With little time left beforeElden Ringreleases, FromSoftware has revealed the game’s final roster of classes and spotlighted them through via Twitter. There’s no doubt that the final class list is different from the list of classes presented in the game’s Network Test; it appears the Bloody Wolf, the Champion, and the Enchanted Knight didn’t make it through the game’s final months of development. However,Elden Ringdoes offer a few classes that fill those niches as starting options. For instance, the heavy-duty Vagabond looks like a perfect starting choice for fans of the Bloody Wolf andDark Souls' classic “sword-and-board” style.
More importantly,Elden Ring’s final list of classesis much bigger than the Network Test’s list. While the test only showed off five potential classes, there will be 10 starting classes inElden Ringat launch. As in mostDark Soulsgames, starting classes only define a character’s base stats rather than determining everything they can do, but having a lot of classes is still important. The final version ofElden Ringoffers a ton of support for build paths that the original class list didn’t cover with its team of five.
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Elden Ring’s Network Test offered plenty of support for melee combat fans. The Bloody Wolf and the Enchanted Knight served as masters of heavy armor, while the Champion could dish out major damage alongside them. In the process, the test’s class list left little room for less melee-oriented styles. The Warrior was the only Dexterity-focused class, leaving archery lovers with few options for their starting class, whilethe Prophet was the only true magesacrificing durability for powerful Incantations. These classes worked well for a beta test, but ultimately they were too limited to captureDark Souls' historic variety of build paths.
That’s why it’s great to seeDark Souls' final class roster have so many more options. The Astrologer now stands alongside the Prophet as a true mage starting class, wielding Glintstone Sorceries instead of Incantations, while the Bandit both empowers archery lovers and unique Arcane-heavy builds.Dark Soulslovers who want a fresh start or a major challenge can alsopick upElden Ring’s Wretch, starting with minimal equipment but well-rounded stats. These classes andElden Ring’s other options add up to a better starting list for character builds of all kinds.
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Elden Ring’s Diversity is Useful
InDark Soulsgames, a character’s starting class is everything. Aside from giving players base statistics that empower the perfect skillset, starting classes give players equipment that make that build playable from the beginning so, for example, archers don’t have to scrounge for a good bow in the game’s opening hours.Dark Souls' build pathswould be less interesting if eachDark Soulsgame only offered four or five starting classes, but instead FromSoftware stocks each game with eight-to-10 options. With that many tools at their disposal,Dark Soulsfans have more liberty to be mechanically creative.
The same is true forElden Ring.If the game released with just the five Network Test classes, they’d likely serve players well for one playthrough, but would quickly lose their shine as players try to make new builds.Elden Ring’s starting classes give players more power to do what they want to from the beginning while setting them up for success later in the game. It’s no surprise to see FromSoftware preserve this aspect ofDark Souls,but nevertheless, a big class roster isone welcomed aspect ofElden Ring.FromSoftware’s new game is made more appealing from the outset because it puts power and choices in the players' hands.
Elden Ringreleases Jul 01, 2025 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
