The release date for Elden Ring’s DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, is still uncertain, but it is possible to predict if the new content is set to arrive in 2023 or not. The expansion was officially announced by developer FromSoftware in February, just a few days after the critically-acclaimed game’s first anniversary. The company revealed that the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is in development, though no release window was provided. Along with the information, FromSoftware also shared a concept art for the expansion.The image features a blonde-haired character riding a Spirit Steed on a field, while looking at what may be the true Erdtree, in the distance. It is possible that the content will have a bigger focus on Miquella, who is mentioned quite often in the base game, but does not make much of an appearance there. With a few speculations about the release date for Elden Ring’s DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, it might not take that long before players can actually uncover the new mysteries of The Lands Between.

Elden Ring’s DLC Could Release Sooner Than Expected

Image of Malenia standing in front of the burning Erdtree in Elden Ring

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is expected to arrive sometime in 2023. FromSoftware, in fact, never tends to take too much time between a DLC’s announcement and its official release – The Old Hunters DLC for Bloodborne, for instance, was revealed in September 2015 and came out in November 2015. If the game were to replicate the DLC release behavior from FromSoftware’s previous titles, players could potentially see Elden Ring’s DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree being released in May. The main difference, however, is that this is an open-world game that is significantly larger than any other Soulsborne game.

Elden Ring’s DLC Will Likely Come Out In 2023

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree teaser image depicts a robed figure with long golden hair riding Torrent, the horned horse.

With such a massive size compared to the linear Dark Souls games and Bloodborne, Elden Ring’s contents should take more time to polish out and be finished. As such, Shadow of the Erdtree may take longer than the regular two-month period that it usually takes for FromSoftware to announce and release expansions for its games. The release date for Elden Ring’s DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree should still be set for sometime in 2023, before the game’s second anniversary. Among all the developer’s games, this is already the longest period between the original game’s launch and its premium expansion’s release.

There was an eight-month period between Bloodborne and The Old Hunters’ release dates, which was the previous record contender. At the moment of writing, it has already been 13 months since Elden Ring’s original release. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice also received content, though the DLC was a free quality-of-life and minor content expansion for all players and not a story-based DLC with new weapons, enemies, and areas. Elden Ring’s DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree is expected to fall into the second category, offering more details of the Lands Between for players to explore.

Source: Elden Ring/Twitter