The Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree trailer is part dump, part war recruitment ad

FromSoftware has released a new trailer for Elden Ring expansion Shadow of the Erdtree on Tuesday, giving fans of the open-world fantasy adventure a fresh take on the DLC’s story. That includes new details about the imposing new villain, Messmer the Impaler, a powerful demigod who appears to have a strong connection to characters from the original. Elden Ring story.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the ErdtreeThe game’s new trailer also hints at what sent the demigod Miquella to a new land, one that was crushed under the tyranny of Messmer’s flame, and for which Miquella sacrificed herself. The trailer ends with the forces of Miquella’s followers joining forces and beckoning new warriors to join them on their journey to depose Messmer and his burning legions.

Our latest look at Shadow of the Erdtree is something we’ve come to expect from FromSoft: a CG trailer that delves deeper into the opaque lore of Elden Ring and offers nothing in the way of new gameplay. But for students of Elden Ring Myth, it is a rich source of information about characters and their loyalties in this complicated family story.

Shadow of the Erdtree sends players to an undiscovered region known as the Land of Shadow, just a short egg ride from Mohgwyn Palace. There, in a landmass roughly the size of the game’s Limgrave region, they explore the Dark Realm and follow in the footsteps of the mysterious Empyrean Miquella.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree will be released on June 21st. Like the original, the expansion will come to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC via Steam Elden Ring.