From Software has just confirmed that Elden Ring DLC is currently in development — named Shadow of the Erdtree. Details are very thin on the ground with a logo and some concept art.
But while the developers did confirm a “follow-up report is still a little ahead,” you know we can’t settle with just that. Time to channel my inner Pepe Silvia and make some wild predictions based on little to no information!
Rise, Tarnished, and let us walk a new path together.An upcoming expansion for #ELDENRING Shadow of the Erdtree, is currently in development.We hope you look forward to new adventures in the Lands Between. pic.twitter.com/cjJYijM7MwFebruary 28, 2023
Prediction 1: Miquella rises again
These three predictions are based on one simple question: who is riding Torrent in the foreground? And the one guess that is picking up the most steam amongst the community is that you look set to be stepping into the shoes of Miquella.
From the original game’s lore, we already know that the brother of Malenia tried (and failed) to grow the Haligtree into becoming an Erdtree. Was this because he simply failed to grow it, or was it a result of Mohg kidnapping him? The written passage about this crucial point is left a little vague, so the DLC could very well explore that.
Another hint towards this could be the fact that there seems to be the Haligtree twisting around the Erdtree in the background. It could also be Deathblight, but this would ultimately align the stars to what the story could be.
Prediction 2: Then again, it could be Fia
Fia is a Deathbed Companion who is critical to the end of the core game’s story, which sees the cycle of mortality return to The Lands Between in the form of a fog. So, could this expansion be a continuation of the plot after the Age of the Duskborn ending? Maybe.
Could we see the ultimate result of how the Mending Rune has impacted the Lands Between? Maybe this campaign will put us directly in her shoes to fight to protect the life/death cycle from those who wish to seek immortality.
Prediction 3: Or it could be a young Marika
And the final prediction comes in the form of Queen Marika the Eternal — the sovereign ruler of the Lands Between and physical vessel of the Elden Ring. The big question here is if it is Marika, what kind of story do you tell?
Everything about this screams “prequel.” One running theory is that this could be the build up to her coronation as Queen, as she leads an army of shades to assault the Great Tree (the Erdtree’s precursor).
This one’s a bit of a stretch, based on the fact we’re analyzing the braid style of the character on the steed here. But it’s another fascinating path to ponder.
