Summary

• Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC revealed with a gameplay trailer, set for release in June 2024.
• The DLC focuses on Miquella's dream, introducing a new location with old and new elements.
• Prices range from $39.99 for the expansion alone to $89.99 for the Collector's Edition, including bonuses.

Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC has finally been revealed, after months of anticipation. Although only one image was shared by developer FromSoftware, it is enough to entice players and give them a treat of what is to come in the future expansion. A DLC for Elden Ring has been discussed pretty much since the game’s release, and dataminers even found cut content in the source code, which could indicate its theme.

While a Colosseum DLC was the most betted upon, Elden Ring got a PvP expansion with that data, which left those waiting for a story expansion not knowing what to expect. Now, it has been revealed that Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is in the works, and it is most likely story-based content. The image shared does not reveal much, but for lore-savvy fans, there is a lot to be analyzed.

Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC Trailer & Gameplay

The new gameplay features, locations, abilities, and several types of new opponents were revealed by developer FromSoftware in the first gameplay trailer posted on the official Bandai Namco Europe channel on YouTube. The trailer arrives nearly a year after the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC for Elden Ring was first announced and showcases the new threats that the Tarnished will have to endure while learning more about Miquella and the Lands Between.

The video also highlights the fight against Messmer, the Impaler, expected to be one of the biggest and most important bosses in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. The main point of attention, however, is the new weapons and abilities that players can use in combat.

Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC’s Release Date

According to the gameplay reveal trailer, the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is scheduled to be released on June 21, 2024. The extra content will be compatible with all versions of the base game, be they from the current or previous generation of hardware. The long-awaited expansion for the RPG arrives nearly a year and a half after Elden Ring's release in early 2022.

Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree Prices & Versions

The prices and different versions for the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC have also been revealed and are currently available for pre-order on the official Elden Ring website. The expansion alone is priced at $39.99. The Shadow of the Erdtree Edition, which contains the base game and the expansion is priced at $79.99. The Deluxe Edition costs $89.99. The Collector's Edition is a physical bundle that comes with a 40-page hard-cover artbook, a voucher for the expansion and the official soundtrack, as well as a 46 cm statue of Messmer, the Impaler.

All pre-orders grant players an exclusive in-game bonus gesture called Ring of Miquella.

Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC’s Story & Miquella

The expansion will set players on an alternative journey that takes them to a new location called the Land of Shadow, an extension of the Lands Between. As previously speculated, Miquella, Malenia’s twin brother, will play an important role in the DLC’s campaign. The Empyrean will be the Tarnished’s guide through the Land of Shadow and help them uncover the secrets hidden therein. The exact nature of what players will investigate in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC for Elden Ring is still uncertain.

In fact, other details remain shrouded in mystery. It is unknown exactly when the events of the DLC take place. There are rumors that this takes place in Miquella’s dream. In the trailer, the character appears in his cocoon in Mogh, Lord of Blood’s underground lair. However, players will be able to freely transition to and from the contents of Elden Ring and the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, as announced on the official website. This would open up the possibility to access the expansion sometime around the middle of the campaign rather than in the post-game.

The base game never actually introduces Miquella in-person, but leaves many hints about his identity and his powers.

Aside from not being able to age naturally, Miquella is also able to retain the affection of all of those with whom he interacts, even his captor, Mohg. Most importantly, Miquella has a deep connection to sleeping, and that may be the main theme for the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. Malenia’s twin brother is confirmed by Sir Gideon Ofnir to be alive - Miquella's trapped in his egg-cocoon during Elden Ring - and is slumbering. Additionally, some of the data found by dataminers suggest that he lives, inside his dream world, which would make even more sense along with the expansion’s possible theme.

If the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is set inside Miquella’s dream, the story that FromSoftware is going to tell in Elden Ring is difficult to pinpoint. Inside his dream, players could witness the events prior to his kidnapping or even be tasked with freeing him from the said dream. There is also the possibility of having to kill him in order to restore some sort of balance to the events taking place in the Lands Between, and any of these could ultimately mean Elden Ring’s DLC affects the game's multiple endings, adding a new one to the list.

The most likely speculation, however, is that players will navigate Miquella’s dream in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree to discover the Erdtree’s true form. Throughout the game, it is suggested that the lustrous tree actually spawned and took the place of another world-tree, which could be the true Erdtree. If Miquella is aware of this, his dream could be a way of guiding Tarnished toward the truth and making the player’s choice for the ending be based on actual information rather than wild interpretations of the lore scattered throughout the Lands Between.

Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC’s New Location

As was previously mentioned, players will visit a location called the Land of Shadow in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. According to the official website, this is an area that is obscured by the Erdtree and is where the goddess Marika first set foot. This is a new and different location beyond the extensive map of the Lands Between in Elden Ring.

The Elden Ring DLC’s setting is expected to be a grand mix of old and new elements from the Lands Between, including enemies. With Shadow of the Erdtree, players could explore more of the Haligtree in Elden Ring and better understand its creation, how it was meant to cleanse Malenia from the Scarlet Rot and help Miquella age. Along with that, they could go deeper into the secrets of the Erdtree by exploring its inside or its roots, and more.

There are many possibilities FromSoftware can explore with the DLC to further deepen or clarify the lore of Elden Ring. The path the studio chooses to tread is still something of a mystery, but the official confirmation of the expansion along with the first image gives fans a lot to think about. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, in fact, may only be the first DLC planned for the critically acclaimed RPG.

Source: Elden Ring/Twitter, YouTube/Bandai Namco Europe, Elden Ring