Rise, Tarnished. FromSoftware is not carried out with Elden Ring but, and introduced its Shadow of the Erdtree growth just some days after the primary anniversary in February. Whereas the title implies we’re going again to the story’s roots, the studio and writer Bandai Namco stay tight-lipped, however that is not stopping us from imagining dozens of “what-if” situations.
That title and a single picture shared with the reveal are the one official clues we have got, however we all know FromSoftware’s video games are overflowing with environmental storytelling and grim particulars hidden within the shadows. All our hours spent investigating bizarre jar guys have gotten to be good for one thing, so let’s break down all the things we all know in regards to the Elden Ring DLC. There is a mountain of fan theories and datamines forward.
When is the Elden Ring DLC launch date?
There is no official Shadow of the Erdtree launch date but, however we assume the Elden Ring DLC will launch in late 2023 or early 2024. The announcement solely acknowledges an growth is “in growth.”
Left each maidenless and launch dateless, we have all grown fairly antsy ready for Shadow of the Erdtree’s launch and caught giving a timeframe our greatest guess based mostly on FromSoftware’s historical past. Thanks to at least one PC Gamer editor, we’re spared the tedious analysis averaging time between official Soulsborne DLC reveals and their launch. The maths factors to the identical conclusions we have seen in most fan guesses–an growth appears believable inside a yr.
How a lot will the Elden Ring DLC value?
The Elden Ring Colosseum replace delivered three new PvP modes without spending a dime, however do not count on different hefty additions to match that cut price. Inside the final yr, video games have charged $20-$30 for story-heavy DLC, and we’re betting an Elden Ring growth will probably be on the pricier facet.
Souls predecessors have at all times acquired a paid follow-up to the bottom recreation.. Darkish Souls 3’s add-ons value $15 a pop, or $25 for the season go bundle, however that was again in 2016. FromSoftware might simply be charging greater than that now.
Assuming Shadow of the Erdtree follows the identical path as the bottom recreation, Elden Ring’s DLC ought to launch on PC by way of Steam.
This is the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree reveal teaser
On February 28, 2023, Elden Ring celebrated its first birthday with a late shock, and FromSoft introduced its growth plans with a single piece of idea artwork. That does not sound like a lot, however that is all it took to drive a frantic storm of lore fiends into clicking “zoom in.” As for precise footage, there is no Shadow of the Erdtree trailer but, so your frame-by-frame evaluation of distant decay and big gods must wait.
After the brief and candy reveal, FromSoftware has left us at the hours of darkness in favor of Armored Core information. That silence felt just a little worse after June’s Summer season Video games Fest after we all held a collective breath, hoping to see that golden tree once more.
What do Elden Ring leaks and datamines recommend?
Again in 2022, Soulsborne dataminer Lance McDonald shared the within of a Colosseum-like construction noticed in Limgrave, which went on to function a PvP area in December’s DLC. That is the place Sekiro Dubi dropped in, sharing extra unused code hinting at doable DLC bosses.
Since then, we have seen a gradual trickle of minimize content material and story fodder from the scene’s hottest dataminers. Latest restorations embody main character adjustments made to a minimize NPC named Guilbert. Apparently, he was the precursor to Bloody Finger Hunter Yurah and Witch Hunter Jerren, sharing a fusion of armor and voice traces from the 2.
And whereas a few of these data dumps come from reliable sources, watch out who you consider—as coated in a report from Kotaku, a faux Erdtree leak that fooled hundreds turned out to be simply that, a faux. The too-good-to-be-true Reddit publish detailed an growth “as massive as the primary recreation map,” full with a phony fan-made trailer copped from one other consumer’s Artstation. It is a sample not unfamiliar to the Soulsborne scene, which spent ages pining for the following FromSoft RPG based mostly on a unique, singular picture.
Within the midst of all of it, FromSoftware could have low-key confirmed different rumblings round Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. On Twitter, Elden Ring YouTuber Ziostorm (by way of GamesRadar) shared a Linkedin replace indicating growth on Shadow of the Erdtree could have began in April 2022. The mission’s timeline continues to be out there on lead recreation designer Kenneth (Kin Yue) Chan’s Linkedin profile.
What is the story and setting for Shadow of the Erdtree?
There are some apparent, at-a-glance particulars to glean: We see Torrent, or at the very least a horned horse that positive appears like your trusty steed, standing within the decrease proper with an unknown blonde rider. They’re in a golden-hued discipline filled with phantom gravestones with ruins littering the background whereas, most notably, the Erdtree towers within the distance. It is trying just a little crispy, leaking some type of golden ooze.
That leaves us with far more questions than solutions. Who’s that mysterious determine with excellent, flowing hair on Torrent? Is that even Torrent? What’s that stuff coming from the Erdtree? And if that is speculated to be the tree we all know, does that inform us when Shadow of the Erdtree takes place?
❗ Spoiler Warning: We’ll attempt to sort out a few of these mysteries by mentioning particular plot beats and Elden Ring’s ending. Cease now in case you’re nonetheless engaged on the Tarnished’s story. ❗
Who’s using Torrent within the Shadow of The Erdtree paintings?
There are a couple of operating theories, however the predominant one claims Miquella is our thriller rider. The elder twin of Malenia bears his personal curse damning him to everlasting childhood, and he tries to reverse the blight by creating the Haligtree. His brother, Mohg, snatches Miquella from his place of slumber within the tree, kicking off a whole questline in Elden Ring.
