Review

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree - What we Know & Theories!

Two years after its release, Elden Ring will receive a DLC with new bosses, mechanics and a new unexplored region; the Lands of Shadow. Check out everything we know about the expansion and theories about what we can find in it!

每 Rodolfo Nogueira

被某某人翻译 Romeu

审核人 Romeu

Miquella's Footsteps

Two years after its release, From Software announces the first DLC for Elden Ring, which will be released on June 21, 2024. Through the trailer, we are introduced to a new area, new bosses, mechanics and challenges. We will know much more about Queen Marika's story, the steps Miquella took when heading to this new area, and face countless challenges.

If you haven't seen the trailer yet, check it out below!

The Story so far…

In Shadow of the Erdtree, we will be introduced to the Land of Shadow. Taking place in a region outside the Lands Between, this new region was previously part of the map we already know, however because of events still unknown, it was taken to another plane.

The Land of Shadow was where Queen Marika first set foot when she came into the world. Miquella will be the central character of this DLC, where we will follow its steps in these unknown lands, in addition to discovering what Marika did in this first contact with the Lands Between and why Miquella followed her, as stated by Miyazaki himself in an interview to Famitsu.

Miyazaki also commented that Miquella will have other NPCs following it, and who will cross the player's path, at times as allies and at others as enemies.

Denying some rumors that the DLC would take place in the past, due to the history of several DLCs linked to the Souls games taking place during this period, Miyazaki stated that Shadow of Erdtree takes place at the same time as the main plot. The story of Queen Marika and the Land of Shadow's past will be told in the DLC in the same way as the breaking of the Elden Ring was told in the base game.

George R. R. Martin created the universe behind Elden Ring, and this was a fraction that had been left aside to be worked on as extra content.

Map Size

According to Miyazaki, this DLC is the biggest project From Software has done so far. Previously, The Old Hunters was the longest Souls-Like expansion, averaging eight hours in length.

The map will be approximately the size of Limgrave, the starting area of the base game. Remembering that this area takes an average of 15 hours to explore, so we can expect something around that in the DLC which, according to the creator himself, is much denser than Limgrave.

According to him, a richer Level Design was created, mixing Legacy Dungeons (the game's main dungeons) with open areas, giving a new way of presenting the exploration of these lands to the player.

Weapons and News

The trailer introduces new weapons, spells and Weapon Art. According to Miyazaki, the new expansion will add eight new types of weapons! In it, we see a fight with a being with a lion's face and its movements are similar to a dance. All of this is intentional and refers to the culture that exists in the Land of Shadow. The movements, in fact, are very similar to those performed by Malenia's master, the Blind Swordsman.

Difficulty

With approximately more than ten new bosses, Miyazaki guaranteed that the battles will be challenging, having the same mechanics as the base game, where we will have difficulty advancing at a given moment, but thanks to the freedom to explore, we will be able to strengthen ourselves beforehand before moving on again to the clash against a difficult boss.

Messmer

Messmer will be one of the bosses we will face throughout the DLC. For collectors, a figure will be available to those who purchase the collector's version of this content.

In the trailer, we can see Messmer sitting on a throne, the same one we saw in the fight against Margott in the base game, being on the same level as characters like Godrick, Malenia, Radahn, Rykard. Miyazaki said that he is also referred to as a son of Marika.

Speculations and Theories

Based on Miquella's speech that she is waiting for a new Lord and that they will be the guide of the Tarnished, we can deduce that it intends to ascend as a divinity of the Tainted Ones.

Thanks to Messmer's lines talking about Miquella in the third person, it is very unlikely that it is Miquella itself, as some theories point out. Furthermore, he says to hunt down all those who are not devoid of Grace.

The Land of Shadow may be a place sealed by Marika, searching for immortality.

At the end of the trailer, we can hear Miquella saying “We can meet again.” Knowing that it will be the guide of the Tarnished and has met us previously, there are rumors that it has been disguised as Melina to guide us.

As it was already confirmed that Miquella stripped its body, Mohg was left protecting an empty shell in Mohgwyn. Probably, this shell will be the means by which we will enter the Land of Shadow. This would also explain Mohg not getting any answers from Miquella, as it was spilling blood through an empty shell.

Conclusion

Shadow of the Erdtree, like all the DLCs already produced by From Software, promises good hours of gameplay and an increase in life and narrative for a game that, even after 2 years of release, continues to be played by thousands of players.

The new Level Design approach promises enjoyable and eye-catching gameplay for fans of the franchise, giving new areas to explore, ways to build your characters with new spells, weapons and Ashes.

The price tag is not pleasing everyone around the world. On Steam and consoles, we can find the expansion for US$ 39.99 or US$ 49.99 in the Premium version, where the player will receive a CD and Art Book on digital media.

Do you plan to pre-order the DLC now or wait for a promotion? What was the hardest boss in the base game for you?

Also check out our article about Elden Ring's lore to remember and stay up to date with the plot of this game!