Image: FromSoftware
FromSoftware has shared a first look at the upcoming Elden Ring expansion.
Every Tarnished waiting with bated breath for more Elden Ring content finally has something to be excited about. Developer FromSoftware took to Twitter today to announce that Elden Ring's first expansion is currently in development, and it's called Shadow of the Erdtree.
The studio also shared a first look at the expansion:
Considering how much of a global phenomenon Elden Ring became upon release, this expansion's existence shouldn't come as a surprise. FromSoftware has typically released expansions for most of its Souls games except for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which was decidedly more story-focused than the rest. The game's social account had hinted that more content was forthcoming as well, though an expansion was never outright confirmed.
In a follow-up post to the announcement, FromSoftware confirmed that the expansion will launch on all platforms where the main game is available:
DLC "Shadow of the Erdtree" for "ELDEN RING" is under development. As with the main story, we plan to distribute it on PlayStation 4 / PlayStation 5 / Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S / Steam. The follow-up report is still a little ahead, but I would appreciate it if you could look forward to it. We look forward to your continued support of ELDEN RING.
This announcement is light on detail, but the artwork FromSoftware shared above has a few clues that could shine light on Shadow of the Erdtree's content. The image shows us an extinguished Erdtree and Miquella watching from a hilly area populated by spectral gravestones, while riding Torrent. In the game world, the Erdtree is a massive golden tree that players can see towering over the Lands Between. Players can also find minor Erdtrees scattered around the map.
Given that this particular Erdtree has been extinguished, we can safely assume that the upcoming expansion takes place after the events of the main game. Miquella is a character from the base game who seemed to have more story potential than what was offered in the campaign, so it's likely that we'll learn more about him in the expansion's new story content.
As for what else players can expect from Shadow of the Erdtree, a new region filled with new bosses and enemies is practically guaranteed, but another dungeon to explore would be nice too! We'll just have to wait until FromSoftware is ready to give this thing a full reveal in the months ahead for more details. FromSoftware, meanwhile, is gearing up for the launch of Armored Core 6 - which the developer insists will be nothing like Dark Souls.