When was the Elden Ring DLC release date? We've been anticipating a follow-up expansion to FromSoftware's definitive soulslike since we first sat upon the throne and became the Elden Lord. Fortunately, the long wait is over, and the Shadow of the Erdtree looms large.
Elden Ring Shadow of Erdtree review to see what we thought of FromSoftware's largest expansion yet. Here's everything you need to know about the Shadow of the Erdtree release date and what awaits in the Land of Shadow.
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree release date
The Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree release date was Friday, June 21, 2024. It is available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
Development on the Elden Ring DLC expansion began at the end of 2022. It was revealed in a single post from the dev's Twitter on February 28, 2023, with the following message: "Rise, Tarnished, and let us walk a new path together. An expansion for Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree, is currently in development. We hope you look forward to new adventures in the Lands Between."
FromSoftware was later interviewed by Japanese outlet Elden Ring DLC update on Steam's backend. Bandai Namco's YouTube s updated its Elden Ring playlists a week later in preparation from the trailers dropping from February 2024 onwards.
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC preorder bonus
The preorder bonuses depended on the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree edition that players picked up. Purchasing the base game granted the Ring of Miquella emote, while the edition, which included a digital art book and digital soundtrack. Those ordering the collector's edition received a 46 cm statue of Messmer the Impaler and a 40-page physical art book.
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree trailers
The Shadow of the Erdtree gameplay reveal trailer kicks off at Mohgwyn Palace. We see the cocoon that holds the body of Miquella the Kind, the renegade Empyrean who rescinded the Golden Order and cultivated the Haligtree. Mohg stole Miquella from the Haligtree in an attempt to raise Miquella into full godhood and rule beside him as consort. Mohg's plan ultimately fails when the player defeats him in Mohgwyn Palace, leaving behind Miquella's cocoon. Now, it seems the finally woken up.
There's a glimpse of the Erdtree wreathed in shadows preceding a montage of monsters roaming the Land of Shadow. A voiceover teases: "In that forsaken place, blood must spill — the blood of your fellows, the Erdtree faithful." Director Miyazaki already confirmed the Shadow of the Erdtree Abyssal Woods are a particularly maddening area, where stealth is the key to survival.
The trailer reveals several new enemies set to litter the battlefield. These enemies include a towering Brazier Giant, a new variant of the Tree Sentinel, and even a Shadow of the Erdtree Count Ymir quest that's set to take the Tarnished across the Shadow Realm to ring a series of esoteric bells.
A small montage then shows off new Elden Ring weapons we can expect to pick up in the DLC. One of the more striking moments reveals a new incantation that conjures the head of a great horned bear, much like the dragon head that appears when casting Dragonfire.
The Elden Ring Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones to upgrade your most powerful weapons.
However, this trailer is most notable for the reveal of start the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree difficulty
Speaking with Famitsu and translated by Reddit TheAngryFurlong, Elden Ring director Hidetaki Miyazaki revealed a new leveling system for the DLC areas in Shadow of the Erdtree. He explains that players should "think of the attack power system in Sekiro. Separate from the original level system, there is an 'attack power' that is only enabled in the DLC areas.
These powerful DLC blessings take the form of Elden Ring Revered Spirit Ashes to boost the stats of both yourself and your summons. "This was introduced in order to give freedom to meet the threats mentioned earlier, so you can do something like exploring other areas before going back to challenge bosses that were too strong the first time, allowing you to more easily experience this, even in the high-level range. On the other hand, by keeping your attack power low, you can also experience this challenge at a lower level."
This change will mostly affect those who have taken their character and started a new game plus playthrough, as each reset will increase the overall challenge of Shadow of the Erdtree. The advice is to start a new character if you want to experience the DLC at the lowest difficulty. Check out the Shadow of the Erdtree recommended level to see if you're ready to take it on.
Who is Miquella in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree?
Miquella and Malenia are known as Empyreans, special beings capable of becoming gods. Unfortunately, they were both born cursed but don't suffer from the same afflictions. Malenia was cursed with Scarlet Rot, causing her to rot from within. Miquella's curse is the inability to age, keeping him trapped inside the body of a child. To negate the effects of their curses, Miquella created his own Haligtree in the Consecrated Snowfield and kept it hidden from prying eyes to ensure it could grow. You can hear more about Miquella the Kind and his role in Shadow of the Erdtree in the story trailer above..
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree story
The open-world game offers, we never get to meet her brother hMiquella in his original state. Until now. Our journey to the Land of Shadow has the Tarnished us following in the Empyrean's footsteps.
Whether we are Miquella's "promised Lord" or simply under his thrall of affection, the Land of Shadow also hides secrets of Queen Marika's life before her ascension to godhood and the rise of the Golden Order. Themes of childbirth and bloodlines established in Elden Ring's story will make their way into the DLC, with the reveal of long-lost siblings and old foes. Just watch out for when the point of no return where NPCs disappear if you want to avoid accidentally breaking some big questlines.
Now that you're prepped for the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, refresh your memory of the Elden Ring review if you need any more convincing to take the leap. We gave it a perfect ten, describing it as a "masterpiece" that "lights the path ahead" for future open-world games.