The Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is set to come out “soon” according to an interview with a Bandai Namco executive, in what might be a surprise turnaround from internal reports.
FromSoftware parent company Kadokawa Corporation gave plenty of reason to doubt that Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is coming out any time soon. Reports to shareholders plotted out the company’s video game releases in its fiscal year ending March 2024, and it included no mention of the DLC. This suggested that Elden Ring wouldn’t get this expansion until spring 2024 at the earliest.
Fans have cause to hope that it will come out sooner, though. An interview by GamesIndustry.biz with a Bandai Namco executive sees the writer note that the DLC will come out “soon.”
Will Elden Ring DLC come out in 2023?
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree has no official release date yet. Marie Dealessandri of GamesIndustry.biz spoke with Bandai Namco Europe CEO Arnaud Muller about the company’s 2023 after 2022 saw explosive success stemming from Elden Ring. The interview opens with a discussion regarding the game’s next big step.
“[Muller] first points to Elden Ring’s DLC, the Shadow of the Erdtree, announced earlier this year and due to release soon,” Dealessandri writes.
There is no exact quote or release date from Muller, but discussing Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree as part of the company’s plans for 2023 is notable. The interview also includes discussions of Bandai Namco’s 2024, which starts with the release of Tekken 8 and will include a number of other notable titles. While this doesn’t include a direct quote from Muller, the structure of the interview strongly suggests an indication that the DLC will come out this year, rather than next.
Is FromSoftware still making Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree?
FromSoftware is still making Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. The DLC is in the works and might not be the only significant content update that awaits the game.
Earlier this year, reports issued by FromSoftware’s parent company hinted that the DLC is just part of what it has in store for Elden Ring and more content could come out beyond that. It’s unclear what that might be, whether it’s another paid DLC, a free content update like the Colosseum update, or just more balance patches. As massive as Elden Ring is, there are a number of sidequests that were left unfinished including a definitive ending for Tanith and Patches as well as a possible showdown with Melina.
All signs point to Miquella being the main focus of the DLC. The character isn’t properly shown in the Elden Ring base game, but is a major part of the game’s lore and will likely be explored more deeply.
FromSoftware is also still busy on projects outside the epic fantasy RPG. Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon launched in August and the game is likely to receive major content updates of its own. The studio has proven itself able to quickly develop AAA releases, so juggling those efforts with the creation of Shadow of the Erdtree would be on brand for the company.
