Image: FromSoftware
The expansion will have more than 10 bosses, some of whom will be harder to beat than Malenia.
FromSoftware revealed its first (and possibly not final) expansion for Elden Ring this week with a hefty reveal trailer, proving that the DLC is going to be well worth the wait in size alone. During an interview with Eurogamer, game director Hidetaka Miyazaki confirmed that Shadow of the Erdtree is the studio’s, “largest expansion to date in terms of overall volume," with a new map, “larger even than Limgrave in the base game."
It’s not just about map size, however; Miyazaki also promised denser level design, legacy dungeons, bosses, weapons, equipment, skills and more new stuff coming in the expansion - the finer details of which are under wraps for now.
More details on Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree revealed
FromSoftware’s reveal trailer for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree was full of surprises to say the least, but it looks like the video only scratches the surface of this expansion’s full breadth of content. Game director Hidetaka Miyazaki recently spoke to Eurogamer to confirm that the expansion is not only FromSoftware’s biggest expansion to date, but offers players, “a denser and richer level design,” that brings together the game world’s many interconnected elements, “a little more seamlessly."
Shadow of the Erdtree is set in a new location beyond the Lands Between called the Land of Shadow, and players will seemingly be able to travel between both areas with ease. According to Miyazaki, “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 addition to all that, the expansion will feature the usual content players have come to expect from FromSoftware expansions, including new bosses, equipment, weapons and abilities for players to take on. Miyazaki also confirmed that the expansion will see the return of poison swamps, but hilariously enough, he hadn’t realised how much he liked making them until just recently:
It was only after creating [Elden Ring] that I realized I really like to create poisoned swamps. And this was a little place of introspection and reflection for me. So maybe, when players reach the poisoned swamp in the DLC, they will feel a little bit of this retrospection.
As you die in the poison swamp, remember to take some time and reflect on its place in FromSoftware’s legacy, as Miyazaki clearly has. It won’t make you feel better, but it might make you a little nostalgic. In another interview with IGN, Miyazaki confirmed that the expansion won’t take it easy on returning players, with optional bosses, “who have been tuned in a similar way to the likes of Malenia." That means you’ll be fighting multiple bosses who will be just as hard to beat as Malenia, if not moreso.
As for whether Shadow of the Erdtree spells the end of Elden Ring, Miyazaki said, “We don't have any current plans to make a second DLC or a sequel, but we definitely don't want to snuff out that possibility.” Maybe if it sells well enough, Elden Ring fans might have more poison swamps to conquer in the near future.
Shadow of the Erdtree launches on June 21, 2024. The game has also opened up pre-orders for a Collector’s Edition that includes a statue of Messmer the Impaler:
