It’s announced that Elden Ring's first expansion DLC Shadow of the Erdtree is currently in development, no release date as of yet. Alongside this announcement came a piece of artwork that showcases what we might expect from the expansion. Now take a look at this guide, we break down everything about the Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree, including release time, new gameplay mechanics, things to expect & things to do before Shadow of the Erdtree, and more. 

Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree: Release Time, Things to Expect from Shadow of the Erdtree DLC

What is Shadow of the Erdtree Elden Ring? It’s the first DLC in Elden Ring.  The Erdtree in the background, looks like it's in some serious distress, maybe Ash falling off of it, obviously there's liquid flowing out of it, it looks like it's been damaged entirely. On top of this, you have the mysterious blonde-haired figure riding a steed in the foreground, the steed looks not unlike Torrent and a lot of people are speculating that this might be Miquellla. We did not see Miquellla in the main game, there is a lot of lore revolving around this character, it would not be strange to see this character in an expansion, Nikola has long blonde hair. so it's possible that that character riding that steed is indeed Nicola. 

There is a ton of speculation over the next couple of weeks about what exactly is going to be in this expansion, people be digging into this artwork that will be going through the lore trying to figure out if there are some hidden references to what we might see here, and there is a lot of lore in this game from characters that didn't make it into the main game. So it'd be interesting to see if we see some of these characters in the expansion. 

When Will Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree Release?

In terms of release date of Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, one can speculate that this is probably 3 to 6 months or maybe longer, but we don't think it's going to come out next month or the month after that, we could see it anytime after May this year. They plan to deliver this on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.

What Can We Expect from Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC?

1. New Gameplay Mechanics, Weapon, Skills Spells 

When you talk about speculation for these games, you're not just talking about the lore what you like to see, you're talking about mechanics like what gets added to this game that changes things up. Bloodborne added new trick weapons and those new trick weapons could be used to do an entire playthrough completely changing the way your playthrough went. So we may be wondering is there going to be a new magic type in this game, will there be new damage types, will there be a plethora of new weapon skills that you can obtain and put on existing weapons that changes the way those weapons play, because you can put them on so many different weapons that already exist. The build variety with a couple additions like that in this game could Skyrocket even more, the build variety is absolutely insane in this game. 

2. New Characters

Those waiting for Elden Ring's first DLC can expect new cards, new characters adding into the game. The best example of this is the likelihood of Miquella featuring in Shadow of the Erdtree, seeing as he can be seen riding on the back of the player's mount, Torrent, in the concept art.

3. New Armor

With the upcoming expansion, players can expect a range of new armor sets and outfit options to make them stand out in the Lands Between.

4. New Bosses

Players can undoubtedly expect a whole host of fresh foes to slay in the upcoming DLC. From their incredible design steeped in intricate lore to their complexity in combat, if the bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree are anything like the ones present in the base game, then players are in for a treat. 

Not only can players expect more bosses, but likely harder ones too which will test the skill of those who have already become Elden Lord.

Things To Do Before Shadow Of The Erdtree Elden Ring

1. Deeper Understanding of Elden Ring's Backstory

The first thing to do before  Shadow of the Erdtree is to delve into the game's lore. In order to truly take in the masterpiece that Elden Ring stands to be, players should dig further into the game's complex lore. They would have to go out of their way to do things like read item descriptions, listen to NPC dialogue, and check out side quests.

The lore is very important to the foundation of Elden Ring, and players can assume the same for the game's DLC. As some have speculated, Shadow of the Erdtree may compare with past FromSoftware DLC and actually take place within a different time in the Lands Between. Some have even hypothesized that the girl on Torrent in the DLC art is Miquella. Whatever the case, fans should expect an incredible time from Shadow of the Erdtree.

2. Find a Perfect Build

When it comes to the most powerful foes in Elden Ring, such other individuals entering one's realm, how players construct their characters is quite crucial. There are countless builds in Elden Ring, ranging from sleep builds, flame builds, and dexterity builds, to more niche Elden Ring builds that would deal with arcane, bleed, and dragon incantations. Find a build before venturing into the depths of Shadow of the Erdtree, and you won't regret it.

3. Defeat The Optional Bosses

Another thing to do before Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is to defeat the optional bosses. There are many more optional bosses in Elden Ring than there are main ones. With that said, players could have easily played through Elden Ring by solely defeating the game's main bosses, and not even knowing how many other areas there are out there to explore in the Lands Between.

4. Explore All The Dungeons

There are dungeons across the incredibly large and beautiful map of the Lands Between that players can discover while running around. These dungeons can be hard to find, but they're well worth the rewards. 

That’s the end of this guide! What do you think about this new expansion DLC Shadow of the Erdtree Elden Ring? Are you looking forward to the DLC? Are you happy there's finally an announcement of an expansion? What are you expecting in this expansion?