Elden Ring Theory Suggests New Underground Area in Shadow of the Erdtree

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Elden Ring Theory Points to Possible New Underground Area in Shadow of the Erdtree

Elden Ring

By Steve Michaels

Published Feb 29, 2024

Highlights

Elden Ring fans theorize upcoming expansion will take players underground & possibly feature a favorite boss, sparking excitement.
Trailer release for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree hints at a June 21 launch date, underground exploration, & revamped bosses.
Speculation runs wild among gamers about potential return of Radahn boss & new challenges in the Lands Between in upcoming DLC.

A theory circulating among Elden Ring fans argues that the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion will be taking players underground and could even be bringing back a favorite boss. Since its release in 2022, Elden Ring has continued to hold the attention of gamers who enjoy testing different builds and strategies while they wait for new content. Those waiting for something new in the Lands Between will soon be getting their wish when a new expansion releases this summer.

Last week, fans got to see the first trailer for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, which provided a launch date of June 21 and offered plenty of beautiful visuals and tantalizing hints about what the expansion will be about. Since then, players have been watching and rewatching the trailer and picking it apart as they look for clues and theorize about what different pieces might mean. Now, a new theory is looking at where the DLC could take players within the world of the Lands Between.

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On Reddit, a post from a fan going by Spare-Ad-4632 is filling up with responses, some of which theorize that Shadow of the Erdtree will take place, at least in part, underground. The post features an image from the trailer of a skeletal figure riding, or perhaps merged with, a pale horse, and solicits theories from fellow gamers. One of the dominant takes on the image appears to be that the creature is in an underground cavern and that players will need to venture below the earth to complete the new adventure.

Fans Also Theorize About the Return of Radahn

Regarding the skeleton rider, other fans are speculating that it could be the boss Radahn on his horse Leonard. Redditors appear much more split on this point, with some arguing it could be any skeleton on a horse and doesn't need to be an existing character. Still, Shadow of the Erdtree appears to be revamping one of Elden Ring's toughest bosses in the form of the Fire Giant, so it's not impossible that another boss could be making a return as well.

Of course, this is all just speculation and guesswork for now. As with theories about the importance of Messmer's Snake in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, gamers won't know anything for certain until they can get their hands on the expansion in June.

Excitement is certainly high for the upcoming expansion, and all the online discussion speaks to this passion. With director Hideka Miyazaki recently revealing that an Elden Ring sequel isn't in FromSoftware's plans, Shadow of the Erdtree could well be the last trip fans get to make into its dark world. Gamers can expect the debate and theorizing to continue all the way to this summer.

Elden Ring

Elden Ring is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set in a world co-created by Hidetaka Miyazaki, the creator of the influential Dark Souls video game series, and George R.R. Martin, the author of the best-selling fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire. This collaboration between two renowned creators has resulted in FromSoftware's largest game to date, filled with danger and discovery at every turn. Hidetaka Miyazaki, president and game director of FromSoftware, has a history of directing highly acclaimed games in franchises such as Armored Core and Dark Souls.