Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Gets June Release Date, New Trailer, and Massive Lore Reveals

After months of anticipation, FromSoftware has finally broken its silence on Elden Ring’s highly anticipated expansion, *Shadow of the Erdtree*. Fans can mark their calendars: the DLC is officially set to release on June 21, 2024. Alongside the announcement, Bandai Namco dropped a new jaw-dropping trailer that not only teases new enemies and landscapes, but also answers long-standing lore mysteries from the base game.

The trailer opens with a haunting glimpse of a vast, sunless landscape — a stark contrast to the familiar Lands Between — before quickly diving into action-packed sequences showcasing new weapons, combat mechanics, and twisted monstrosities. Most intriguing, however, is the reveal of Miquella, a character shrouded in ambiguity throughout Elden Ring’s original campaign. The new footage offers the clearest look yet at the brother of the equally enigmatic Malenia, and it appears the expansion will delve into his tragic past—and potential descent.

FromSoftware has confirmed that players will journey into a new region tied to the Erdtree’s mysterious shadow, providing over 20 hours of additional gameplay. Persistent rumors of mounted combat improvements and new Spirit Ashes seem to be validated by fleeting glimpses in the trailer, but the developer remains tight-lipped on specifics.

Die-hard lore enthusiasts will find plenty to pore over. Eagle-eyed fans have already spotted cryptic symbols on new armor sets and dialogue references to the mysterious figure known only as the “Veiled Sovereign,” hinting at a deeper cosmological layer beneath the existing mythology. Some fans speculate this could signal the introduction of a true origin story for the Erdtree—and possibly even a confrontation with the Greater Will itself.

The base game’s fusion of open-world design with deep RPG mechanics earned it widespread acclaim and multiple Game of the Year awards. With *Shadow of the Erdtree*, FromSoftware aims to not just extend the experience, but elevate it to new narrative and mechanical heights.

Get ready to return to the Lands Between—or somewhere far, far darker.