Shadow of the Erdtree

shadow of the erdtree elden ring dlc expansion
Upcoming DLC for Elden Ring
"Rise, Tarnished, and let us walk a new path together.
An upcoming expansion for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, is currently in development.
We hope you look forward to new adventures in the Lands Between."

Shadow of the Erdtree is an upcoming expansion for Elden Ring. Announced via twitter by the official Elden Ring account, there are not many details about the contents of this expansion, whether it is a fully fledged expansion, and what players can expect in terms of size and price.

"We plan to deliver this to Playstation 4 / PlayStation 5 / Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S / Steam, just as the main title. Details will be a bit further down the line, but please look forward to it. Thank you for your continued support of Elden Ring"

本編と同じく、PlayStation 4 / PlayStation 5 / Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S / Steamでの配信を予定しております。続報はまだ少し先になりますが、ご期待いただければ幸いです。今後とも『ELDEN RING』をどうぞよろしくお願いいたします

 

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Expansion: All About

  • Release Date: Speculated late 2023
  • Platforms: PS4 / PS5 / Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S / Steam
  • Announcement Date: Feb 28, 2023
  • Type: Expansion 
  • Pricing: Speculated 20-40 USD
  • Content: Speculated new areas, mechanics, equipment, weapons, npcs, etc

 

 

What to expect from the Shadow of the Erdtree Expansion

Given FromSoftware's previous releases and the fact that the expansion is being announced more than a year after Elden Ring's official launch, we speculate that this content is a fully fledged expansion meant to add significant content to the game.

Unlike the Colosseum Update, which featured content that had already been hinted at with the base game, the Shadows of the Erdtree expansion should feature entire new areas, weapons, equipment, bosses and discoveries. The zone features on the image for the game is already different than any available in-game at the moment, and it is likely to expand on the Lore and background of the world.

The expansion features its own "mini logo" which is often a signal for a large content expansion, but the main driving force behind the content size speculation is the amount of time that it has taken FromSoftware to reveal that the content is in the works. We estimate that they must have been working on this for some time, announcing development in Feb 2023, and expect a launch date to be revealed around Q2 with release date for Q3 or Q4 2023.

Speculations on Shadow of the Erdtree

The upcoming expansion for Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree, released feature art that showcases a Torrent-like horse being ridden by an unknown character, possibly Miquella or Queen Marika. The character is navigating an expansive field filled with what appears to be an abundance of harvestable wheat. The prevailing speculation is that the character riding the Torrent-like horse is more likely to be Miquella, not only because such character is surrounded by abundance, but also because such character's hairstyle is exactly the same as that of Miquella as shown in the opening cinematics. 

The Erdtree featured in the cover art is bleeding Gold, which may also mean that this is a post-destruction story that happens after the Endings of the game. Zooming into the image seems to show ashes coming down from the tree branches, so it may both be a post-burning scenario, or pre-breaking scenario when the Golden Order was first corrupted. The bleeding Erdtree seems to be strangled by another twisted tree - some speculated that this twisted tree is an extension of Godwyn's roots. The sky above the two trees is sunless - has an eclipse befallen the Lands Between? 

We can also see ethereal structures on the field - could this be the ghostly tombs of the Haligtree soldiers who sacrificed themselves in a flash to guide Miquella's return? 

Content-wise, an Elden Ring expansion would likely feature a considerable amount of content, and given the base size of the game we would expect to see a completely new map covering about 1/3 of the area of the base game. Given previous Artorias of the Abyss and The Old Hunters expansions for other FromSoftware games, you can probably rely on seeing:

  • New Weapons
  • New Armor
  • New NPCs & Questlines
  • New Locations
  • New Items, Consumables, Materials
  • New Bosses & Enemies
  • Possibly new Effects / Magic types

All new content will be added to this page as it is revealed, and our guides and pages will be here to help you get through the content.

 

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Gallery

Images and Artwork for the upcoming DLC (Click to open full size)

shadow of the erdtree elden ring dlc expansion

 




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    • Anonymous

      FromSoftware dlcs usually have the hardest bosses compared to base game. It will be interesting if they can top Melania for difficulty.

