Elden Ring is FromSoftware's open-world action RPG (the studio behind Dark Souls), released on 25 February 2022. Shadow of the Erdtree is its only major expansion, launched on 21 June 2024 on PS4, PS5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. You are still the Tarnished (the game's name for your exiled warrior), but this time you enter the Land of Shadow, a realm tied to Miquella, a character from the base game.
What sets it apart from ordinary expansions is scale. The new land is big enough, with enough dungeons and bosses, to stand beside a full game, and Metacritic files it under "universal acclaim" with 92 to 95 depending on platform. In exchange, FromSoftware does not go easy: you must be well into the base game to enter, the difficulty is steep, and the PC version still stutters. In OtaHub's view the play is nearly flawless, and the technical side is the only thing pulling the score down.
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Developer | FromSoftware |
| Publisher | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| Release date | 21 June 2024 (PS4, PS5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S); reviewed mainly on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X |
| Platforms | PS4, PS5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S; requires the base Elden Ring. The Switch 2 version (Elden Ring Tarnished Edition, 28 August 2026) includes the DLC |
| Price | About $40 for the standard expansion (per Gaming Trend); $79.99 for the Switch 2 bundle; on Steam Vietnam on October 9, 2026 the expansion is 799.000₫ (base Elden Ring 990.000₫) |
| Languages | 14 interface and subtitle languages, including English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Thai; no Vietnamese |
| Length | About 25 to 30 hours with side content; 15 to 20 hours on the main path; 35 to 40 hours or more for everything (per VideoGamer) |
| Where to play | Steam, PlayStation Store, Xbox/Microsoft Store, Nintendo eShop (via Tarnished Edition) |
| Critic scores | Metacritic 94 (PS5), 92 (PC), 95 (Xbox Series X); individual outlet scores are in the critics section below |
| Awards | Best Game Expansion (Golden Joystick 2024); Best DLC/Expansion and Best Original Score (GEM Awards 2025); Best World and Best DLC (New York Game Awards) |
| Sales | 5 million copies in 3 days; more than 10 million by July 2025 |
Review scope
This review covers the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion to the base game. It draws on official information, critic reviews from several major outlets, Digital Foundry's technical analysis and price and length data from game-focused sites. The reference platforms are PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X. Data was read up to 5 October 2026. It does not yet include hands-on notes from an OtaHub editor, so judgements about bosses and play rely on press coverage and guides. Story is discussed only up to the opening.
Gameplay: how do the bosses and dungeons differ from the base game?
The new land is designed densely, both across and up. Dungeons nest inside each other, shortcuts loop back to places you have already been, and there are plenty of hidden corners. The highlights are the Land of Shadow, the dungeons, new bosses, new weapons and the Scadutree system. The catch is that this very verticality makes the map hard to read.
The expansion adds eight new weapon types, including the Backhand Blade, Great Katana, Light Greatsword, Beast Claw and Throwing Blade, alongside enemies with unpredictable move sets. The bosses are what OtaHub remembers most:
- Rellana, Twin Moon Knight (Castle Ensis, Gravesite Plain): fast, with long combos, demanding precise dodging and well-timed counters. Dexerto rates her difficulty 4 out of 5.
- Messmer the Impaler (Shadow Keep): the expansion's flagship boss, also 4 out of 5 on Dexerto's scale.
- Promised Consort Radahn (Enir-Ilim, near the Divine Gate): the mandatory boss at the end of the journey, rated 5 out of 5 by Dexerto.
There are also hidden bosses such as Midra in the Abyssal Woods, Metyr in Scadu Altus and Bayle at the Jagged Peak summit, with Bayle also rated 5 out of 5 by Dexerto.
Getting stronger by exploring, not grinding runes
In the Land of Shadow, gaining character levels is almost pointless, since most players arrive at a very high level. Instead you find Scadutree Fragments to raise damage dealt and reduce damage taken, while Revered Spirit Ashes do the same for summoned spirits and your horse Torrent. Both work only inside this realm. The system replaces rune farming (runes being the game's currency and experience).
