By Sagar V. Mankar 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 ErdTree, on June 21st.
The hype and excitement surrounding this DLC is reaching a fever pitch among Elden Ring fans (especially like Kai Cenat who rated it 10 on 10). But what exactly can players expect?
All-in-One DLC
In an interview with Zhihu, Elden Ring’s producer Hidetaka Miyazaki revealed that the idea for Shadow of the Erdtree originally emerged during Elden Ring’s base game development when George R.R. Martin wrote the story.
The story, however, was too expansive to be included in its entirety within the base game, leading the developers to trim as much content as possible prior to the final release.
But now the developer has decided to compress all these multiple cuts into a single package and release it at once (as a single expansion) rather than multiple DLCs.
Who Is the Main Character of the DLC Story?
Miquella
Miquella was born as one of the empyrean children of Queen Marika and Radagon, along with his twin sister Malenia. However, Miquella was cursed from birth to forever remain a child, never being able to fully grow up.
Deeply loved by many due to his ability to compel affection, Miquella worked tirelessly alongside Malenia to try to cure both of their afflictions – his eternal youth and her scarlet rot. He turned away from the fundamentalist Golden Order teachings and instead developed his own “unalloyed gold” needles that could block the influence of outer gods like the one plaguing Malenia.
With his empyrean powers, Miquella created the colossal Haligtree as a sanctuary, which grew from a sapling he nurtured with his own blood. He harbored dreams of it one day becoming a new Erdtree, separate from Marika’s Golden Order. However, those ambitions were derailed when he encased himself in a cocoon at the Haligtree, hoping it would finally allow him to age.
It was during this vulnerable cocooned state that Mohg, the Omen son of Marika, invaded the Haligtree and stole Miquella away to the underground Mohgwyn Dynasty, trying in vain to use blood sacrifice to elevate Miquella into a new god for the Formless Mother Outer God.
In the base game’s present day, Miquella has been missing for untold years, with only his withered arm protruding from the cocoon husk. Touching it transports the player to the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC and the enigmatic Land of Shadow where Miquella has emerged from his long slumber, divested of the Golden Order for unknown reasons. What his current unalloyed intentions are remains to be seen.
Messmer
Messmer the Impaler is a sinister new antagonist introduced in the expansion. He is a menacing warrior figure draped in red cloth, with a wing and two snakes protruding from his body. Messmer seems to wield powerful fire magic and is shown razing the Land of Shadow to the ground at some point.
While his exact origins are unknown, there are theories that Messmer may be a previously unmentioned son of Radagon and Marika. This speculation arises from his crimson red hair, which is a trait shared by Radagon’s children like Ranni and Radahn. In the trailer, Messmer speaks of a “Mother” which could refer to Marika.
One possibility is that Messmer was banished or exiled to the Land of Shadow by Marika long ago. Like the character Adan from the base game, Messmer may have “stolen” his fire abilities from the Fell God revered by the Fire Giants.
Messmer appears to be one of the main antagonists players will face in Shadow of the Erdtree. His connection to the freed Miquella and their opposing roles in the new realm remains a mystery to be uncovered. But Messmer’s mastery of flame and potential lineage as an outcast son of Radagon and Marika make him a formidable and intriguing foe.
Where Does the Erdtree Story Take Place?
According to PlayStation’s official blog, players access the Land of Shadow by interacting with a mummified arm in the Mohgwyn Palace area from the base game.
This strange new landscape takes inspiration from the mysterious origins and forgotten history of the Erdtree itself.
By following in the footsteps of Miquella, players will uncover dark secrets about the creation of the Golden Order and the Erdtree’s connection to an ancient betrayal and unseen war.
How big will the DLC expansion be?
Set in an entirely new realm called the Land of Shadow, Shadow of the Erdtree is being billed as far more than just a typical add-on.
Miyazaki claims it’s closer to a full-fledged game in terms of scope and content.
Early previews seem to back up this bold claim, with most estimates putting the playtime around 30-40 hours.
Surprisingly, despite being tied to a massive open-world game, the file size for Shadow of the Erdtree is relatively small at just 16.5 GB on PlayStation.
This compact footprint is actually nothing new for FromSoftware titles, which are known for exceptional file compression.
For example, the entirety of Dark Souls 3 and both its DLCs weigh in at under 30 GB, while 2019’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a mere 13 GB install.
So while 16.5 GB may seem small for a modern AAA expansion, FromSoft has a proven track record of making premium experiences with stripped-down file sizes.
Preloading for the DLC begins on June 19, providing ample time for those with slower internet connections to complete their downloads prior to the release date of June 21.
What can players expect in terms of difficulty?
Fans of the challenging gameplay that defined Elden Ring can rest assured as Miyazaki stated that the DLC would closely match that legendary difficulty level.
For players who’ve powered up their characters to the max, the new DLC offers the chance to disable the leveling system, presenting an even tougher test of skill.
Key features of Elden Ring’s Shadow of the ErdTree DLC:
- 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 Bosses – At least 10 fearsome new boss battles, including the “Divine Beast Dancing Lion” in Belurat Castle, hulking armoured warrior named “Rellana” and the dual-bladed “Twin Moon Knight” found in Castle Ensis.
- 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 – Martial Arts added
- New Items – Powerful new consumable items like Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes that can be used at Sites of Grace to boost your strength.
- 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 has confirmed that “Shadow of the Erdtree” will be the final DLC for Elden Ring.
However, he has left open the possibility for future games that may extend the narrative of the Elden Ring universe, consistent with FromSoftware’s tradition of leaving possibilities for their IPs.
When Is the Elden Ring Erdtree DLC Release Date?
The countdown is finally over – Shadow of the Erdtree officially launches on June 21st for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC via Steam.
The DLC carries a $34.99 price tag.
Two trailers have been released so far, one focused on gameplay showing off the new monsters, areas, and combat styles.
The other is a narrative primer teasing the dark revelations about the Erdtree that players will uncover.