Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree expansion will send players back to the Lands Between

The time to return to the Lands Between is nigh, as FromSoftware has announced the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion for Elden Ring. The community expected the DLC to be unveiled and showcased during the game’s first launch anniversary, i.e., on February 25, but fans were disappointed as there was no expansion announcement from the studio that day.

A few days after the Elden Ring’s first-launch anniversary, FromSoftware, via the game’s Twitter account, answered fan requests for the post-launch content, revealed Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, and confirmed it to be in active development with a single piece of key art.

The lack of information about Shadow of the Erdtree is frustrating, but fans can find some hints in the image, such as the Erdtree appearing in a complete state. The biggest clue is the golden-haired person riding on a mount through the field, as they match the description of Elden Ring’s Miquella of the Halgitree, who is a significant character in the game’s lore. At the start of Elden Ring, Miquella is sleeping in a cocoon and may awaken in the DLC. These hints suggest the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion could involve a trip to the past or the far future.

Related: Streamer Luality beats Elden Ring’s Margit with a real sword ahead of her LARP run of the game

The nature of the Shadow of the Erdtree reveal was odd, as it was dropped randomly on Twitter in the middle of the night, straight after an anniversary, rather than being the subject of a significant announcement event, which it certainly warranted. The expansion may still be a long way from release, and FromSoftware wanted to reassure fans that more content was coming rather than leaving them disappointed by the meager anniversary celebrations they received. Either way, a return to the Lands Between is on the cards, so start planning your second Elden Ring playthrough.