Nearly a year after it was announced,Elden RingShadow of the Erdtree finally has a release date, launching on June 21, later this year.
The newly released gameplay trailer gives us a glimpse at the “Land of Shadow” we’ll be venturing to, seemingly via the cocoon in Mohg’s boss arena that houses Miquella. Here, we’ll face off against Messmer the Impaler, a giant with writhing red snakes circling his body. It looks like he’s the big bad of the DLC, given that he has an entire statue dedicated to him in the also-newly-revealed collector’s edition and is at the centre of the key art, sat upon a throne.
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.
The expansion is available to pre-order right now for £34.99 (or $39.99). There’s also a premium bundle that comes with the digital art book and original soundtrack. If you pre-order, you’ll get an in-game bonus gesture called Ring of Miquella.
Already, countless fan theories are cropping up on the subreddit as fans eagerly dig into the trailer, hoping to find some clues as to what the hell is going on. Some speculate that, as with previous FromSoftware DLC such asDark SoulsandBloodborne’s, we’ll be venturing to the past. However, some think that it’s setafterthe burning of the Erdtree.
You have 121 days to get ready for the DLC, so there’s plenty of time to complete the game, bulk up existing characters, or start over in preparation for your delve into the Land of Shadow. If you do want to get ready for the DLC, it looks like you’ll need to fight Mohg, who up until now was an optional boss. He can be found in the underground dungeon beneath Leyndell, Royal Capital.
Shadow of the Erdtree, like Bloodborne’s The Old Hunters DLC, reportedlybegan life as two separate expansionsbut were merged into one during development. It’s unclear when exactly the idea was scrapped, but Elden Ring was allegedly going to launch with a season pass. As we know, that didn’t happen.
Backend Steam updateshave been pointing to this reveal for over a month now.
However,Shadow of the Erdtree might have been teased as far back as two years ago, a year before it was even revealed. Around launch, the official Twitter account posted, “You are the hope of the Golden Order, Tarnished. Your choices will shape the future of all who dwell in the shadow of the Erdtree.” It’s been sitting under our noses since March 2022. But after two years, our journey into The Lands Between finally continues.
