Summary
Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC will be here very soon, and if there was ever a hugely anticipated game experience coming in 2024, it’s this one. 2022’s Game of the Year winner has many fans expecting its DLC to be everything they want in a FromSoftware expansion, so hopes will likely remain high until its release near the end of June. Asthe one-and-only DLCElden Ringwill receive, Shadow of the Erdtree is bringing a vast number of additions to the base game, including new locations, bosses, armor, weapons, spells, and equipment. Of course, this is all in addition to a brand-new storyline in the Land of Shadow, so players can expect a hefty amount of content in Shadow of the Erdtree.
FromSoftware DLC is notorious for being difficult, and with the added challenge of players likely needing to defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood to access Shadow of the Erdtree, it’s bound to be even more so. However, FromSoftware games are often also noted for one particular pattern thatElden Ringshould avoid with Shadow of the Erdtree to ensure a positive reception, as it hasn’t necessarily sidestepped this issue withElden Ring’s base-game experience.
Shadow of the Erdtree Should Avoid FromSoftware’s Update Release Strategy
FromSoftware Tends to Release Updates Too Late
It’s a known fact thatFromSoftware releases updates for its gameslong after their launch date, and while many of these updates are free and often welcomed, they are nonetheless late to the party. As such, many players have already spent a significant amount of time with these games and are either hesitant to come back to them at all or only come back to them briefly to see what has been added. Rarely do these updates recapture and retain a game’s original audience, even if the updates are substantial enough to merit it.Elden Ringis actually a great example of this.
While some ofElden Ring’s first updates addressed important things like bugs, technical flaws, and balance issues, one of its most significant updates wasn’t added until almost ten months after the game’s release.Elden Ring’s 1.08 updateadded the Colosseums, a PvP feature that allowed players to venture to several different arenas and take on a variety of challenges. Unfortunately, since it was added to the game so long after its launch, many gamers had already moved on, especially as Santa Monica’sGod of War Ragnarokhad only been released just a month before the update and thus captured the attention of any PS4/PS5 owners who were looking for something different.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twiceis another of FromSoft’s games to get the late update treatment. As this specific Soulslike was released in March 2019 and one of its biggest updates wasn’t added until December 2020, gamers had to wait almost two years for content that could have been included with the base game. This particular update addedSekiro’s Boss Rush mode, as well as new outfits and Remnants. This is all something Shadow of the Erdtree should avoid if it hopes to keep its initial audience in for the long haul with every bit of the content FromSoftware plans to release for the DLC.
Shadow of the Erdtree Needs to Launch With Everything on Day One
To avoid falling into the patterns of its predecessors,Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLCneeds to ensure that any content FromSoft plans to add to it later is there on day one of its release. Sure, there will be the odd patch or three to address bugs and, most likely, balance issues again, but any significant content updates should be included with the DLC at the time of its release. This will not only give players the optimal Shadow of the Erdtree experience, but it will also allow FromSoft to move on fromElden Ringto bigger and better things.
Elden Ring
WHERE TO PLAY
ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
