break, and tied to some endings.
Rough breakdown
| Playstyle | Approximate time |
|---|---|
| Main story, little exploration | 50–60 hours |
| Main story plus a lot of side content | 90–110 hours |
| Completionist (all endings, achievements) | 130+ hours |
| Shadow of the Erdtree (main path / thorough) | 25 / 40–50 hours |
Speedrunners finish in well under an hour, but that relies on glitches and route knowledge, not a normal playthrough.
FAQ
How many endings does Elden Ring have?
Six: Elden Lord, Age of the Stars, Lord of Frenzied Flame, Age of Order, Age of Duskborn and Blessing of Despair. Several depend on NPC questlines.
Do I need several playthroughs for 100%?
Usually yes, or at least careful saving: you need every ending for the achievements, and some items are exclusive to choices in questlines. NG+ helps collect the rest.
Is Elden Ring the longest FromSoftware game?
Yes. Its open world makes it much longer than Dark Souls, Bloodborne or Sekiro.
How long is Elden Ring with the DLC?
Roughly 80–90 hours for the base game's main story plus Shadow of the Erdtree's main path, and 170 hours or more if you aim to complete both.
Is Elden Ring Nightreign part of Elden Ring?
No. Nightreign (2025) is a separate co-op spin-off built around short runs, not an expansion, and it is not needed to finish Elden Ring.
Is Elden Ring connected to Dark Souls?
Not in story. It is a separate world, though it shares many gameplay ideas with Dark Souls.