OtaHub likes this because it turns grinding into searching: to get stronger, you comb every corner. It is also the most debated part. At launch, Steam user reviews dipped to Mixed, mainly over difficulty and PC performance, and FromSoftware then released calibration update 1.12.2, making the Scadutree Blessing effects stronger early in the progression.
Story and world: what is the Land of Shadow?
To enter, you must defeat Starscourge Radahn (a major boss from the base game) and Mohg, Lord of Blood. After Mohg falls, you touch Miquella's cocoon to step into the Land of Shadow. From there the story digs into the history of the Lands Between (the base game's world) and pieces of legend the base game only revealed through a few lines of item description.
Critics have debated that the storytelling is more explicit than FromSoftware's usual ambiguity. Some argue that clearer, more signposted storytelling loses the series' quality of a living shared text. OtaHub understands the concern but scores Story 9.5 because the value of the added lore outweighs a little lost ambiguity. Which matters more to you is a matter of taste.
Graphics and sound: what is new in the art?
The Land of Shadow is built from clearly distinct regions. Each has its own colour theme; the Cerulean Coast, for example, leans toward blues. The expansion was nominated for Best Art Direction at The Game Awards 2024 and won Best World at the New York Game Awards. Hidetaka Miyazaki called it the largest expansion FromSoftware has ever made.
The music is by Yuka Kitamura, Shoi Miyazawa, Tai Tomisawa and Tsukasa Saitoh, composers who worked on Elden Ring, together with Soma Tanizaki, who scored Armored Core VI. Each major boss has its own theme, including "Messmer". The Best Original Score award at the 2025 GEM Awards is official recognition for this side of the game.
Technical performance: is the PC version smooth?
This is the weakest part. According to Digital Foundry (via Multiplayer.it), the PC version is still locked to 60 FPS, the frame rate is unstable, it stutters and it has no ultrawide option. Ray tracing (lighting technology for more realistic light) is limited, and the game does not support DLSS, FSR or XeSS (upscaling technologies). FromSoftware said background mouse-driver software can destabilise the frame rate, and players found a bug that turns on ray tracing by itself.
Because the base game's old problems remain, OtaHub scores technical performance clearly below everything else. Metacritic's Xbox Series X (95) and PS5 (94) scores also sit above PC (92), which may partly reflect this.
Content and value: is 40 USD worth it?
The expansion costs about 40 USD, according to Gaming Trend, and requires the base Elden Ring. At 25 to 30 hours for players who do the side content, according to VideoGamer, each hour costs much less than many full games. It has enough content to feel like a separate game, and it has sold more than 10 million copies. The entry condition (Radahn and Mohg defeated) makes it true end-game content. For Nintendo players, Elden Ring Tarnished Edition on Switch 2, on sale 28 August 2026 at 79.99 USD, includes the expansion.
For players in Vietnam
- Vietnamese
- Not available, neither interface nor subtitles. The game supports 14 languages, including Thai.
- Price
- About 40 USD for the standard expansion (per Gaming Trend). On Steam Vietnam (checked October 9, 2026) the expansion is 799.000₫ and the base game is 990.000₫.
- Requirements
- You need the base Elden Ring and must have beaten Radahn and Mohg in it to enter the new land.
- Hardware
- On PC, expect a 60fps lock and performance that is not truly smooth; consoles are steadier judging by Metacritic scores.
- Nintendo players
- Elden Ring Tarnished Edition on Switch 2 (28 August 2026, 79.99 USD) includes the expansion.
What critics say, and where OtaHub differs
Shadow of the Erdtree scored 94 on PS5, 92 on PC and 95 on Xbox Series X at Metacritic, placing it under "universal acclaim". IGN and GameSpot both gave 10/10, Game Informer 9.75/10 and PC Gamer 95/100. Eurogamer is the dissenting voice at 3/5, arguing that the explicit storytelling loses the series' natural ambiguity.
