Summary
- Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree introduces a challenging new enemy right at the start of the DLC, the masked assassin Curseblade, known for his aggressive attacks.
- Fans of the game have been surprised by the difficulty of the DLC, with the Curseblade proving to be a formidable foe for even experienced players.
- Defeating Curseblade can reward players with his weapon, the Curseblade's Cirque, a new Backhand Blade weapon type with unique skills for dexterity builds.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree players are having some trouble with the masked assassin in the very first area of the DLC. The first and only expansion for FromSoftware's critically acclaimed open-world action RPG was recently released, and fans are flocking en masse to experience the Land of Shadow for themselves. However, there are Tarnished who were just as quickly shown that Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree posed no less of a challenge than the base game and contained a few nasty surprises of its own.
Elden Ring has had no shortage of formidable foes even back when it was released in 2022. The open-world Soulslike all but built its reputation around its brutal difficulty and unforgiving boss fights, with foes like 
Starscourge Radahn and 
Malenia, Blade of Miquella becoming notorious for their overwhelming strength. But while Elden Ring's bosses posed the greatest danger to players, that's not to say the smaller mobs are incapable of erasing the health bar of the unprepared Tarnished. Just as many fans have fallen victim to the more annoying enemies in Elden Ring, such as the 
Crucible Knight, the Giant Crayfish, and the Lesser Runebear.
Xbox is Getting Its Own Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Controller
Thrustmaster announces that pre-orders for a new limited-edition Xbox controller based on the new Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC are available.
Longtime FromSoftware fans will likely be delighted to know that the DLC did not stray from this gameplay design, as many players can attest when they wandered into Shadow of the Erdtree's expansive new area only to be attacked by a lone Curseblade. The masked assassin quickly became a notorious figure in the Elden Ring community for his hyper-aggressive attack patterns, which one user compared to the Interior Ministry Ninja enemies from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Many players shared how the Curseblade had provided a surprising challenge, especially when considering that he was the very first enemy of the DLC.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Players Can Find A New Weapon Early On
However, a few of those who defeated the Curseblade were also thrilled when they realized that the masked assassin could also drop his weapon, the Curseblade's Cirque. The weapon notably falls under the new Backhand Blade weapon type, which was one of the armaments added with Shadow of the Erdtree. The Curseblade's Cirque scales primarily with dexterity and strength, making it a prime weapon for Elden Ring's dexterity builds. It also comes equipped with the unique "Deadly Dance" skill, a mobile Ash of War that lets the wielder leap at the enemy while spinning both blades.
While the DLC has only just released, early reviews have already showered the expansion with praise. However, some players have also reported issues with accessing Shadow of the Erdtree. Luckily, there appears to be a simple solution to their troubles, and it won't take too much troubleshooting before they can begin their journey into Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
- Released
- June 21, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
Shadow of the Erdtree is the first and only DLC expansion for FromSoftware's groundbreaking Elden Ring. It takes players to a whole new region, the Land of Shadow, where a new story awaits the Tarnished.
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Base Game
- Elden Ring
- Developer(s)
- FromSoftware
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, FromSoftware
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
