Here's what we know about the Elden Ring DLC plans
Elden Ring has been an enormous critical and commercial success. Its developer, FromSoftware, has a long history of delivering strong downloadable content for its games. So will Elden Ring be getting DLC?
Though Elden Ring is a very long game, players are wrapping up their journeys through the Lands Between en masse. This has many hoping that more areas, weapons, and characters will be added to the game in the near future.
There’s good reason to think that this will be the case. FromSoftware has a strong history when it comes to downloadable content, with Dark Souls 1’s Artorias of the Abyss, Dark Souls 2’s multiple Crown packs, Bloodborne’s The Old Hunters, and Dark Souls 3’s The Ringed City DLCs all being jam-packed with new content for players to enjoy.
That said, Elden Ring DLC isn’t guaranteed. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice won Game of the Year in 2019 and moved millions of units but didn’t receive anything outside a single free update.
So will Elden Ring be getting any DLC? And if so, what would be included in it?
Has Elden Ring DLC been announced?
Neither FromSoftware nor publisher Namco Bandai has yet confirmed the existence of Elden Ring DLC. So no, Elden Ring DLC has not yet been announced.
This doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t in the works, though. While many AAA releases have significant downloadable content releases chambered before the game even releases, FromSoftware’s DLC releases have typically been released well after the game’s launch. This could mean that DLC for Elden Ring doesn’t actually drop until next year.
When will Elden Ring DLC come out?
Elden Ring DLC will likely not come out until late 2022 at the earliest.
The question of when Elden Ring DLC could come out boils down to what the DLC will look like. Most FromSoftware DLC releases have come out well after the game’s initial launch. Artorias of the Abyss came out 13 months after Dark Souls. The Old Hunters came out eight months after Bloodborne, and Ashes of Ariandel came out seven months after Dark Souls 3.
Given that Elden Ring came out in February, the most optimistic release date would be in Q4 2022. That isn’t necessarily guaranteed, though.
The exception to the rule is Dark Souls 2. The unloved middle child of the series released a series of smaller DLCs at a lower price. The first was Crown of the Sunken King, which came out just four months after Dark Souls 2’s release.
Worth noting is that Dark Souls 2 is the only Soulsborne game that wasn’t directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki. Given that Elden Ring was a Miyazaki creation, that means it’s more likely that any significant update would follow in the footsteps of Dark Souls 3 or Bloodborne.
What would be included in Elden Ring downloadable content?
Judging from past FromSoftware games, downloadable content for Elden Ring will probably center around a new area that’s not accessible in the current game. This would also bring new weapons, spells, bosses, and an expansion of the game’s lore.
Warning: Major spoilers ahead for the Elden Ring story.
Odds are that a DLC release would revolve around the Shattering.
The destruction of the Elden Ring sparked the war that split the Lands Between, but is largely a mysterious happening. It’s unknown who led the attack on the demigods and it’s mostly uncertain why the Elden Ring was broken. A DLC in the vein of The Old Hunters or Artorias of the Abyss could help clarify things.
The biggest outstanding figure that isn’t directly dealt with by the player in the game is Queen Marika. While it’s revealed that Marika and Radagon are the same person and the player has a boss fight with Radagon, there is no encounter with Marika in the form that is most central to the game’s lore.
Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.
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