Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is the highly anticipated DLC for FromSoftware’s acclaimed action RPG, but no one knows anything about it. And now fans are grasping at straws getting excited for Elden Ring updates which add literally nothing to the game. Or maybe it did?
You can’t expect fans of FromSoftware’s soulsborne games, myself included, to be entirely reasonable when it comes to anticipating the studio’s upcoming titles. Any bit of information helps, such as false rumors about a Bloodborne remake that circulate now and again. This time, however, it’s extra hopium huffing as everyone is excited because Elden Ring had a patch with nothing new in it—but some think it was a necessary patch to set the stage for Shadow of the Erdtree.
FromSoftware announced via the official Elden Ring Twitter account on Jan. 11 that the game will undergo server maintenance on Steam so a system update can be performed. The studio directly said “This patch does not contain any game-related content,” and left it at that. However, as with any occasion regarding FromSoftware, people think the post is hiding something.
“I think it would be pretty funny if they just released the DLC today,” said one reply. Others seemed a bit too preoccupied discussing graphic details of encounters with a Godskin Duo, but a few replies put their tinfoil hats on and started hammering away the theories. One said that FromSoftware wants people to datamine everything instead of telling them directly, sort of like how Miyazaki designs their games to be purposefully obscure and up to interpretation. If you asked me, the “thank you for your patience, Tarnished” at the tweet’s closure speaks volumes, even if it’s just a wild theory.
FromSoftware later confirmed that maintenance will be commencing across all platforms, and not just Steam, which further adds to the theories and anticipation of the upcoming DLC. Information from earlier in 2023 hinted at the DLC’s release during Q1 2024, though that information remains largely unconfirmed.
The only thing we do know is that it is coming at some point, and hopefully, these theories turn out to be true. If Bloodborne is doomed to rumors, let Elden Ring be our saving grace. See what I did there?