      • Anonymous

        It's said that the crucible before the age of the erdtree was numerous sprouts emerging from the same stump, struggling over control until the fittest tree was the last to survive. This could be a look into the past, where two trees are fighting for dominance, and I wasn't sure the erdtree had any sap left by our time. On the other hand, since the center tree is straight, like the erdtree, and the second one is hunched, like the haligtree, supporting that it could be Miquella's dream of his tree snuffing out the fallen erdtree, or maybe even supporting its dying weight?
        Of course, I can't say much referring to the landscape that doesn't even look familiar to where the erdtree is located, or the horse in the room.

        • Anonymous

          I think since the gravestones are shaded that represents the real world but everything else is Miquellas dream except for the Erdtree which is the center. And reaching the Erdtree has her wake up.

          • Anonymous

            A tip for new fromsoftware players, start the dlc with your first playthrough if you haven't finished or create and strengthen a new character if you already have.
            Playing DLCs on NG+ can be a difficult and frustrating in any Soulsborne game for any fan! I hope this saved some headaches.

            • Anonymous

              Miquella is cool and all but I'm more excited to get more Godwyn lore/ a boss fight. As the first of Marika's kids he had to be important not to mention incredibly powerful.

              • Anonymous

                There should really be a good ending for the expansion. But knowing From, the world would probably be worse off at the end of the expansion lol.

                • Anonymous

                  Miquella being Torrent's former master could have some lore-shattering, no just straight up plot-shattering implications. It might mean he worked together with Ranni, who orchestrated the death of his "dear brother," and maybe Melina as well. This would be something basically no one had speculated.

                  Did Miquella plan everything that transpired? Were we doing his bidding all along? Did he see Ranni as the only one capable of removing Outer Gods from the Lands Between? Was that why Malenia fought Radahn? What the hell is even going on in this game's story?

                  I guess we'll eventually find out. since I expect this expansion to be much more like Old Hunters than Ashes of Ariandel/The Ringed City, where it ties up remaining plot threads rather than introduce something completely new. By the same token, I also expect that we'll find out more about the first wave of Tarnished that returned to the Lands Between, like Vagram, Tragoth or Istvan.

                  Some really exciting stuff. And I think we'll have a lot of revelations that not many people expect. "Shadow of the Erdtree" certainly is mysterious enough of a title to warrant that hope, it sounds like something very insidious was hidden from us all along.

                  • Anonymous

                    im geussing this is all of the ''covenants'' we see in game having theyre story continued, the burned erdtree is possibly being taken over by godwyns death root and miquella/St trinas eclipse has come aswell, im hoping its something to do with those two anyways

                    • Anonymous

                      im geussing this is all of the ''covenants'' we see in game having theyre story continued, the burned erdtree is possibly being taken over by godwyns death root and miquella/St trinas eclipse has come aswell, im hoping its something to do with those two anyways

                      • Anonymous

                        The character is most likely Miquella. The hairstyle matches, the wheat (abundance) matches his great rune, connection with Torrent, connection with Godwyn, bleeding Erdtree means this is not likely to be a prequel (and so Marika is out of the question).

                        • Anonymous

                          Maybe this won't suck like elden ring. God the pvp and matchmaking sucks! How do I end up fighting the same players everytime at sl125 - 165? Oh its because the server only goes to the end of the block. I'm bummed you can summon torrent in the dlc. I'm also still bummed that you can duel wield every weapon and jump. Hopefully the final game 'Patches' is more like demon souls or any dark souls.

                          • Anonymous

                            A shadowy Erdtree.... I guess it's either like time/dimensional travel with what Dark Souls 3's DLC did, or perhaps it's just an opposite dark reflection of the current lands between (like Yang compared to yin...)?

                            • Anonymous

                              FROMSOFTWARE is known for sending the player back in time just like bloodborne and dark souls (DLC) so it might go something like that!!!

                              • Anonymous

                                My theory is that you have to kill Mohg to enter the DLC so you can approach Miquella and enter his dream.

                                • Anonymous

                                  I think fromsoftware will not do a new area for DLC

                                  They will do a "memento option", with echoes of miquella in each grace, like Melina do, telling the stories for each place.

                                  So, you can do the DLC as a extension of each place, but in another time, like happens un the royal capital.

                                  So, even in the start, you can "clear" stormveil castle in "this time", and then, restart the "flashbak", with will change this dungeon.

                                  So, DLC coul rewrite every place, reusing a lot pf props, doing a 200h of DLC

                                  • Anonymous

                                    Although we can speculate until our brains explode, (and speculation is fun to do), do keep in mind that most or potentially all of our theories could be prove to be completely wrong once the dlc is released. I say this only because it's happened before.

