After over two years of anticipation, FromSoftware‘s acclaimed action RPG Elden Ring is set to receive its first and only DLC expansion, Shadow of the GoldenTree/ErdTree, on June 21st.
In an interview with Zhihu, Elden Ring’s producer Hidetaka Miyazaki provided fascinating insights into the upcoming expansion.
All-in-One DLC
According to Miyazaki, the concept for Shadow of the Golden Tree originally emerged during Elden Ring’s base game development when George R.R. Martin wrote the story.
But this mythos proved too grand to fully encompass in the base game, so the dev decided to cut as much as content possible before the final game release.
And now the dev decided to compress all these multiple cuts into a single package and release it at once (as a single expansion) rather than multiple DLCs.
How big will the DLC expansion be?
When asked about the size of the DLC, Miyazaki wisely avoided providing a definitive estimate, having learned from past experiences where he faced backlash when his predictions fell short.
However, he hinted that the expansion would be substantial, with the decision to release all the unused content as one large package rather than multiple smaller DLCs being driven by a desire to preserve the game’s sense of exploration and adventure.
However, if the DLC matches the scale of the main game’s second half, players can expect dozens of hours of new content to sink their teeth into.
What can players expect in terms of difficulty?
Fans of the challenging gameplay that defined Elden Ring’s latter half can breathe a sigh of relief, as Miyazaki stated that the DLC would closely match that legendary difficulty level.
However, for those who have grinded their characters to overpowered levels, the option to turn off the leveling system in the DLC area will provide an additional challenge.
Here are key features of Elden Ring’s Shadow of the ErdTree DLC:
- Massive scale – Touted as FromSoftware’s largest DLC expansion to date
- New story content – Explores unused lore and narrative elements cut from the base game
- Intense difficulty – Challenge level on par with the latter half of the main game
- New leveling system – Option to disable stat growth for an extra challenge
- Vast new realm – Curtain-draped, collapsing twisted world to explore
- Dual timelines – Expansion spans two distinct time periods
- New characters – Introduces figures like St. Trina alongside returning faces like Miquella
- New factions – Additional groups alongside existing powers like the Eternal Stars
- Choice-driven narrative – Player choices forge different story paths
- New weapons/skills/spells – 8 new weapon categories and combat abilities added
- Required boss defeats – Must defeat Radahn and Mohg to access the DLC
- Interconnected worlds – New DLC content can impact the base game
Will there be more DLCs after “Shadow of the Erdtree”?
Unfortunately, Miyazaki confirmed that “Shadow of the Erdtree” will be the last DLC for Elden Ring.
However, he left the door open for future games that could continue the story of the Elden Ring universe, in keeping with FromSoftware’s tradition of leaving possibilities for their IPs.
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