Elden Ring's first upcoming DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, is the latest in a long line of expansions from developer FromSoftware. Beginning with the first of its Dark Souls games, each of the Soulsborne series has received at least one paid DLC, except for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The sheer size of Elden Ring dwarfs the other games released by the Japanese developer, and as a result, many are expecting Shadow of the Erdtree to be its biggest expansion yet. Accessing a FromSoftware expansion is usually a complicated affair though, and some fans will be hoping that Shadow of the Erdtree can break from tradition in this regard.
As a rule, general DLC content tends to be pretty simple to access. Some games allow the player to dive straight into the DLC if they wish, whereas others require the player to complete the main campaign before starting it. Usually, open-world games try to implement additional content in the most immersive ways possible. For example, in Horizon Forbidden West's Burning Shores DLC, the next time the player loads up the game following the completion of the campaign, the protagonist Aloy receives a message from an NPC, triggering the start of the expansion. As with many other things though, for better or worse, FromSoftware usually goes against the grain with its own DLC.
Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree Should Be Simple to Access
For each of FromSoftware's previous DLC's, a very specific set of instructions must be followed in order to commence the expansion. Players hoping to dive straight into this new content are usually found wanting, with the prerequisites often requiring the player to be at a specific point in the game to access it. In the case of Bloodborne's award-winning DLC, The Old Hunters, the process of accessing the new content is arguably far too convoluted. Players must be at a certain point in the game, before collecting a specific item and going to a seemingly random location in order to trigger the opening sequence.
Indeed, without some sort of guide, it's difficult to comprehend how a player would be able to find Bloodborne's additional content. Entry into any of the Dark Souls trilogy DLC is equally complicated. Thankfully, as difficult as it may be to access some of this DLC, FromSoftware tends to save its finest content for these expansions. Some of the Soulsborne series' most memorable areas, and challenging boss fights, have taken place in these DLC offerings. Some of the best examples of this include exhilarating encounters such as Dark Souls' Knight Artorias the Abysswalker and Dark Souls 3's Sister Friede, both of which wouldn't exist if it wasn't for their respective DLCs.
The quality of this content makes the puzzle to access it more than worth the trouble. Elden Ring has many accessibility features and is likely the most accessible of FromSoftware's illustrious Soulsborne library thanks to many in-game mechanics designed to make the player's life easier. While the game's difficulty is definitely on par with its older siblings, these mechanics have ensured that Elden Ring has reached a far wider audience than FromSoftware had previously managed.
Elden Ring's sales figures and player count are a testament to this. It makes sense, then, for Shadow of the Erdtree to follow the main game's lead. Even if no new mechanics are introduced, making the DLC easily accessible, either as standalone content or available to dive into at any point in the game, would be in keeping with FromSoftware's determination to expand the game's overall appeal.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S. Shadow of the Erdtree is currently in development.
