How Long Does It Take to Beat Elden Ring? Main Story and Completion Times

Most players should plan on about 60 hours to beat Elden Ring’s main story. If you explore a healthy share of the optional content, expect roughly 100 hours; a completionist run averages around 136 hours. Those are rounded, community-submitted estimates, not a fixed finish time. A first playthrough can run shorter or much longer depending on exploration, boss retries, and how often you use guides or co-op.

The older 12–20 hour estimate sometimes repeated for the game is far below today’s player-reported average, so it is not a realistic budget for most first-time players. Here is a more useful way to plan.

How long each kind of Elden Ring run takes

HowLongToBeat’s Elden Ring page tracks times players submit after finishing games. The latest reported averages checked for this article are about 60 hours for the main story, 101 hours for the main story plus extras, and 136 hours for completionists. Figures are rounded and can shift as new reports arrive.

These benchmarks describe the base game. “Main story” does not mean a perfectly straight line: players still need to learn the combat, improve their character, and find their way through a large world. The official game overview describes a connected world of open landscapes and dungeons, with weapons, skills, and allies to discover along the way.

Why your playthrough may take longer

Exploring adds up

Elden Ring gives players room to leave the critical route and return later. Caves, catacombs, castles, field bosses, and character questlines can each turn a short detour into a longer session. Exploring can also help you find runes, equipment, and upgrade materials that make later fights more manageable. If you stop at every point of interest, the 100-hour benchmark may fit better than the main-story average.

Boss attempts and learning the combat

Deaths are part of the time budget. A tough boss may take several attempts while you learn its attack patterns, adjust your equipment, or decide to gain a few levels first. Players who are new to FromSoftware’s combat may spend longer on early encounters; veterans may move faster, but even experienced players can lose time to an unfamiliar boss or a missed route.

Build choices and outside help

Trying different weapons, spells, or armor can mean pausing to gather upgrade materials or find the right equipment. A guide can reduce time spent searching for a route or quest trigger, while playing without one can preserve the surprise of discovery but lead to more wandering. Neither approach is wrong; choose the estimate that matches how you like to play.

Does online co-op change the time?

Co-op can make some encounters easier, but it does not turn the whole adventure into one uninterrupted shared campaign. Elden Ring uses summon sessions: a helper joins the host’s world for a limited stretch, and the session typically ends when the area’s boss or mini-boss is defeated, or when a player dies or leaves. Bandai Namco’s multiplayer guide also notes that a host cannot ride Torrent or fast-travel while guests are present.

For that reason, there is no reliable rule that co-op adds five hours or cuts a set number of hours. A friend may help you clear a boss quickly, while coordinating sessions, waiting for a summon, or helping each other through several areas can extend the clock. The 60-, 100-, and 136-hour figures are better treated as broad planning marks than as solo-versus-online promises.

Do the estimates include Shadow of the Erdtree?

No: use the numbers above as a baseline for the base game. Bandai Namco describes Shadow of the Erdtree as a large-scale expansion with a new story and additional areas, and some editions bundle it with the base game. If your goal includes the Land of Shadow, plan for a separate stretch of play beyond the base-game averages; the added time depends on how much of the expansion you explore.

Turn the estimate into a schedule

For a practical calendar estimate, divide your target playtime by the number of hours you can play each week. At 10 hours per week, a 60-hour story-focused run is about six weeks, a 100-hour run is about ten weeks, and a 136-hour completionist run is about fourteen weeks. That is only arithmetic, not a promise about how quickly your save will progress.

If you mainly want to see an ending, budget around 60 hours and allow extra time for difficult bosses. If you want the exploration that makes Elden Ring feel like a long-form adventure, plan closer to 100 hours. Choose the 136-hour figure only if collecting and completing most available content is part of the fun for you.