Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Expansion Launches June 21
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Expansion Launches June 21
FromSoftware and Bandai Namco Entertainment have announced that Elden Ring's first and only major expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, will launch on June 21, 2024. The DLC will be available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam, according to the official global release timings published by the publisher. Developer FromSoftware has confirmed this is its largest expansion to date.
Access to the new content is gated behind significant progression in the base game. Players must defeat two specific, late-game bosses: Starscourge Radahn in Caelid and Mohg, Lord of Blood in Mohgwyn Palace. After conquering both, the journey to the Land of Shadow begins by interacting with Miquella's withered arm, which protrudes from a cocoon in Mohg's boss arena. This requirement positions the DLC as challenging endgame content, with sources recommending characters be between levels 130-150 with fully upgraded gear.
Shadow of the Erdtree expansion details.
The expansion will be sold separately at a base price of $39.99 / €39.99. Bandai Namco is also offering several bundled editions, including a Premium Bundle with a digital art book and soundtrack, and a Collector’s Edition priced at $249.99 / €249.99 that features a 46cm statue of the new antagonist, Messmer the Impaler. Pre-ordering any edition grants an in-game bonus gesture, the "Ring of Miquella."
Journey to the Land of Shadow: New Regions and Lore
Journey to the Land of Shadow: New Regions and Lore
The Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree expansion transports players to the Land of Shadow, a vast and perilous new realm that serves as the narrative heart of the expansion. According to Bandai Namco, this land is “obscured by the Erdtree” and is where the goddess Marika first set foot. It is described by series creator Hidetaka Miyazaki as roughly the same size as the base game’s Limgrave region, though independent analysis suggests the new map is comparable in scope to Limgrave and Caelid combined, featuring dense layering and significant verticality.
At the center of the journey is the enigmatic Empyrean Miquella, who has divested himself of his flesh and “all things golden” to travel to this shrouded land. As noted in an IGN review, players follow Miquella’s path, marked by large crosses, uncovering the reasons behind his pilgrimage. The narrative, more direct than FromSoftware's typical cryptic storytelling, reveals Miquella’s ambition to bury an "original sin" and ascend to godhood, offering a “gentler” world, albeit through potentially terrifying methods of compulsion.
The Land of Shadow was hidden away from the known Lands Between.
The Land of Shadow is densely packed with secrets and key locations. Players will explore legacy dungeons like Belurat, Tower Settlement and Castle Ensis, each housing major boss encounters. The sprawling Shadow Keep serves as a central and formidable dungeon, eventually leading to a confrontation with the expansion’s new antagonist. The world design emphasizes exploration and discovery, with paths leading to sky-suspended ruins, deep underground areas, and hidden regions that reward curiosity.
The expansion’s primary new antagonist is Messmer the Impaler, a sinister and powerful child of Marika. Messmer’s connection to the Land of Shadow is profound; official descriptions state the realm was “purged in an unsung battle and set ablaze by Messmer's flame.” His role is that of an executioner, tasked with a brutal campaign that ties directly into Queen Marika’s hidden past. Messmer resides within the Shadow Keep, where players will face him in a challenging boss battle that tests endgame builds.
New Combat Mechanics: Weapon Types and Blessing Systems
New Combat Mechanics: Weapon Types and Blessing Systems
Shadow of the Erdtree introduces eight new weapon categories and a separate progression system to equip players for its brutal challenge. According to hands-on previews and reviews, these mechanical additions are essential for tackling the expansion's dense new world and formidable enemies, offering fresh playstyles and a crucial power-scaling mechanic exclusive to the Land of Shadow.
The expansion adds eight brand-new weapon types, significantly broadening build options. Among these are Great Katanas, described as giant odachi samurai swords with slower, heavy-hitting movesets, and Light Greatswords, a faster archetype exemplified by the weapon "Milady," noted by GamesRadar for its "regal moveset" and balance of speed and power. Other new categories include throwing knives, beast claws, martial arts weapons, dueling shields, and backhand blades. IGN's review noted that while these new weapons are fun, some optimized builds from the base game can still compete with their strength, suggesting a deep well of customization.
The Beast Claw is one of eight new weapon types.
A cornerstone of the DLC's design is its unique power-scaling system. To overcome the intense difficulty, players must collect Scadutree Fragments found throughout the Land of Shadow. Using these at a Site of Grace bolsters the "Scadutree Blessing," which, according to IGN, increases damage dealt and damage negation only within the DLC area. This system ensures a sense of progression for all players, whether they are on New Game+ or have just reached the access point. Following a patch, the blessing now provides substantial early boosts, with a maximum level offering roughly a 105% damage increase and 65% damage reduction.
Similarly, a separate collectible system enhances summoned allies. Players can find Revered Spirit Ash blessings to empower their Spirit Ash summons and even their steed, Torrent. As outlined in the Fextralife wiki, this upgrade path allows summons to be boosted to +10, increasing their effectiveness specifically within the Land of Shadow. This provides an alternative avenue for progression, rewarding exploration with tangible combat advantages for those who utilize spirits.
Endgame Challenges and Remembrance Bosses
Remembrance bosses like the Divine Beast Dancing Lion offer intense endgame challenges.
Shadow of the Erdtree delivers a staggering number of boss encounters, with over 40 bosses in total, including 10 major Remembrance bosses that offer powerful new gear for endgame builds. According to an IGN review, this count mirrors the scale of the base game's challenges. These pivotal fights, such as Messmer the Impaler and the final boss Promised Consort Radahn, are designed to test players who have already conquered the Lands Between.
A new, separate power-scaling system is crucial for tackling the DLC's heightened difficulty. To prevent high-level characters from being overwhelmed, the expansion introduces Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ash Blessings, collectibles unique to the Land of Shadow. As explained in multiple previews, consuming these at a Site of Grace permanently increases the player's damage dealt and damage resistance within the DLC areas, while the latter buffs Spirit Ash summons. This system provides a necessary sense of progression and a way to overcome brutal challenges by exploring and returning stronger.
Victory against the major Remembrance bosses yields the expansion's most coveted rewards. Each Remembrance can be exchanged for one of two powerful items, typically the boss's signature weapon or spell. For example, defeating Rellana, Twin Moon Knight, grants a Remembrance that can become her Light Greatswords or the Rellana's Twin Moons sorcery. The final boss, Promised Consort Radahn, drops the "Remembrance of a God and a Lord," which can be traded for the Greatsword of Radahn or the demanding Light of Miquella incantation.
The expansion massively expands build-crafting options with eight new weapon types and a vast array of new equipment. Previewers highlighted new weapon categories like throwing knives, beast claws, martial arts "fisticuffs," and the "Milady" light greatsword. Beyond weapons, players can find new talismans, spells, Ashes of War, and Spirit Ash summons. However, some reviewers noted that while the new tools are fun, optimized builds from the base game can still compete, and the scarcity of Larval Tears may limit respec opportunities for experimentation.
The DLC is explicitly tuned for endgame characters, with a recommended level between 130 and 150 and fully upgraded gear. Early previews described the Land of Shadow as "brutal," with even regular enemies posing a threat comparable to base-game bosses. This ensures that the journey through Miquella's footsteps remains a formidable challenge, demanding mastery of the game's combat and progression systems to overcome what developers have called their largest expansion to date.