Summary
- Elden Ring's upcoming DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, is expected to be FromSoftware's biggest DLC yet, keeping the game in the spotlight.
- The inclusion of a Platinum trophy for the DLC could add a new layer of challenge and reward for completionists in the Elden Ring community.
- Players can anticipate that Shadow of the Erdtree will be even tougher than the base game, with new challenges, bosses, and secrets to uncover.
Elden Ring is now over two years old, but the game's surrounding hype has rarely dissipated since its release. With its first paid expansion only around two months from release, there's no danger of FromSoftware's sprawling action-RPG being out of the spotlight any time soon. The DLC, titled Shadow of the Erdtree, is expected to be the Japanese developer's biggest DLC ever. With this in mind, it would be a great opportunity for Elden Ring to break a PlayStation tradition by introducing a brand-new Platinum trophy specifically for the DLC.
The introduction of Trophies (or Achievements for Xbox users) in the mid-2000s significantly changed the way many people played games. Giving players electronic trophies tied to specific in-game achievements created a new sense of accomplishment, and allowed people to showcase their skills via their overall trophy haul, which has a score attached to it. The inclusion of a Platinum trophy for almost all PlayStation games, which is awarded for getting all available trophies in the game, adds further impetus for completionists, and many will waste precious hours chasing particularly tricky trophies in order to get their hands on that elusive Platinum.
Shadow of the Erdtree's Trophy List Should Be Suitably Big and Rewarding
Historically, FromSoftware has taken a varied approach to DLC trophies for its expansions. Despite each boasting some of the toughest bosses and areas of their respective games, none of the acclaimed Dark Souls trilogy's expansions had their own trophy lists.
For a series renowned for its difficulty, and with a particularly passionate and active online fanbase, this seemed a little perplexing. Bloodborne, however, which was released a year before Dark Souls 3, did come with its own DLC trophy list.
For an expansion as large as Shadow of the Erdtree seems to be, an accompanying trophy list feels appropriate. But arguably, PlayStation should take this a step further, and perhaps give the hotly anticipated DLC its own, separate Platinum trophy. Elden Ring's Platinum is no easy task, but when compared to all of FromSoftware's other Souls titles, it feels like the most reasonable of the bunch, meaning particularly skilled players have already managed to obtain it.
Giving Shadow of the Erdtree its own Platinum would feel suitably special, and give even the most hardened of Elden Ring veterans a new goal to aim for.
Shadow of the Erdtree Will Likely Be Even Tougher Than Elden Ring Itself
While it's difficult to say exactly how tough Shadow of the Erdtree will be, if FromSoftware's previous DLCs are anything to go by, players can expect to be faced with an even bigger challenge than the one presented during the base game. The trailer has revealed some potentially tough new opponents, including Messmer the Impaler, a boss many are speculating could give 
Malenia, Blade of Miquella a run for her money.
Likely, the expansion will also introduce new side quests and secrets for players to uncover, so new trophies to reflect some of these achievements should be expected. With or without a Platinum Trophy of its own, Shadow of the Erdtree is primed to emulate Elden Ring's success, albeit on a smaller scale. The long gap of over two years between the base game and DLC has led many to believe that the overall quality of the finished product should be suitably high. It will hopefully prove to be one of the year's most successful releases when it releases this June.
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
