ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree - Everything you need to know!

The wait is almost over as the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree expansion launches later today. Get up to speed with everything you need to know about the expansion while you wait!

Shadow of the Erdtree - probably the best expansion since there have been expansions

The story trailer for Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree only answered a few questions, but opened up new ones. What role will the divine, newly awakened being Miquella play in the Elden Ring expansion? After all, Miquella is a symbol of hope and rebirth. As the central figure in Shadow of the Erdtree, Miquella's power and fate play a decisive role - your relationship with Miquella will be a central motif in the Erdtree expansion. The established powers of the world are out of balance and this is where you come in: uncover the dark secrets and mysteries that lie in the shadow of the Erdtree! Explore new dangerous areas, try out new items, spells and combat techniques, and be humbled by new bosses. But above all: follow Miquella into the shadow realm of the expansion and get ready for around 40 hours of gameplay with the new content. If you explore and search everything in detail, you're sure to have a lot more fun with Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree.

Shadow of the Erdtree Special Features

One new feature in the Shadowlands is the introduction of a progression system that buffs your attack and defence values and sometimes also your spirits. These buffs remain in the Shadowlands under the Erdtree, because as soon as you return to the previous Elden Ring areas, the semi-permanent upgrades no longer apply until you return to the Erdtree areas. Look for Scadu Tree Fragments and Honoured Spirit Ashes in the game for the important bonuses that will be crucial for many tough boss fight in Shadow of the Erdtree. FromSoftware has introduced these elements to give old hands and new players alike a balanced experience with the new content.

According to tests, Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is the icing on the cake of an already fantastic action RPG (which has been named Game of the Year several times). Or, as PC Games put it in the review: "Shadow of the Erdtree is the gigantic cherry on the Elden Ring cake". Critics and content creators have rarely been so unanimous in advance: The steep price of £/$40 for an expansion (only £31.49 / $35.99 on Gamesplanet) is justified. The mega DLC has received a hail of awards and high ratings, as our rating review shows. You can also take a look at the launch trailer below in our trailer recap (be aware of spoilers!).

Prerequisites: How to start the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC

Your journey to the new DLC areas begins in the underworld of Elden Ring, in the mausoleum of the Mohgwyn dynasty, directly at the place of grace "Cocoon of the Empyrean". As Shadow of the Erdtree is aimed at players who have at least one character in the endgame area, the DLC requires previous victories over two bosses: Star Scourge Radahn and Mohg, Prince of Blood. Your character should also be at least level 120 so that the challenges of the expansion do not completely destroy you (mentally). The place where you defeat Mohg is also the starting point for the Elden Ring DLC - at the point where a withered arm protrudes from the cocoon.

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Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Trailer Recap

In terms of graphics, Elden Ring was already a feast for the eyes. If you believe some testers and YouTubers, the Erdtree areas are supposed to go one better in terms of light and shadow effects, but also the design of the areas (for example, the vertical alignment of the shadowlands). Official trailers can only show small excerpts from Shadow of the Erdtree - which is why we have included the Red Bull livestream.The best Erdtree trailers here for you in a video playlist.

Attention: The recorded livestream from Red Bull Gaming shows a lot of content from the expansion. If you don't want to be spoiled, you should skip the Red Bull video. The Erdtree launch trailer also spoils some parts of the game.

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree PC system requirements

The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion has the same system requirements as the main game Elden Ring. If the game was already running well on your PC, it will most likely run similarly well with the DLC content installed.

Elden Ring PC system requirements

Minimum requirements

• OS: Windows 10
• Processor: Intel i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 3 3300X
  
• RAM: 12 GB RAM
• Graphics: Nvidia Geforce GTX 1060 3 GB / AMD Radeon RX 580, 4 GB
• DirectX: DirectX 12 (Feature Level 12.0)
• Data storage: 60 GB free disc space
  

Recommended system

• OS: Windows 10/11
• Processor: Intel i7-8700K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
• RAM: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: Nvidia Geforce GTX 1070 8 GB / AMD Radeon RX VEGA 56, 8 GB
• DirectX: DirectX 12 (Feature Level 12.0)
• Data storage: 60 GB free disc space
  

Shadow of the Erdtree PC pre-order bonus

Pre-order your Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Steam key on Gamesplanet to receive the bonus gesture "Shadow of the Erdtree "* for the expansion. This gesture can be used in-game for Shadow of the Erdtree content.

*Bonus content will be available in-game after the expansion is released.

*Players can also unlock this later in the expansion.

Shadow of the Erdtree PC launch times

You can get your Steam key right after purchase on Gamesplanet and be ready for the launch, which kicks off at 3pm PT / 11pm BST on June 20th for PC gamers, or June 21st at 00:00 CEST for our friends in Europe. There is no preload for the DLC on Steam.

• Shadow of the Erdtree preload: There is no preload on PC for the DLC.
• Official release date: June 20th at 3pm PT / 11pm BST / June 21st at 00:00 CEST

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Will Elden Ring with DLC run on Steam Deck or other PC handhelds?

The main game Elden Ring should run without any problems (or with some restrictions in the graphics settings) on a powerful PC handheld - after all, Elden Ring is officially considered "Deck Verified". Accordingly, Elden Ring in combination with the content from the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC should be similarly moderately resource-hungry and nothing should stand in the way of mobile gaming fun. If necessary, switch off ray tracing effects if Elden Ring stutters.

Problems with Shadow of the Erdtree? Help is at hand!

We are happy to help our customers if you have technical problems with the PC version of Elden Ring, the Shadow of the Erdtree content or general questions about purchasing and activating the game. We have set up a first aid kit for this purpose. You can also contact our helpful support team via [email protected].