Arise Tarnished we finally have the long-awaited trailer for the Elden Ring DLC 2 years after the release of the base game. The trailer itself is 3 minutes long and filled with lore and new features that can be expected to be added to Elden Ring with this DLC expansion. That being said there is a ton to unpack here and we will be taking you through it all with everything we know about the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC and breaking down the trailer.
Elden Ring won the Game of the Year award in 2022 beating the amazing games of that year including God of War: Ragnarök and knowing the track record of FromSoftware Studios, we can expect Shadow of the Erdtree expansion to be just as good if not better than all the previous entries.
Everything We Know About Elden Ring DLC: Shadow of the Erdtree
The trailer for the Elden Ring DLC showcases a completely new area and a bunch of new enemies and bosses. This is of course followed up by new weapons and combat mechanics hinted at in the trailer. As of right now, this is the first and the only planned Elden Ring DLC expansion.
Elden Ring DLC Release Date
Elden Ring DLC – Shadow of the Erdtree will be available to play on June 21st, 2024 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. The DLC is however not a standalone entry and you must have the base game to play the expansion.
Elden Ring DLC Price and Pre-order
The pre-orders for Shadow of the Erdtree expansion are now live on the Bandai Namco Website. You might choose to purchase the Expansion only or pair it up with a sweet Collector’s Edition for an Artbook and a Collector’s Statue of one of the key characters in the DLC storyline.
The available packages for Elden Ring DLC are as follows:
| Edition | Price | Features |
| Shadow of the Erdtree | $39.99/£34.99, | Expansion only |
| Shadow of the Erdtree Premium Bundle | $49.99/£39.99, | Expansion + Shadow of the Erdtree digital artbook and soundtrack |
| Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Edition | $79.99/£64.99, | Elden Ring base game + Shadow of the Erdtree expansion |
| Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Deluxe Edition | $99.99/£84.99, | Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Edition + Elden Ring digital artbook and soundtrack + Shadow of the Erdtree digital artbook and soundtrack |
| Shadow of the Erdtree Collector’s Edition | $249.99/£224.99, | Expansion + 46cm Messmer the Impaler statue + digital soundtrack + hardcover artbook |
New Features coming with Elden Ring DLC
Elden Ring was a mold-breaking game in many ways even from the perspective of a Souls Veteran. So if you are anything like us, you can not wait to see what Fromsoft has cooked up this time. Thankfully we can make out a few things from the DLC trailer that seem to be hinting at new weapons, categories and enemy types.
New Weapons
Remember those annoying enemies wielding full-auto fire crossbows in Lyndell? Look like it will finally be added as a new playable weapon in this DLC along with many other swords, Throwing Knives, and spells. Apart from that, there will be a total of 8 new weapon categories to fit all the new weapons added.
An interesting part of the trailer shows the player delivering a brutal triple-roundhouse kick to an enemy. There were a few weapons that had a simple kick as their skill but none featured any complex martial arts skill. It is hard to see the exact weapon or equipment that allows you to do this but we suspect it will most likely be a new Ash of War.
Other noticeable new items include a new throwable Fire Pot, A new Roar attack, and a skill or an incantation that allows you to grow the Crucible Knight Wings.
New Area and Dungeons
It has been confirmed that the DLC will be taking place in a Physically Separate area called The Land of the Shadow. This is said to be an open-world area like the map of the base game and about the size of Limgrave. However, this will most definitely feature a bunch of hidden and layered areas along with a bunch of new Legacy Dungeons.
Despite it being compared to the size of just Limgrave, it does by no means the map of the DLC will be so small. The DLC is promoted as having Vast areas featuring different biomes. You can also spot 2 or 3 different Swamps in the trailer – Never change Miyazaki!
New Bosses and Enemies.
The trailer for Shadow of the Erdtree features a variety of new enemies and bosses. This of course comes with an opportunity to acquire new armor sets by defeating those bosses. The standout bosses are the Flame Cauldron giant boss and what looks like an Omen with a Lion’s head. Overall, the DLC will feature 10 new main bosses not counting all the field and optional bosses in the DLC.
How to Access Elden Ring DLC
As many suspected, Elden Ring DLC follows Miquella into the Land of Shadow and the only time we ever get a hint of Miquella in the base game of Elden Ring is when you fight Mhog in Mhogwyn Palace. Mhog had abducted Miquella from the Halligtree and brought him here to build his Mhogwyn Dynasty.
After defeating Mhog you can see Miquella’s Cocoon and his bloodied arm hanging out of it. During an interview with IGN Miyazaki shed some light on this aspect.
“The cocoon and arm you saw at the beginning of the trailer – this is actually the point of entry to the Land of Shadow where the players will enter to the DLC area. And this does have some relation to Miquella. And Miquella has, as we said, traveled to the Land of Shadow.”
Also, the trailer narrates “Touch the withered arm” confirming that players must defeat Mhog and interact with Miquella’s cocoon to travel to the Land of Shadow and begin the story of the Elden Ring DLC.
What is the Story of Shadow the Erdtree DLC
It has been confirmed that the story of Shadow of the Erdtree will follow Miquella as he journeys to the Land of the Shadow and sheds all his Empyrean powers. Your character as the Tarnished will follow in Miquella’s footsteps to investigate what is going on in the Land of Shadow and how it relates to Marika.
Miquella’s footsteps
Miquella is said to be the focal point of this DLC and you will be following in his footsteps. Miquella’s Footsteps are likely to be more than just figurative and will probably serve the same function the Sites of Grace did in the base game.
It is not confirmed but quite possible that Miquella’s Footsteps will be the resting spots spread out throughout the Land of Shadow and will be guiding you along the story.
Who is Messmer the Impaler
The biggest giveaway of the Trailer is the antagonist with lanky arms and red hair. This is Messmer the Impaler as confirmed by the Collectors’ Edition description. Messmer is seen to be using Flame magic which is usually used by the Giants and the followers of the Fell God. However, that same deity is said to have been an eyesore for the Golden Order and slain by Marika. Messmer’s Dialogue indicates strong loyalty towards the Golden Order and the Grace making his choice of magic suspicious if not ironic.
Messmer is the one who set the Land of Shadow ablaze and his dialogue seems to indicate his character to be some sort of an Executioner to eliminate all those “Stripped of Grace of Gold”. It is very likely that Messmer is a secret Child of Marika and a sibling to Miquella and Malenia whom Marika has entrusted with the dirty work of Golden Order.
We can only speculate that it will be as exciting as tough to face him in the final showdown of the Elden Ring DLC.
