Elden Ring’s new DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, has launched on Steam and is making a huge splash. Over half a million players jumped into the game to experience the expansion as soon as it became available. Positive reviews are pouring in, despite players barely having scratched the surface of the content.
As fans explore more of the Land of Shadow, we expect more reviews to follow suit.
Strong first day numbers for new Elden Ring DLC
This wave of positive reviews isn’t entirely surprising. FromSoftware has earned incredible trust from gamers, who seem happy to shower the developer with praise based on reputation alone. It’s a rare kind of loyalty, especially considering the studio’s extensive track record. The launch has also been a big draw in terms of player numbers. Over 550,000 concurrent players were online on Steam at launch, which is impressive for a Thursday DLC release. This number could even surpass the game’s all-time peak of 953,426 players, reached two years ago.
Fans working through the game
It’s worth noting that some players might not be quite ready for the DLC yet. Mohg, a boss required to be defeated before accessing the Land of Shadow, has only been defeated by 39.3% of players according to Steam achievements. There’s help available for those struggling though, with a handy cheese strategy video posted online by a helpful Redditor.
Reviews have been glowing, and recently there was an in-depth feature about the making of the expansion. For those who need assistance, a comprehensive collection of guides has also been compiled. A final word of warning: if you want to avoid spoilers, especially regarding bosses, then stay away from the launch trailer. Players who have already dived into the DLC report that it contains significant spoilers.
Steam Deck woes
A word of caution for Steam Deck users though. As many will know by now, the latest patch 1.12 introduced a bug that can render the game unplayable on Valve’s handheld PC. If you leave Elden Ring inactive for more than five minutes, the game may stop recognizing your inputs. FromSoftware is working on a hotfix, but no release date has been announced, so it likely won’t be available for a little while. This bug can be frustrating, but it’s not necessarily game-breaking as long as you stay active in the game. However, if you do encounter this issue, a hard reset of your Steam Deck might be necessary. It’s important to remember that forcefully closing Elden Ring, like with other FromSoftware games such as Dark Souls and Bloodborne, carries a slight risk of save data corruption.
