Gaming
Elden Ring DLC: 5 Things You Need to Know Now
Elden Ring’s first major DLC expansion is confirmed and this guide will take you the most important things to know about it.
The developer’s initial announcement was extremely light on details, but it did confirm some key pieces of information for Elden Ring players and those interested in exploring the Lands Between for the first time.
With anticipation mounting, we want to delve into everything you need to know right now about the first major Elden Ring DLC and its release. We’ll continue to update this guide as FromSoftware and other sources reveal more details.
Table of Contents
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
While there had been a lot of speculation about the name of Elden Ring’s first story expansion, those rumors missed the mark. The first major Elden Ring DLC is titled Shadow of the Erdtree.
The developer’s announcement reads “Rise, Tarnished, and let us walk a new path together.” Elden Ring’s story centers around the Erdtree so it’s not surprising to see it included in the DLC’s title and story.
Keep in mind, you will need the base version of Elden Ring installed on your console or PC in order to play Shadow of the Erdtree. If you haven’t jumped into Elden Ring yet, take a look at our guide that goes over the game’s various editions.
Elden Ring DLC Consoles
FromSoftware didn’t reveal a whole lot about Shadow of the Erdtree, but it did confirm the platforms on which the DLC will be playable.
In an announcement on its Japanese site, FromSoftware says it plans to distribute the expansion on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Steam. No surprise there, given that the base version of Elden Ring supports all of these platforms.
We don’t expect any major differences between the platforms in terms of story or features, but you can expect Shadow of the Erdtree to look and play the best on Windows PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
The base version of Elden Ring runs the best on these platforms. And while you can still have a good experience on last-generation consoles, it may leave something to be desired.
When Digital Foundry tested the base version of the game back in 2022, it found that the version for the Xbox One was the worst version of the game to play.
If you own an Xbox One or even a PS4, and you’re excited about jumping back into Elden Ring, it might be a great time to upgrade your console.
Sony’s PS5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X are both much easier to find these days. Both were experiencing shortages back when Elden Ring first launched.
Elden Ring DLC Release Date
Unfortunately, FromSoftware didn’t provide a release date for Shadow of the Erdtree. The developer simply says Shadow of the Erdtree for Elden Ring is in development.
That being said, it looks like Shadow of the Erdtree has been in development since April of last year (at the very least) which means it’s been in the works for more than a year.
So as of right now, both the release date and the DLC’s full reveal are up in the air. There’s some chatter about it launching in 2024, but that’s far from confirmed.
However with FromSoftware currently focused on Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, due out on August 25th, the lengthy development period makes sense.
Elden Ring DLC Features
FromSoftware hasn’t confirmed anything in regard to the DLC’s story or features though it did provide a teaser image which you can see below.
The first image of Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.
The concept art depicts a figure in white robes with long blond hair atop a mount that looks like Torrent, the player’s horse in the base version of Elden Ring.
Enthusiasts believe the figure riding through the ghostly terrain, with a peculiar version of the Erdtree (it looks like it’s bleeding gold) in the distance, is either Miquella or Queen Marika, but nothing has been confirmed.
Based on FromSoftware’s DLC for its Dark Souls series and Bloodborne, the expansion should offer new locations, NPCs, weapons, armor, items, spells, bosses, quests, and NPC’s.
Leaker Lance McDonald has revealed some potential information about Shadow of the Erdtree including a potential hint about its size.
McDonald claims FromSoftware originally planned to offer a season pass that would include two DLC expansions. The company apparently scrapped those plans and Shadow of the Erdtree is apparently the game’s only expansion.
While that might be disappointing to some fans, McDonald claims Shadow of the Erdtree will be “massive,” perhaps on par with two full expansions.
Beyond that, we don’t know anything else for certain though we could see Elden Ring lore experts and data miners to fill in some of the blanks as we push toward the expansion’s release.
Elden Ring DLC Price
FromSoftware’s Elden Ring Colosseum multiplayer DLC was included in a free update, but the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC almost certainly won’t be free.
We don’t know how much FromSoftware’s single-player DLC expansion will be, but don’t expect it to cost as much as the base version of the Elden Ring game. Elden Ring started at $59.99 for all platforms, though these days you can find it for less.
If you go back and look at the pricing of FromSoftware’s previous DLC content for games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne, you’ll notice the prices are much less than the base game. For instance, the company’s two DLC expansions for Dark Souls 3 were both $15. Bloodborne’s DLC was $20.
While we could see Shadow of the Erdtree command a more expensive price, particularly if it’s a large expansion, we suspect we’ll see it priced in and around $20-30.
