The release of Elden Ring's upcoming DLC could conflict with Horizon Forbidden West yet again. Elden Ring's first true DLC expansion, entitled Shadow of the Erdtree, was announced on February 28, 2023, just over a year after the game's initial release. Only crumbs of information about the DLC are available at present; its release date remains uncertain.

Horizon Forbidden West, the sequel to 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn, also has DLC in the works. Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores will take Aloy to the sinking ruins of Los Angeles, where she'll take on a host of new and improved mechanized beasts. Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores' release is slated for an April 19, 2023 release, which could clash with Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree's as-yet unknown DLC release date.

Related: Elden Ring DLC, Shadow Of The Erdtree, Is Officially In Development

Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC Could Come Out Around The Same Time As Horizon Forbidden West's Burning Shores DLC

Aloy, standing on a rocky ridge, watches the sun rise or set over a desert landscape in Horizon Forbidden West

History would repeat itself if Elden Ring's DLC comes out in the same month as Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores. Elden Ring's worldwide February 25, 2022 release date came exactly a week after Horizon Forbidden West's. Both offer thrilling action RPG gameplay set in scenic open worlds, rife with secrets to uncover. Elden Ring was destined to sell well. It was a highly anticipated title with a collaboration between George R.R. Martin and Hidetaka Miyazaki; and released across multiple consoles and generations.

Horizon Forbidden West, also sold well but, on the other hand, was released only on PlayStation consoles and was unfortunately eclipsed by the Game of the Year's success. Conversation online was dominated by Elden Ring, forcing Horizon into the shadows. Now, with both preparing for the release of DLC, Elden Ring might end up stepping on Horizon's toes yet again.

It's Not The First Time A Game Like Elden Ring Has Gotten In Horizon's Way

Breath of the Wild Link holding the Master Sword in front of him with a bow on his back

Elden Ring stole Horizon Forbidden West's thunder when the two released within a week of each other in 2022, but it was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild that got in the way of the Horizon series' debut in 2017. Coming out just three days after Horizon Zero Dawn on March 3, 2017, BOTW offered a similar brand of action-adventure gameplay and a vast open world to explore. Both were exclusive to their respective consoles, but BOTW's popularity and critical acclaim made it a selling point for the Switch. The sequel to BOTW, Tears of the Kingdom, is also due out this spring - although not until May 12, leaving plenty of distance for Horizon Forbidden West's DLC.

While both DLCs are confirmed to be under development, Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC doesn't yet have a release date. While it's not unheard of for game developers to be secretive about upcoming releases, the only publicly available information for Shadow of the Erdtree is a single piece of concept art, so development might not be too far along. It's certainly possible that Shadow of the Erdtree could come out in April, but if Elden Ring's DLC is still early in development, it could end up leaving Horizon Forbidden West's DLC a little room to breathe.

More: Why Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores DLC Is On PS5 & Not PS4Source: ELDEN RING/Twitter