Why Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC Wasn't at Summer Game Fest

While many were hoping to see Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC at Summer Game Fest, its absence actually makes perfect sense.

Early on in the Summer Game Fest presentation, host Geoff Keighley teased a major, unexpected game as the grand finale. Many anticipated it would be Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, while others even held out hope for Grand Theft Auto 6 or Hollow Knight: Silksong. Ultimately, it was a trailer for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. It was a solid finale for the showcase, but one where there was so much hype, many are likely disappointed.

Of GTA 6, Hollow Knight, and Elden Ring, the first two are easily explained away. It wouldn't make sense for Hollow Knight: Silksong to appear after its recent delay, and GTA 6 is years out still. Elden Ring, though, may seem uncertain. At this point, it's likely to release next year, but many would still have loved a little teaser. Obviously, that didn't happen and it's not hard to imagine why.

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First and foremost, FromSoftware hasn't really shown anything about the DLC thus far. It was announced without much fanfare, with the company simply confirming it was in the works and releasing a teaser image. This has led to a lot of speculation about the Elden Ring DLC, such as Miquella's role, what's happening to the Erdtree, and its specific placement in the timeline, but since not much has been shown before, there's not much reason to start full-blown marketing until the DLC is further along in development. It could have started here, but it didn't. That's okay and fitting to FromSoftware's typical approach. As many no doubt recall, several gaming presentations and showcases passed before a lot was revealed about Elden Ring, and even then it only scratched the surface pre-release.

Furthermore, a recent rumor suggests that the Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree expansion is the size of two DLCs, making it absolutely massive given the scale of FromSoft's typical DLC. Assuming this is true, fans can expect a ton of content for the game, but that also makes it obvious why there is still so little known. Elden Ring's grand scale demands a similar DLC, so something short and simple wouldn't work. As such, its absence is more than understandable between what was first revealed and the rumored size of it.

Elden Ring developer FromSoftware is also working on Armored Core 6, which releases in August. If FromSoft dips into any marketing, it's more likely for the more immediate game. Fans are no doubt hyped for it and excited to see more; for those more interested in Elden Ring, the safest bet is that marketing won't begin until after Armored Core 6 drops. It could be at another showcase, Gamescom in August, or more likely The Game Awards, but ultimately it remains to be seen.

Elden Ring is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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When Joshua Duckworth received Pokemon Yellow for Christmas at 5-years-old, his fate as a gamer was set. Since then, he's been involved with every step of the gaming industries' growth from the golden PS1 era and the dying days of the arcade to any current gaming trend. When he's not writing, playing his own games, or thinking about writing or playing his games, he's probably the second player to his son's Pokemon Let's Go, Pikachu! file. Joshua has an MA degree in English from Jacksonville State University.