You do not meet Miquella like Malenia, however Mohg’s storyline reveals the youthful demigod is not useless—although Mohg snatched the dual in a bid for godhood. Mohg’s complete plan to make use of his sibling for energy would not work out, and Miquella stays unbothered in his dreaming stasis. It is solely doable Miquella’s desires will function our playground, or possibly the DLC will occur earlier than Miquella’s nap.
As for appearances, the elegant determine matches the invoice. VaatiVidya, one in all Elden Ring’s most thorough lore students, factors out a number of statues within the Lands Between bearing Miquella’s likeness, a few of that are comparatively simple to overlook. In an extended lesson on the sleepy god, VaatiVidya delivers an in-depth evaluation of Miquella, drawing connections to a few of Elden Ring’s minimize content material round Saint Trina.
Depictions of Miquella throughout the world persuade us that is the most probably selection, as each sport the identical braids, youthful stature, and flowing robe.
Marika is one other guess. Because the mom to Elden Ring’s tortured demigod children, we all know she’s the start line for a lot of its twisting narrative. She’s additionally answerable for shattering the sport’s namesake.
We all know she was the Elden Ring’s vessel, and the wars she stirred led to her imprisonment throughout the Erdtree. Depictions of her within the introduction present Miraka’s putting resemblance to the blonde determine, sharing related braids and cuffed equipment alongside the arms. Nevertheless, these scenes recommend we solely know her as an grownup, and the smaller stature of the rider actually appears deliberate.
Alternatively we’re all incorrect and that is Simply Some Man, however that choice is not as enjoyable or intelligent.
Is the Shadow of the Erdtree horse Torrent?
Elden Ring’s pony achieved Epona-level icon standing in only a yr. Even when FromSoft would not verify their identification, we’re satisfied the white, horned horse featured within the Erdtree artwork is Torrent.
The why and the way Torrent bought there is a bit more advanced. Your spectral steed would not get an in depth background, however we all know the horse chooses to accompany the participant Tarnished. This Reddit thread from CrayolaClock tracks and hyperlinks collectively items of Elden Ring’s world that relate to the horse, and one factor’s for positive: Melina and Ranni are acquainted with Torrent.
Regardless, the important thing to Torrent’s significance right here should lie with who summoned the mount earlier than or after the occasions of Elden Ring. Fan theories level to figures like Melina, Ranni, Marika, or Miquella, however nothing concrete.
What is going on on with Elden Ring’s Erdtree?
Assuming that is an Erdtree within the paintings, it would not appear like wholesome. This one appears rotten or charred.
On the finish of Elden Ring you both should burn the Erdtree your self or depart the deed as much as another person, however a technique or one other, that tree is kindling.
Suppose it is not our Erdtree, although. FromSoft could pull the ole bait and swap, and upon nearer inspection, some Elden Ring lore-heads suppose that is two timber within the background. It isn’t tremendous apparent, however give it the “pc, improve” therapy, and boy, that positive appears like one parasitic plant coiling round one other. Loads of forwards and backwards in Reddit threads suggests it is a Deathroot twisted into the combo, whereas different followers like SanctaVita suppose we could also be trying on the Haligtree.
When does Shadow of the Erdtree happen?
Our kneejerk response needs to say it continues after the story in Elden Ring, however the proof in FromSoft’s teaser would not restrict the growth to any specific timeframe.
If the DLC takes place post-game, we’re in all probability trying on the stays of the Erdtree after your Tarnished burned it down on the finish of Elden Ring. Reddit customers like NCR_Veteran_Rangers have been fast to match side-by-side screenshots of the golden, glowing tree we’re accustomed to versus the skeletal visage looming within the paintings. The framing makes it convincing.
A prequel works inside what we all know in regards to the Lands Between and its anguished timeline, too. If the growth takes the Queen Marika route, the story might discover the earliest days of the Erdtree and the Golden Order, delivering a youthful Marika we’re unfamiliar with.
PC Gamer’s Wealthy Staton additionally defined how this angle works with Miquella. In Staton’s breakdown of DLC potentialities, he highlights Miquella’s actions earlier than Elden Ring takes place. Previous to imprisonment, we all know he sought to remedy Malenia of the accursed rot. Thus an growth “exploring Malenia’s origins and the doomed quest to save lots of her” passes the lore examine.
As for that glistening gold sap, maybe that is a reference to Miquella’s earlier machinations. When the Golden Order could not rid Malenia of her rot, Miquella seemed elsewhere, and we see that carried by way of to his fascination with Unalloyed Gold. Reddit Person Allingwyrd delivers a succinct breakdown of what Unalloyed Gold could signify, highlighting the unbelievable energy of things just like the Unalloyed Gold Needle. Because of an in-game description, we all know it “wards away the meddling of outer gods” and is “thought able to forestalling the incurable rotting illness.”
That does not essentially lock us right into a prequel, however the tragedy that befell Elden Ring’s twin demigods positive makes a compelling case.
What else can we count on from Elden Ring DLC?
FromSoftware has an extended historical past of fascinating lore dives, beauty updates, PvP-driven challenges, and different goodies packaged in beefy expansions. Like, actually beefy.
On Reddit, IkonJobin shared every entry’s DLC completion time in comparison with the size of the bottom recreation, and the common provides us one thing round 1 / 4 of the unique’s playtime. Contemplating Elden Ring’s large world, that appears awfully lofty, however hundreds of customers have excessive hopes with one ballot suggesting that the majority followers count on 26-29 hours of content material.
Regardless, you’ve got bought lots to maintain you busy within the await extra Elden Ring. FromSoftware’s subsequent launch, Armored Core 6, is out on August 23, 2023. The collection mastermind, Hidetaka Miyazaki, can be discovering work that retains him impressed by trying out different video games with multiplayer options, like Escape from Tarkov.
