What We Expect, Hope for and are Scared of in the Shadow of the Erdtree

Elden Ring’s first ever paid DLC, Shadow of the Eldtree, is expected to release around spring 2024. It will most likely be released after FromSoftware’s Armord Core 6.

Spoiler Alert: This article will include spoilers about the plot of the game.

Elden Ring was a huge success, both with critics and with players. The role-playing open world game developed by FromSoftware was initially released on the 25th of February, 2022 and sold 13.4 million copies worldwide by the end of March.
Considering the fact that the game had Hidetaka Miyazaki as its director and George R. R. Martin, the author of Game of Thrones, for the worldbuilding, the success did not come as a surprise. The only criticism the game faced was regarding its technical performance.
On December 7, 2022, FromSoftware gifted us the free Colesseum update. While not furthering the plot, the Colosseum allowed for a pvp system with two options, a one-on-one dual option or part of a three-Tarnished team put against another three players.

The game’s official tweeter account announced Shadow of the Erdtree on February 28, 2023. The DLC has been in development since the base game was released. As of right now, we believe the DLC will be released after August 25, 2024, which is the release date for FromSoftware’s next Armord Core game.

What Players Hope For

There are more than a few theories on what the DLC could be about. A quick look at Elden Ring’s subreddit would show you thousands of fans discussing what they are looking forward to. We can start the theories with Miquella.

Miquella, The One Who Got Away

There is one NPC that you never get to fight and that is Miquella. Miquella the Unalloyed is one of the demigods in the game, being of immense power who is worshipped by the inhabitants of the world. Miquella is said to be the most powerful of them all and is the twin brother of Malenia, another demigod who suffers from a deadly disease called scarlet rot.

As mentioned earlier, Miquella is not fought in the game. There is no reason for us to fight him since he is still sleeping in an egg and the player can obtain Miquella’s shard by killing his half-brother, Mohg the Lord of Blood, who is holding him captive. Gideon Ofnir, a character in the game, also advises the player to leave Miquella in peace.

However, it is speculated that Miquella’s absence from the game is intentional and that he may be a potential antagonist in future DLCs. This is because Miquella is asleep in the egg to grow in power, and intends to use it to cure his sister’s scarlet rot. As the player ends up killing Malenia and the rest of Miquella’s family, he will likely awaken with a grudge against the Tarnished and become a formidable foe.
Additionally, FromSoftware is known for their intricate storytelling and attention to detail in their games, so Miquella’s absence is likely intentional and tied to the game’s overarching narrative.
The picture released alongside the announcement tweet also shows a character closely resembling Miquella. Which led fans to further theorise his involvement.

Dreaming of Exploring Dreams

Lance McDonald, a data miner, has found cut content from the base game that involved exploring the dreams of some NPCs. A character called Monk Jiko asks the Tarnished to bring him Dream Mist, which requires literally invading the NPC’s dreams. This gives the potential for many additional fights and subplots. It gives players the chance to fight literal nightmares and adds to the already existing horror elements of the game. The inclusion of dream exploration provides creative opportunities for players to engage with the game in new and exciting ways.
In addition to all that, fans have expressed hope for new weapon classes and magics, especially unique paired weapons and blood magics. On a more shallow level, there are requests for longer hair models and braids, maybe some new fashion. Overall most of what we see is a demand for MORE ELDEN RING.

How Many Hours of Gameplay?

There have been no announcements or leaks regarding the amount of gameplay the DLC will offer. However, fans speculate that it will be on the longer side. Considering that Shadows of the Erdtree will be released almost two years after the release of the game, fans are expecting something spectacular.
A survey on Reddit asked enthusiasts how many hours of gameplay they are expecting. Out of the six given options, 26-29 hours won with 33% of the votes.

The Awaiting Dreads

Alongside everything the fans are looking forward to, there are a few things they’re dreading. Soulsborne players have gone through a lot and are well aware of how bad it can get so here are a few things they’re afraid of.

Currently, there is a fan theory that the upcoming DLC for the game will revolve around Death Blight, which is a status ailment in the base game that causes instant death if the meter is allowed to fill up too much. This rose from a supposed clue in the DLC’s logo. According to a player on r/Eldenring if you zoom in, stare for a really long time, want it hard enough and basically just believe, you can see some spikes emitting from the sides of the “O” in the word “Shadow”. The spikes look like Death Blight spikes and we are deprived of content enough to believe that.

True or not, a horrifying idea revolving around Death Blight is a Death Blight Ulcerated Tree Spirit; or a swamp with this status ailment.

Another worry is a short playtime. As we discussed already most of what the fans want can be shortened to more gameplay. Therefore the possibility of a few hours of added gameplay is a fear they are facing.

Overall we don’t have much to go off on. As of right now even rumour and leaks are scarce but you cannot stop people who fought Melania and won, from doing anything. Whatever the DLC includes, we’re impatiently waiting for it.

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• When is the expected release date for the Shadow of the Eldtree DLC for Elden Ring?
  The Shadow of the Eldtree DLC for Elden Ring is expected to release around spring 2024.
• Who are Miquella and Malenia in the Elden Ring game?
  Miquella and Malenia are demigods in the Elden Ring game. Miquella is said to be the most powerful of all demigods and is the twin brother of Malenia, who suffers from a deadly disease called scarlet rot.
• Why was Elden Ring criticized despite its success?
  Elden Ring was criticized for its technical performance.
• What is the Colosseum update in Elden Ring, and what does it add to the game?
  The Colosseum update in Elden Ring allows for a PvP system with two options: a one-on-one dual option or as part of a three-Tarnished team put against another three players.
• Why do fans speculate that Miquella may be a potential antagonist in future DLCs?
  Fans speculate that Miquella may be a potential antagonist in future DLCs because he is asleep in an egg to grow in power, and intends to use it to cure his sister’s scarlet rot. As the player ends up killing Malenia and the rest of Miquella’s family, he will likely awaken with a grudge against the Tarnished and become a formidable foe. Additionally, FromSoftware is known for their intricate storytelling and attention to detail in their games, so it is likely that Miquella’s absence from the game is intentional and tied to the game’s overarching narrative.