3 Reasons to Pre-Order Shadow of the Erdtree & 4 Reasons to Wait

It’s an exciting time for Elden Ring fans because FromSoftware’s finally outlined the game’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC in great detail. The expansion is also up for pre-order and today we want to highlight the best reasons to, and not to, buy the DLC right now.

It took a year, but FromSoftware’s finally gearing up to release Elden Ring’s first big piece of DLC.

Shadow of the Erdtree is headed to consoles and Windows in June, June 21st to be exact, and the expansion will take players beyond the Lands Between to a whole new world called the Land of Shadow.

The developer says it will continue the game’s exciting story while adding new boss fights, new items and spells, and new enemies to take down.

Given the price point for the DLC, $39.99 in the United States, this new world will probably be massive and add hours upon hours of content to the base game.

Now that we’ve got a trailer, screenshots, and a release date, Elden Ring fans and newcomers are considering a pre-order. We don’t blame them.

While this decision might be a no-brainer to a lot of people, some folks might be struggling. If you aren’t sure about a pre-order, you’re in the right place.

In this guide we’ll take you through the best reasons to pre-order Shadow of the Erdtree right now and the best reasons to hang back and wait.

Some of you might even want to skip a pre-order and wait until after the DLC comes out to buy your copy.

Pre-Order Shadow of the Erdtree for This Bonus

If you were expecting Bandai Namco and FromSoftware to sweeten Shadow of the Erdtree pre-orders with a ton of bonus content, you’ll likely be disappointed. That being said, pre-orders do come with a bonus.

If you buy Shadow of the Erdtree before its release date in June, you’ll get a new gesture for your character with your purchase. It’s called the Ring of Miquella Bonus Gesture.

You can get a preview of the gesture over on Bandai Namco’s website. Again, it’s not a lot, but it may convince those of you who love the base game, and love to emote, to pre-order.

It’s unclear if the gesture will be available in-game to those who don’t pre-order. We’d bet against it so if you really want the gesture, pre-order.

Pre-Order If You Want to Play ASAP

If you want to play Shadow of the Erdtree the second it’s released, you’ll want to pre-order a copy of the DLC.

If you pre-order the DLC, you’ll be able pre-load it onto your platform of choice ahead of the game’s release date on June 21st.

Pre-loading the game files ahead of time will allow you to jump right in when the game unlocks at 12AM Eastern. Those of you in western time zones will be able to play starting on June 20th.

The pre-load should start a few days before the release date.

Pre-Order If You Want the Collector’s Edition

If you want the Shadow of the Erdtree Collector’s Edition, and you see it in stock ahead of the game’s release date, don’t hesitate.

The Collector’s Edition is the most expensive Shadow of the Erdtree bundle ($249.99 in the United States) and it comes with the most extras.

Here’s what the bundle includes:

• Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree expansion code voucher (Base game not included)
• Messmer the Impaler Figure (46 CM)
• Physical Artbook (40 pages)
• Digital Original Soundtrack

Like the Collector’s Edition for the base game, we expect this bundle to sell out before the release date.

If you don’t want to pay more than MSRP, you’ll want to pre-order if you can. If you wait, you’ll likely have to contend with absurd prices on resale sites like eBay.

Wait for Shadow of the Erdtree Reviews

If you’re on the fence about a pre-order, you might want to wait for Shadow of the Erdtree reviews to come out.

If you didn’t finish or like Elden Ring (but are thinking about revisiting it now) and/or you’re on a tight budget, you might want to wait for critics and fans to review the DLC before deciding how to spend your money.

You can expect most full Shadow of the Erdtree reviews to emerge in and around June 21st. FromSoftware typically lifts the embargo before the release date so we should see critiques arrive before the DLC unlocks.

This will be important to those of you on the fence about a pre-order because you’ll be able to make the decision to pre-order, or not, based on full length reviews.

Wait for Deals

If you aren’t thrilled with the current price of Shadow of the Erdtree, and it’s indeed expensive, you might want to hold off on a purchase until after the DLC’s release date.

We may see some details emerge before launch, but don’t expect any huge discounts. Most deals will arrive after the release in June.

The first big Shadow of the Erdtree deals will probably emerge weeks, or perhaps even months, after the expansion lands on shelves.

Obviously that’s a long time to wait, but if you aren’t in a hurry and don’t want to pay anything close to $40 for a DLC, you’ll want to skip a pre-order.

Wait for Bug Fixes

If you can’t stand dealing with bugs and performance issues, you might want to wait for the developer to roll out a few updates before buying a copy of the expansion.

Shadow of the Erdtree will be huge with lots of moving parts. And like FromSoftware releases before it, it will have a variety of issues that need to be patched up.

FromSoftware will roll out bug fixes and performance improvements in the weeks after the DLC’s launch and these will help to stabilize the game and perhaps make it more enjoyable.

Keep this in mind as you try and make a decision about a pre-order.

Wait If You Don’t Meet the PC Requirements

Shadow of the Erdtree’s minimum and recommended PC requirements are already available. If your PC doesn’t meet the minimum requirements, hold off on a pre-order.

Shadow of the Erdtree Minimum Requirements

• OS: Windows 10
• Processor: INTEL CORE I5-8400 or AMD RYZEN 3 3300X
• Memory: 12 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1060 3 GB or AMD RADEON RX 580 4 GB
• DirectX: Version 12
• Storage: 60 GB available space
• Sound Card: Windows Compatible Audio Device

Shadow of the Erdtree Recommended Requirements

• OS: Windows 10/11
• Processor: INTEL CORE I7-8700K or AMD RYZEN 5 3600X
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1070 8 GB or AMD RADEON RX VEGA 56 8 GB
• DirectX: Version 12
• Storage: 60 GB available space
• Sound Card: Windows Compatible Audio Device

If you just recently bought a powerful computer, you’re good to go. If your computer’s hardware is several years old and want the DLC looking its best, but don’t have the money to spend on a new rig or new parts, you might want to hold off on a pre-order until you can do so.

If your computer doesn’t meet the minimum requirements, the game probably won’t run. And if it does, it won’t be pretty.

Keep these specifications in mind as you decide what to do.