Elden Ring’s director, Hidetaka Miyazaki, speaks on how Shadows of the Erdtree will be the game’s first and last DLC, explaining that it was decided due to FromSoftware being open to making a full-fledged sequel instead.
Elden Ring 2 A Possibility in the Future
Shadows of Erdtree to be the Game’s Only DLC
Longtime director and creator of the massively beloved Souls series, Hidetaka Miyazaki, was recently interviewed by Chinese outlet Campfire Camp, wherein he revealed that Shadows of the Erdtree will be Elden Ring’s sole DLC. With the DLC further expanding the world of Elden Ring, he reassures fans that the entire story of is still up in the air, and that "FromSoftware’s style of doing things is that they don’t let the future of an IP be locked up so easily." And for that explanation, they’ve decided to have Shadows of the Ertree be the first and only DLC for Elden Ring.
He also reasons how, Elden Ring being a vast open-world game, cutting up areas into separate DLCs would ‘discount’ the "freedom of exploration and sense of adventure" the game instills. Due to that, they thought "it would have been better to just make it one big one." As a result, Miyazaki discloses that Shadows of the Edtree "will be the largest DLC since the founding of FromSoftware."
When asked about how long the DLC will be due to its large size, Miyazaki states that he doesn’t think the answer he’d give would be accurate, as he was drastically wrong before when asked the same question about Elden Ring. He also explains how, being the developers, they tend to have more skill and experience from playing over and over again.
"I don't think it's appropriate for me to answer this question about the length of the game - I revealed in an interview before the release of the current installment of Elden Ring that it would take about 30 hours to get through the game, but when it came out, people said that I was lying, and that it wasn't enough at all!"
As to how hard the DLC will be, he reveals that Shadows of the Erdtree is comparable to the second half of the base game, making it roughly as difficult as the late and endgame bosses. Additionally, sticking to Elden Ring’s progression, players will have the freedom to play the DLC wherever they are within the story, but advises to play the first half of Elden Ring first to be able to stand a better chance in Shadows of Erdtree.
Miyazaki ends the interview with a message to all players excited for the DLC, saying, "I invite you to experience the DLC for yourself, enjoying the fun of battle and the joy of exploration!"
Sources:
Campfire Camp | Miyazaki Interview
GamesRadar | Elden Ring will only get one DLC in Shadow of the Erdtree, but FromSoftware isn't ruling out a full sequel for the RPG