OtaHub sits with the majority: gameplay and world design deserve near-perfect marks. Where it differs is deducting more clearly for technical performance (8.5) and treating difficulty as a barrier to entry, not a design flaw, since players of the base game know what they signed up for. On Eurogamer, OtaHub agrees there is a trade-off between ambiguity and clarity, but does not see it as a reason to drop to 3/5.
Who should play Shadow of the Erdtree?
Play it if you are well into Elden Ring, enjoy a challenge and are ready to die many times learning each boss. Finish the base game up to Radahn and Mohg first, since the expansion has no early-access mode.
Think twice if you want a relaxed, low-pressure experience, or play on PC and are sensitive to dropped frames. In that case waiting for patches or choosing a console may be the more comfortable way in.
Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
- Scale to rival a full game, with exploration rewarded properly
- Layered design with shortcuts and hidden corners
- Many new weapons, and bosses such as Rellana, Messmer and Radahn are memorable
- Scadutree Fragments turn level grinding into searching
Weaknesses
- Steep difficulty that only suits players already skilled at the base game
- Eurogamer (3/5) argues explicit storytelling loses the series' natural ambiguity
- PC version is locked to 60fps, stutters and lacks DLSS, FSR and XeSS
- You must be well into the base game to enter
OtaHub score
The total is the weighted average of the six game criteria; editors may adjust it by up to ±0.2. See our review standards.
- Gameplay & Mechanics · 9.9New weapons, nested dungeons and bosses like Rellana, Messmer and Radahn force you to relearn combat. There is almost nothing to fault apart from the sheer difficulty.
- Story & World · 9.5It fills in many pieces of lore the base game only hinted at in item descriptions. Eurogamer thinks the clearer storytelling loses some ambiguity; OtaHub thinks the deeper lore is worth more.
- Graphics & Art Direction · 9.5Each region has its own colour theme, from the blue Cerulean Coast to the layered Shadow Keep, and the vertical staging is very well done.
- Sound & Music · 9.8Music by Yuka Kitamura and other composers who worked on Elden Ring, joined by Soma Tanizaki, with a theme for each major boss.
- Technical & Performance · 8.5The PC version is locked to 60fps, still stutters, has no ultrawide support and no DLSS, FSR or XeSS. This is the expansion's only real weak spot.
- Content & Value · 9.9A full game's worth of content at roughly 25 to 30 hours for about 40 USD, and Scadutree Fragments give you a reason to explore instead of grinding levels.
OtaHub recommendation: Buy now
FAQ
What do you need to play Shadow of the Erdtree?
You need the base Elden Ring and must have defeated Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood. After beating Mohg, you touch Miquella's cocoon to enter the Land of Shadow.
Is Shadow of the Erdtree harder than the base game?
Yes, and that is the most debated point. At release, Steam user reviews were temporarily Mixed over difficulty. FromSoftware later patched the Scadutree Blessing effects to be stronger early in the progression, but Miyazaki has said that lowering difficulty would undermine the experience the studio intended.
What are Scadutree Fragments?
Items found while exploring the Land of Shadow. They raise your attack and defence, but only inside that realm. Revered Spirit Ashes do the same for summoned spirits and your horse Torrent.
Does Shadow of the Erdtree have Vietnamese?
Not yet. The game supports 14 interface and subtitle languages, including English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Simplified and Traditional Chinese and Thai, but not Vietnamese.
Can you play Shadow of the Erdtree on Nintendo Switch 2?
Yes, through Elden Ring Tarnished Edition, released on 28 August 2026 for 79.99 USD, which includes the expansion.
Sources: Wikipedia (entry requirements, Scadutree system, sales, awards), Dexerto (boss list), Roger Ebert, OpenCritic (Eurogamer score), Metacritic, IGN, GameSpot, Game Informer, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, Gaming Trend, VideoGamer, Digital Foundry (via Multiplayer.it). The score is OtaHub's editorial judgement under our review standards.
