Will there be another DLC for Elden Ring after Shadow of the Erdtree?

Elden Ring's recently released Shadow of the Erdtree is easily among the best expansions that FromSoftware has ever produced. On some levels, it feels like an entirely new game, complete with its own open world, dungeons, lore, and rewards. However, is it the only DLC for Elden Ring, or is there going to be another?

Given that FromSoftware has released multiple DLCs for their "Souls-borne" games in the past, it's quite logical to think the same might happen with Elden Ring. On top of that, Shadow of the Erdtree's story still leaves multiple open plot points that can be built upon with a new expansion.

However, FromSoftware and the studio's president, Hidetaka Miyazaki, have already confirmed to Chinese outlet Campfire Camp that Shadow of the Erdtree will be the only expansion for Elden Ring.

While not getting another major expansion for a game like Elden Ring is certainly disheartening, it's also a good thing for a number of reasons.

Note: Some parts of this article are subjective and reflect the author's opinions.

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Shadow of the Erdtree is the only DLC for Elden Ring, with no plans for a second expansion

FromSoftware is no stranger to releasing many DLCs for their games, with both Dark Souls 2 and Dark Souls 3 getting multiple expansions following their releases.

The original Dark Souls 2 received three DLCs - Crown of the Sunken King, Crown of the Old Iron King, and Crown of the Ivory King. All of them come bundled with the Scholar of the First Sin edition.

As for Dark Souls 3, there were two DLCs, Ashes of Ariandel, which was somewhat small with only one main boss, Sister Friede, and The Ringed City, which was a much bigger expansion.

The Ringed City is also the DLC that introduced some of the most iconic bosses in the Dark Souls Trilogy, namely Slave Knight Gael, and Darkeater Midir.

The original Dark Souls, on the other hand, got only a single expansion, akin to Elden Ring and Bloodborne. The Artorias of the Abyss was brief, but it did feature some genuinely memorable boss fights like the Sanctuary Guardian, Manus, Black Dragon Kalameet, and Knight Artorias.

Additionally, even The Old Hunters for Bloodborne was initially planned to be released in two parts before getting merged into a single expansion.

However, for Elden Ring, FromSoftware always had plans for just one DLC, which isn't surprising considering the scale of the base game and even Shadow of the Erdtree.

Unlike FromSoftware's previous titles, Elden Ring isn't particularly linear, owing to its open-world structure. This is perhaps why it took FromSoftware roughly two years to develop the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. Previous "Souls-borne" expansions from FromSoftware have all been released within a few months after the base game's release.

It's no wonder why Elden Ring isn't getting a second DLC. And while it's indeed disheartening to know that Shadow of the Erdtre will be the final piece of add-on content for the game, it's also a good thing.

The release of Shadow of the Erdtree means we can look forward to what FromSoftware has in store for us in the future.

I adore Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree. However, I honestly wouldn't like FromSoftware to be stuck developing an expansion for another two to three years when they could be working on new experiences or perhaps even a full-fledged sequel to the game.