• A hidden DLC has been added to the Steam database of Elden Ring.
• Alongside an earlier update to the official Elden Ring playlist on YouTube, this may be a sign that more information about the anticipated DLC is imminent.
• There is still no official word about the upcoming DLC.

I doubt you could even imagine it. Almost a full year since the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC was announced by developers FromSoftware, and despite comments from the devs themselves that the expansion for 2022’s Game of the Year will not be arriving anytime soon, fans are gnashing their teeth for any tiny morsel of information they can scrounge up.

The latest bit of information – coming after a long drought – was discovered by X user @Ziostorm, who found that Elden Ring was quietly updated with a new piece of DLC, the first time since the release of the base game.

Named simply “SteamDB Unknown App 2778580”, the hidden piece of content is not a big patch or update but rather an additional file in the same vein as the DLC bonus content you get when you pre-order the game, such as the bonus ring gesture and the digital artbook and the soundtrack.

According to the Elden Ring Steam database page, this piece of content is readily being worked on, as the last update to it was four hours ago as of time of writing. It has also been purposefully hidden to the public, and attempts to install it produce a “no license” error.

Another interesting coincidence picked up by Ziostorm is that the official EU Elden Ring YouTube page was updated with an unlisted video on 4th of January.

Here’s what we think: Bandai Namco is getting ready to drop the Shadow of the Erdtree gameplay trailer, which will coincide with the release of the Steam Store page for the expansion pack, which is what the hidden DLC now on the Steam database is. The trailer will likely contain the launch date of the DLC, if this is the case.

However, all of this is an assumption based on what evidence there is. Neither Bandai nor FromSoftware has indicated any new details about Shadow of the Erdtree. Some estimates put the launch date sometime in 2025, but we could see something in the October, November period this year. Both the first piece of Dark Souls 3 DLC and the Bloodborne DLC were launched in that period.

We could also see Shadow of the Erdtree in March, which is when the last paid DLC that FromSoftware put out – Dark Souls III: The Ringed City – was launched.

Shadow of the Erdtree will continue the story of Elden Ring in some way. Some fans have speculated that it could be a time-travelling adventure as the main piece of art shows the demigod Miquella alive and well, riding on the Tarnished’s trusty steed Torrent. In the distance is what looks like a desiccated Erdtree.

This could be the Erdtree that the Tarnished burns in the events of the main game, or an older Erdtree – we know from the lore that the Lands Between has had more than one Erdtree in the past. In the events of the main game, the player discovers that Miquella has been kidnapped by Mohg, Lord of Blood and turned into a disturbing egg-like being (peak FromSoft).

What does all our rambling here tell you? The hype train is officially back on the rails and rumbling along.

[Image – Steam]