Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is finally releasing later this year, and fans are wondering where it fits into the game and how to prepare. Here’s what you need to know.
Two years after Elden Ring was released, we’re finally getting DLC for the widely-acclaimed Soulslike. Shadow of the Erdtree is set to bring with it a new land to explore and, of course, challenging bosses to conquer.
Following the expansion’s first trailer, players may be wondering how the new content fits into the existing game and its story, as well as how to prepare for it. Thanks to the trailer, comments from director Hidetaka Miyazaki, and past FromSoftware games, we have answers.
Here’s what we know about when Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree takes place.
How does Shadow of the Erdtree fit into Elden Ring?
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree takes place after the boss fight against Mohg, Lord of Blood. The trailer starts with a shot of the arena where you fight Mohg, which Miyazaki confirmed in an interview with IGN is the “point of entry to the Land of Shadow where the players will enter to the DLC area.”
It’s likely the cocoon with an arm hanging out featured in the trailer will open, allowing players to access the new map.
This fits with previous FromSoftware DLC in which the new content takes place alongside the main story rather than after it – which makes sense considering Elden Ring’s different endings.
It also means Shadow of the Erdtree is likely to introduce an adjacent, complimentary ending similar to that of Dark Souls 2 and Dark Souls 3.
Mohg is an optional boss that isn’t accessible until fairly late in the game, meaning you’ll need to play through quite a bit of Elden Ring to make it to the DLC. It seems the developers want you to get attached to the Lands Between and its lore before Shadow of the Erdtree introduces its new characters and revelations.