The first gameplay trailer for Elden Ring's first DLC: Shadow of the Erdtree, has finally come out, revealing us a lot of important information, including the expansion's release date a few months from now. There's a lot to unpack from the 3-minute trailer, so here's a breakdown of everything revealed and what you need to know.
WATCH: Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Official Gameplay Reveal Trailer
The Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree revealed the being behind the events of this expansion. It is none other than the Empyrean Miquella, the twin brother of Malenia. He pulled strings to draw the Tarnished to the Land of Shadow, the territory overshadowed by the Erdtree. Before we head any further, it's important to recall who Malenia was and to see how he plays into the game's story.
Who is Miquella, and What is the Story of Shadow of the Erdtree?
The Empyrean Miquella is considered to be the most terrifying of all Empyreans because of his power to force love and affection from others towards him. He is, however, cursed to be forever young, never to mature. He then created the Haligtree, which should help him grow into an adult, but this was interrupted when he, in his cocoon form, was taken away by Mohg with the intent of turning him into a god with Mohg as his consort.
However, Mohg fails in his task, as regardless of how much of his blood he shares with the Empyrean, the slumbering cocoon doesn't respond. Because of his abduction, Miquella also never got to use the power of the Haligtree to cure his sister's rot.
During the events of Elden Ring, it is heavily implied that Miquella has been living in his dream as he slumbers, which is why his physical form is completely unresponsive to Mohg's efforts. But now, in the Shadow of the Erdtree, he is ready to make his grand entrance. He draws the Tarnished to the Land of Shadows, hidden underneath the shadows of the Erdtree, setting into motion the events of the DLC.
What's new in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree?
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree expands the story of Elden Ring, continuing after the Tarnished restores the Elden Ring with the Rune Arc of their choice. This means that players will be enjoying a completely new journey, and this time it's towards the Land of Shadow, a cursed land where “blood must spill,” and has been “set ablaze by Messmer's flames.
Messmer and Miquella are just two of the DLC's ten new boss fights, with Miquella most probably serving as the game's final and most difficult boss.
Bringing in ten new bosses should be indicative enough that this truly is FromSoftware's biggest expansion yet, completely surpassing their previous efforts in their past games.
While it's not going to offer an experience that will last as long as the base game, this expansion will introduce a new map that is larger than Limgrave. About the kinds of locations players can explore here, Elden Ring Director Hidetaka Miyazaki reveals in an interview with Eurogamer: “We wanted to go more in-depth and bring a denser and richer level design, which brings these types of layout together a little more seamlessly. There of course will be large open areas, there of course will be legacy dungeons, but we've also experimented with something a little more in-between these as well to bring a more diverse gameplay experience”.
In the same interview, Miyazaki confirms that there will be poison swamps yet again, so be sure to equip the right amulet when you get there.
With new enemies and new locations also come new loot, and there will be a ton of new armor and weapons arriving in the Lands Between when the new expansion comes out, as there will be eight new weapon categories, some of which we saw in the trailer. This appears to include throwing knives, glaives, throwable pots, and repeating crossbows, based on what we've seen in the trailer.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Edition Retail Versions
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree can be pre-ordered ahead of its June 21, 2024, release date to get the pre-order bonus, the Ring of Miquella gesture.
Apart from just having an online release, a Collector's Edition of the physical version of the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Edition for the PS5 and the Xbox Series X will be released. This comes with a 40-page hard-cover artbook, a voucher code for the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC (does not include the base game) and its official soundtrack, and a 46 cm (18 inch) statue of Messmer the Impaler.
It is unclear whether or not the Collector's Edition contains a physical disc for the base game.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree will be coming out on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X on June 21, 2024.
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