Summary
- Fans are hoping that the Elden Ring DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, will include a visit to the unexplored region of the Badlands, which holds narrative significance and allows for new exploration and enemy design.
- There is concern that including the Badlands only in a DLC may not do justice to its potential and that it would be better suited for a sequel, given the success and franchise potential of Elden Ring.
- Other outside regions mentioned in the game may also be better saved for a sequel, as a DLC's scope is naturally smaller, and an adventure across all these mystery-laden lands would make for a great premise for an Elden Ring follow-up.
It's still not clear what exactly Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC will look like, but fans have some ideas. Releasing over two years after the base game, Shadow of the Erdtree is expected to add new features, gear, narrative content, and in-game locations, and some players may be anticipating a visit to one major, unexplored region; the Badlands.
Players never get to explore the Badlands in Elden Ring's base game, with the location only ever being mentioned at a few points in the story. Its most significant connection to the core Elden Ring narrative is Lord Godfrey; upon being banished by Queen Marika, Godfrey and his kinsmen embarked on a journey to the Badlands, thus becoming the first Tarnished. Godfrey, who had adopted the title of Hoarah Loux, lived out the rest of his days as chieftain of the Badlands before being resurrected by the shattering of the Elden Ring.
Elden Ring May Be Better Off Avoiding the Badlands in Shadow of the Erdtree
Why an Elden Ring Badlands DLC Has Its Appeal
Players never have a chance to visit the Badlands in the base game, which makes it a good candidate for an Elden Ring DLC setting. After all, a core element of Elden Ring is its exploration, and most fans are expecting to see at least one major, new region in Shadow of the Erdtree, as this would keep alive the feeling of novelty and discovery. Though its name and lore suggest a dangerous and harsh environment, virtually nothing is known about the Badlands, which gives FromSoftware plenty of freedom when it comes to level and enemy design.
And that's not even mentioning the region's narrative significance. The Tarnished, as a group, were essentially birthed in the Badlands, serving under Hoarah Loux and only returning to The Lands Between shortly before the start of the game. While it's not clear what the story of Shadow of the Erdtree will look like, a narrative that further explores the history of the Tarnished has a lot of potential, and visiting the Badlands could facilitate this sort of narrative.
The Badlands Might Be Too Big for Shadow of the Erdtree
With so much going for it, it seems like the Badlands would be a perfect addition to Elden Ring's base game, perhaps arriving in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC alongside a number of other new locations to explore. This could work, but FromSoftware could wind up selling the Badlands short by relegating it to a DLC. As promising as an Elden Ring Badlands DLC sounds, the franchise might be able to better do it justice by including it in a sequel.
FromSoftware isn't known for making sequels, with the studio only releasing follow-ups to Dark Souls. However, Elden Ring has become bigger than any of the company's previous games, both in terms of success and franchise potential, which makes a sequel seem a bit more likely.
Whether a hypothetical Elden Ring sequel takes place before, during, or after the events of its predecessor, it would have to take major steps to evolve and differentiate itself. Taking place in The Lands Between, even if the region were to change in some way, would likely make Elden Ring 2 too similar to the game that came before it, so featuring new, narratively-significant locations would be best—especially given Elden Ring's open-world structure.
Elden Ring's base game also makes mention of a few other outside regions, like the Land of Reeds and the unnamed home of the Numen. An adventure set across all these mystery-laden lands would be a great premise for an Elden Ring follow-up, so FromSoftware may not want to jump the gun by including any of them in a DLC, which will naturally be smaller in scope than a full-fledged sequel.
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
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.
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, From Software
- Engine
- Proprietary
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- How Long To Beat
- 58 Hours
- Metascore
- 96
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- PS4 & PS5 and Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
