FromSoftware finally unveiled the long-awaited trailer for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree as well release date. New details have been released about the upcoming DLC including being the “largest expansion” yet by the studio.
Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree Is the “Largest Expansion” To Date
If you thought the expansion was going to be Erdtree proportions you’d be right, Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is going to be the “largest expansion” the studio has ever worked on. That’s something to be said, as FromSoftware have been diligently working on this DLC for a while.
Fans have been eager to see more since From’s initial reveal of a lone image which simply confirmed the expansion’s existence. Well, we weren’t disappointed because as promised the developer unveiled a 3-minute gameplay video which was glorious. Not only did it quench the undying thirst for what’s coming next but unveiled a new major character I’m sure we’re going to love or at least love to hate.
The Land of Shadow.
A place obscured by the Erdtree.
Where the goddess Marika first set foot.
A land purged in an unsung battle.
Set ablaze by Messmer’s flame.
It was to this land that Miquella departed.
Divesting himself of his flesh, his strength, his lineage.
Of all things Golden.
And now Miquella awaits
the return of his promised Lord.
It’s Big, But How BIG is it?
The collaboration between the studio and G.R.R Martin also extends into the Shadow of the Erdtree. Martin who needs no reveal introduction at this point has written the fantasy series “A Song of Ice and Fire” which has been adapted into the major series Game of Thrones. According to an interview with Eurogamer, Miyazaki shared that it will be based on the “original mythos that he penned for us”. He went on further to say “he has not created something new which informed the design of the DLC. It’s simply part of the original story”.
Miyazaki also commented on the size of the DLC in an interview with IGN, he didn’t want to give too much a way but he compared it to the size of Limgrave from the base game, “if not larger”. He described the game as being the “largest” in terms of “our largest expansion to date in terms of overall volume”.
It’s hard to answer without giving away too much and to a high degree of accuracy, but if you think in terms of scale or size, it’s probably comparable, if not larger, than the area of Limgrave from the base game.
Hidetaki Miyazaki – FromSofware – via IGN interview
10 New Bosses & New Lands
The expansion is big, boasting 10 new Boss fights, an array of new Weapons, Magic Spells, Armor, and more. A total of 8 new weapon categories have been added which take into account the new weapon types. We’ve seen the almost automatic crossbow in the trailer and dual-wielding weapons being teased. It’s not just weapons that seem to get all the fun as there’s a flurry kick manoeuvre that I’m sure you’re dying to try out.
According to an interview with IGN, Miyazaki also revealed that the expansion will take place on a brand new map which is “separate” from the Lands Between. This has already been heavily hinted at as the “shadow” in the title does imply a shadow land. How we get there we will need to “warp” there. If we’re getting technical about it, while there is a separate physical map, it still shares the same universe and “space” as the Lands Between.
The previous art revealed that Miquella is the one who travels to the Land of Shadow, and we will be following in their footsteps. Another side to the story is about Queen Marika and her activities in this shadow land, why has Miquella followed her there.
Dungeons & Legacy Dungeons
As you’d expect, the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree will include a similar setup to the base game. It will contain “open field maps, with large scale legacy dungeons, and with small to medium scale legacies”. It will provide the same sense of scale compared to the base game in terms of how it’s structured.
Fight or Flight
Of course, a new DLC doesn’t just mean more content. FromSoftware games especially like to increase the challenge when it comes to DLCs and Elden Ring will follow suit. But, players will be met with “a lot of freedom of approach” according to Miyazaki.
We wanted to provide these challenging encounters and these menacing threats, and in order to do that, we wanted to give the player a lot of freedom of approach.
Hidetaki Miyazaki – FromSofware – via Eurogamer interview
But how difficult of a challenge are we talking about? Miyazaki brought up the Malenia boss fight for reference, one of the most difficult but optional. He said that if you are looking for that “sort of challenge” in the Shadow of the Erdtree you will find one of “equal footing”. That is one intriguing statement, as to who or what will be on par with Malenia.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Release Date
The trailer which debuted today revealed a ton of new details including the boss character Messmer. Golden magic and new abilities were revealed in the trailer which we have gone over in our latest video. So if you want a breakdown of the trailer you can watch it here. The expansion will be released on June 21st for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam.
Pre-Order Details
Those looking to pre-order Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree will want to know what goodies await the Tarnished with each edition. Below you find some bonuses including the most expensive Collector’s Edition which will be available in limited quantity.
According to the Playstation website, there are a few special digital editions ranging from $49.99 to $99.99 USD. The Deluxe Edition will contain the digital artbook, soundtrack and gesture. The Digital Edition will just include the base game, DLC and bonus gesture for $49.99.
Base Editions
- ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree – the standard version of the expansion, available digitally on all platforms.
- ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree Edition – Special packaged bundle including the ELDEN RING base game (disc) and the ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree expansion (digital); physical retail versions are available only for PlayStation®5 and Xbox Series X|S; available digitally on all platforms.
Premium Editions
- Premium Bundle – includes the ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree expansion and comes with digital art book and digital soundtrack bonus content for the expansion. Available digitally on all platforms.
- Deluxe Edition – includes the ELDEN RING base game, the ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, and comes with digital art books and digital soundtracks for both the base game and the expansion. Available digitally on all platforms.
Collector’s Edition (Limited Quantity)
- ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree Collector’s Edition – includes a single voucher code of the selected platform for the ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree expansion and comes with a (46cm) statue of “Messmer the Impaler,” 40-page physical art book, and digital soundtrack. Quantities of the ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree Collector’s Edition are limited.
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree will be released on June 21st for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam.
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