Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree – PS5 Expansion, DLC, Action RPG, FromSoftware, Fantasy Adventure

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree PS5 is FromSoftware’s largest expansion ever made, and it is not a side story. Guided by the Empyrean Miquella, the Tarnished crosses into the Land of Shadow — a realm hidden behind the Erdtree where the goddess Marika first set foot — for roughly forty hours of new territory, bosses and equipment.

Read This First: You Need the Base Game

This is an expansion, not a standalone release. It requires a copy of the base Elden Ring, and access is gated behind real story progress: you must have defeated both Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood. Only then can you interact with the withering arm on the cocoon inside Mohg’s arena to travel across.

We say this plainly because it is the single most common reason buyers are disappointed. If you have not started Elden Ring yet, buy the base game first.

The Land of Shadow

The new region is not a fenced-off arena. It is a full open world with its own overworld, catacombs, legacy dungeons and hidden layers stacked vertically on top of each other, and it is easy to walk past entire areas without realising they exist. Miquella’s trail runs through it, and following him is the closest thing to a critical path you get.

Tonally it is darker and stranger than the Lands Between. Where the base game had golden light, this has ash, shadow and things that were deliberately left out of the original history.

Why It Is Called the Largest Expansion

Bandai Namco describes it as FromSoftware’s biggest expansion to date and reviewers backed that up, putting a full run at around forty hours. Push Square scored it 8 out of 10, praising the boss design and vistas while noting it doubles down on the base game rather than introducing new ways to play. It was nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2024, an unusual step for downloadable content.

More details are on the official Bandai Namco Elden Ring page.

A New Way to Get Stronger

Character level barely matters here. The expansion introduces its own upgrade currency, found scattered across the Land of Shadow, and your damage and defence in the new region scale from that rather than from your existing build. It is a deliberate levelling reset that keeps the difficulty meaningful for a character who has already finished the base game — and it means exploring is not optional if you want the fights to be fair.

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The George R. R. Martin Question

A common assumption is that the novelist wrote new material for the expansion. Hidetaka Miyazaki has confirmed he did not. The expansion draws on one part of the mythos Martin originally created for FromSoftware during development of the base game, which was always broader than what the 2022 release used.

Technical Specifications

• Title: ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree
• Type: Expansion. The base game ELDEN RING is required
• Platform: PlayStation 5 (physical disc)
• Genre: Open-world action RPG expansion
• Modes: Single-player with online co-op and invasions
• Developer: FromSoftware
• Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
• Director: Hidetaka Miyazaki
• Release: 21 June 2024
• Access Requirement: Defeat Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood, then use the withering arm in Mohg’s arena
• Setting: The Land of Shadow, following the Empyrean Miquella
• Approximate Length: Around 40 hours
• Install Size: Approximately 16.5 GB on top of the base game
• Age Rating: PEGI 16
• Controller: DualSense wireless controller
• Case Dimensions: Approximately 13.5 x 17 x 1.5 cm
• Warranty: 1-year warranty from Totot

FAQ – Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree PS5

Can I play this without owning Elden Ring?

No. It is an expansion and will not run on its own. You need the base game installed and a save that has progressed far enough to unlock the entrance.

What exactly do I have to beat to get in?

Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood. After both are defeated, interact with the withering arm on the cocoon in Mohg’s boss arena.

Is it harder than the base game?

Yes, noticeably. It also uses its own upgrade system found in the new region, so exploring to raise that is the intended way to keep fights balanced.

How much new content is there?

Roughly forty hours, with a full open region, legacy dungeons, new bosses, weapons, spells and armour sets.

Does it change the base game?

It adds new content rather than altering the original campaign. Your existing character carries straight over.

Does Totot deliver across the UAE?

Yes. We ship nationwide via Aramex for a fixed AED 10, with cash on delivery, Tabby and Tamara available at checkout.