Elden Ring Nightreign continues its surprising evolution, and with the arrival of The Forsaken Hollows, players finally have a substantial reason to return to its demanding multiplayer roguelike world. This mini-expansion promises new classes, fresh bosses, a brand-new zone, and a long list of quality-of-life improvements that reshape the pace of progression. If you’ve been waiting for meaningful new content or simply looking for an excuse to dive back in, this DLC delivers exactly that. Below is a full breakdown of everything included in the update, how to access it, and why it’s already generating buzz across the community.

Release Times and Access Requirements

The Forsaken Hollows officially launched on December 3 at 6 p.m. ET for PC players, while console owners on PlayStation had to wait until midnight on December 4. Xbox players, as usual, can use the time-zone trick to get in a bit early, making it a convenient time to Buy Xbox Live Key if you’re grabbing the DLC on that platform.

Accessing the content isn’t as simple as buying the DLC. To unlock the Scholar and Undertaker classes, you’ll first need to defeat Tricephalos, the three-headed wolf Nightlord that stands as one of the early walls for many players. Once that’s done, visit the Roundtable Hold, speak to the Iron Menial, and retrieve a message from the Small Jar Merchant. Only then will the new classes appear.

For the Shifting Earth event and the new Balancers Nightlord fight, the requirements go even further. After unlocking the new classes, you’ll need to defeat a second Nightlord. With those conditions met, a chapel will appear behind the Small Jar Merchant. Inside is the trigger for The Great Hollows, a large-scale cataclysmic event setting up the new endgame challenge.

New Classes, New Biomes, and a More Dangerous World

The Forsaken Hollows introduces two completely new Nightfarer classes designed to shake up team compositions and provide new tactical options.

The Scholar serves as a support role built around clever debuffs and group synergy. His Character Skill, Analyze, allows him to weaken enemies by keeping them in a scoped view, rewarding positioning and awareness. His passive, Bagcraft, lets him carry more items, reinforcing his role as a prepared strategist. In group play, his Ultimate Art, Communion, stands out as one of the most unique abilities in the game, linking enemy and ally health so that damage and healing spread across targets. It’s a high-risk, high-reward style that can either stabilize a fight or amplify mistakes.

The Undertaker, on the other hand, pushes aggression to its limit. Her Character Skill, Trance, grants unlimited stamina and increased movement speed, turning her into a relentless frontline brawler. Her Ultimate Art, Loathsome Hex, unleashes a rapid series of targeted attacks that can melt bosses when used at the right moment. Her passive, Confluence, gives her an extra Ultimate Art whenever an ally activates theirs, making her exceptionally strong in coordinated groups.

Beyond the classes, the DLC adds the Great Hollows Shifting Earth event, an entirely new area separate from the base map. You’ll need to fly there, and once you arrive, you’ll find new ruins, mazes, and previously unseen environmental threats. The Balancers Nightlord acts as the main boss encounter for this region, supported by new field bosses, fresh enemy types, and even poison swamps now spreading across Limveld. The developers have emphasized that this content is intentionally more challenging but still fair, creating a difficulty curve meant for players who have mastered the game’s early layers.

Patch 1.03: Quality-of-Life Updates and System Improvements

Alongside the DLC, the free 1.03 update introduces a large collection of adjustments, bug fixes, and convenience features. Despite expectations, there are no direct Nightfarer class balance changes, which means the meta remains stable for now.

Some of the most notable additions include:

• Support for The Forsaken Hollows on the title screen

• Relic display improvements in the Character Selection and Results menus

• Custom names for Relic presets

• Reordered preset management

• New items added to shops, including the Deep Large Scenic Flatstone

• Improved map layer visibility and event highlighting

• Tweaks to UI visibility during Dormant Power selection

• Added Fire Pots to Spirit Shelter shops

• More consistent target-lock behavior with Raider’s Ultimate Art

Balance changes focus primarily on broadening trigger conditions for passive effects while slightly reducing the effectiveness of low-HP defensive bonuses. Offensively, many passive effects like Improved Charge Attacks, Improved Jump Attacks, and Improved Skill Attack Power saw boosts. Several Relic effects, including Physical Attack Up and Improved Guard Counters, also received buffs. Incantation users benefit too, as Wrath of Gold now consumes less FP and deals more damage.

On the bug-fix side, dozens of issues were addressed, including Raider’s Retaliate not functioning properly, Sites of Grace occasionally failing to activate, missing weapon appearances, and several problems where buffs or debuffs didn’t apply consistently across players in co-op sessions.

Why The Forsaken Hollows Feels Like the Right Step Forward

Elden Ring Nightreign’s newest chapter shows that even a smaller DLC can reinvigorate a game when its additions are focused, cohesive, and player-driven. The new classes encourage deeper team synergy, the Great Hollows area provides a meaningful challenge curve, and the patch cleans up several long-standing frustrations. And with seasonal events and future updates likely on the horizon, topping up your account with Buy Xbox Gift Cards can make grabbing upcoming content much easier. If you’re returning to the game or starting fresh, this is one of the best moments to jump in.