Upon release, = received generally mixed reviews from music critics, who appreciated Sheeran's emerging sonic experimentation but criticised its production nevertheless. The album reached number one in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The Christmas edition of the album was released on 3 December 2021, although it was removed later on. It contains a sole guest appearance from fellow English singer-songwriter Elton John on the song "Merry Christmas", while the standard edition does not have any guest appearances.
The tour edition of the album was released on 27 May 2022. It contains his 2 songs from the 2019 film Yesterday, "One Life" and "Penguins", and 2 brand new songs, "I Will Remember You" and "Welcome to the World". The reissue also contains the 2020 single "Afterglow", the single version of "The Joker and the Queen" featuring American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, the single version of "2step", featuring American rapper Lil Baby, a remix of "Bad Habits" featuring British rock band Bring Me the Horizon, and his collaboration with Nigerian singer Fireboy DML, "Peru". A second remix of "2step" is also included in the reissue in some countries.