10 Things to Do Before Shadow of the Erdtree Arrives

If you’ve pre-ordered Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, or if you’re considering it, there are some things you should do before the expansion’s release.

Shadow of the Erdtree arrives on June 21st. This is the street date for Xbox, PlayStation, and Windows platforms

There are some steps buyers should take. From clearing out storage or buying an external hard drive to the pre-load to tracking new information about the DLC, we want to help prepare for the highly anticipated release.

Play Elden Ring

If you want to play Shadow of the Erdtree, you need to have the base version of Elden Ring. This is a requirement and there’s no getting around it. Shadow of the Erdtree is not a standalone game.

Now would be a great time to hop into the Lands Between for the first time. Elden Ring, while difficult and time consuming, is a fantastic open-world RPG. If you’re looking for a new game, give it a look.

For those who already own Elden Ring, now might be a good time to fire it up to get reacquainted with the storyline, world, combat, and more. Some of you might want to start another play through.

And if you didn’t enjoy it the first time around, a second chance might be warranted. Especially if you liked what you saw from the Shadow of the Erdtree trailer.

Defeat Mohg and Radahn

In true FromSoftware fashion, the developer isn’t making it easy for players to access Shadow of the Erdtree’s content. The DLC is locked behind two optional bosses.

One is Mohg, Lord of Blood, who is located in the far reaches of the game’s map.

Players fight him in Mohgwyn Palace which is located beneath Caelid. It’s only accessible from a gateway teleporter in the Consecrated Snowfield or by using the Pureblood Knight’s Medal given to the player at the end of White Mask Varré’s questline.

Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki says players must also have beaten Starscourge Radahn to access the DLC. He’s also an optional boss, located in Redmane Castle in Caelid.

Decide If You Want to Pre-Order

There are some great reasons to put in a pre-order, but some people might want to hang back and wait.

We’ve released a guide that will take you through the best reasons to, and not to, pre-order a copy of Shadow of the Erdtree right now. It’s worth a look if you’re on the fence.

Read our guide and any others you find and decide if the expansion is worth pre-ordering.

Pick the Right Edition

Retailers are selling several different versions of Shadow of the Erdtree. And while most people will probably want to go with a standard copy, the other editions do have appeal.

For those that already own Elden Ring, you can choose between the standard version ($39.99) which simply includes the expansion, the Premium Bundle ($49.99) which includes the expansion and the Shadow of the Erdtree Artbook & Soundtrack, or the Collector’s Edition.

The Collector’s Edition is the most expensive bundle ($249.99) and it 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

If you don’t own the base game yet, there are bundles that include the base game and Shadow of the Erdtree. There’s the Shadow of the Erdtree Edition and the Shadow of the Erdtree Deluxe Edition.

Make sure you choose based on your interest level and budget.

Buy a Hard Drive

Shadow of the Erdtree is a huge expansion which means it will require a big download.

If you have a huge internal and/or external hard drive, you should be good to go. However, if you’re using an older console with a limited amount of space, you might want to invest in an external hard drive.

Samsung’s T7 Portable SSD is one of our favorites and the WD_BLACK 1TB is worth a look as well.

Keep Tabs on Your Order

If you decide to buy the Collector’s Edition, make sure you keep an eye on your order as we push toward the game’s release in June. This will help you avoid headaches.

Make sure your delivery information is up-to-date. If you recently moved, you may have forgotten to change your address. You’ll also want to make sure your payment information is correct.

Upgrade Your Console

If you’re playing on the original Xbox One or a PlayStation 4, and you own a 4K television, you might want to look into buying an Xbox One X, PS4 Pro, PS5, Xbox Series X, or Xbox Series S.

If you want the best possible Elden Ring/Shadow of the Erdtree experience, you’ll want the best possible machine.

When Digital Foundry tested the base version of the game back in 2022, it found that the version for the Xbox One was the worst version of the game to play.

The Xbox Series X and PS5 are easy to find now and you may even find a deal that suits your budget.

Make Sure Your PC Can Run It

Before you buy Elden Ring/Shadow of the Erdtree for Windows PC, make sure your computer can run it.

Shadow of the Erdtree’s minimum and recommended specifications are live. The developer doesn’t say how well the game will run on these settings, but you can assume you’ll need to run it on low settings if your PC’s specs are similar to the minimum requirements.

If your PC doesn’t meet the minimum requirements, you’ll want to wait until you’ve made some upgrades to your setup.

Shadow of the Erdtree Pre-Load

If you pre-order Shadow of the Erdtree you will be able to pre-load the expansion ahead of its release date. Pre-loading lets you play the second it unlocks at 12AM Eastern.

Dig Into Previews/Reviews

If you don’t care about spoilers, you may want to dig into previews and reviews of Shadow of the Erdtree.

Critics have gone hands-on with the DLC and they’ve outlined everything from new skills to bosses to the expansion’s setting.

If you’re truly on the fence about buying it, read these before you do so. Spoiler: The DLC has received rave reviews.