                                    • Anonymous

                                      Now the real question is when to start the dlc. I liked to think it will start in the midgame but considering the amount of early game cut content and quests, I'm not sure if starting as a new character would be better.

                                      • Anonymous

                                        I'm really curious how they would make a prequel story. Because I don't know how they would connet them, without us playing with 2 characters for both stories or something like that... I really don't want that.

                                        • Just my two cents but this looks like a different Erdtree. It looks like it’s possibly in a different location and it looks kinda smaller. So maybe we’ll be getting a prequel of sorts.

                                          • Anonymous

                                            It weird that this wasn't revealed on the Anniversary Date, but three days later. i wonder if something happened behind the scenes. Anyway, Im glad there is finally a conformation that From Software is working on it.

                                            Whatever happened with that "Barbarians of the Badlands" thing, though? I read that this was a fake, but couldn't find anything more to it.

                                            • it's porbably miquella seen the hairs and the resembance with HALIGTREE helm. The entrance can be the malenia's rooms, based on the dialogue line of her cutscene "I dreamt for so long..." touching the tree.
                                              It can be a dream in the Helphen realm based ont the description of the sword and the many spectral tombs, where miquella is searching for godwyn soul, and the two great tree are, the one how parassite the rappresentation of the godwyn rooted body in the fia bossfight, the other the Erdtree.

                                              • Anonymous

                                                Some people are saying the person in the image is too big to be Miquella as he is in child form and the hair style isn't Marika's, so it can't be her. I'm leaning more towards it being Miquella but there is a chance it could be Ranni in her empyrean flesh, before she cast it off. The Tarnished's first meeting with Ranni, she mentions Torrent's former master, meaning she has some kind of connection with Torrent and his former master. It's not too far fetched to assume Ranni has ridden Torrent at some point based on that fact. If it was Ranni that could mean the DLC takes place before The Shattering. This is just pure speculation from me though.

                                                • Anonymous

                                                  Rise, ye Tarnished, ye who have conquered death. Display your power and might and destroy those who yet oppose thou. In the wake of their blood, a new age will rise, the age of the shadow.

                                                  • Anonymous

                                                    The coloring reminds me of the older crucible tree in the Nameless Eternal City at the Deeproot Depths. Doesn't fit the surrounding landscape, but this doesn't look like any part of the Lands Between from the main game either. Could also possibly be a dreamscape from Miquella/St. Trina's slumber, so a warped version of an existing area or a new one all together.

                                                    • Anonymous

                                                      Guys, believe me or not, but i think this DLC will not even be the first to release. While we will live in the anticipation of this one, they will release another one before, by surprise.

                                                      • Anonymous

                                                        I think this DLC will have something to do with the spirit world that was vaguely referenced in the base game. Since "Shadow of the Erdtree" is a metaphor because the Tree itself casts light and can't have a shadow, the giant black tree in the image might be a counterpart to the Erdtree in the spirit world, especially since it bears a resemblance. Compared to the base Erdtree, this new tree is leaner and is apparently infested with death blight. There's also hundreds of ghost gravestones littering the ground. And as for why Miquella is in the image; I believe Miquella's soul has left his body after its corruption by the Formless Mother, hence his appearance in the world of the dead, with us having to fight and kill the evil blood miquella as the final boss.

                                                        • Anonymous

                                                          Hopefully we get more info on the more unknown parts of Elden Ring lore, like the Eclipse, the Helphen, the Crucible and Melina.

                                                          • Anonymous

                                                            to all of you dumbasses who think that it's marika not miquella just check the opening cinematic and look at marika and miquella and compare their hairstyles to the one in the dlc

                                                            • Anonymous

                                                              We can see all the Marika Church in the fog.

                                                              The tombstone are from everyone who dead (death rune gave death back to the world).

                                                              Marika will return, piss off after the ending game.

                                                              She will try to restore everything again, now erdtree is ruined.

                                                              She will be the final boss, like ashes of aryandel.

                                                              New spells: enchantments based on great will

                                                              Magick based on ressurections

                                                              Skills based on area.

                                                              You will be prepared for a last stand against Marika army.

                                                              Will be a lot of flashback.

                                                              The secret powerful boss will be the right five fingers, the "right hand kf Marika"

                                                              • Anonymous

                                                                Oh... let me just check Fextra to see which fist weapon scales best for streng-HOLY BAJESUS BATMAN!!! IT'S A DLC?!?

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