Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree will take us to the Land of Shadow, but what is it? Previous FromSoftware Souls series DLCs have taken us to all sorts of places, including those that only exist in paintings. As such, we must wonder how the Land of Shadow relates to the Lands Between and whether or not it’s an actual location or somewhere metaphysical.
What is the Land of Shadow in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
FromSoftware didn’t drop much info on the Land of Shadow and its relation to the Lands Between. However, we do have a few details that help paint a picture of how this new location fits into the Elden Ring lore.
The Land of Shadow is said to be “obscured by the Erdtree.” We could take that to mean that it’s somehow been sealed away by the Golden Order or that it’s some sort of dark(er) version of the Lands Between. This is supported by Director Hidetaka Miyasaki’s comments in an IGN interview that it’s a separate map that occupies the same space as the Lands Between but that something story-related caused it to become physically disconnected from it.
I’m also going to hypothesize that Miyasaki is being tongue-in-cheek with this description. On the map of the Lands Between, there is a large cloud in the center of the map south of the Erdtree. I believe this might be the original location of the Land of Shadow. Miyasaki also describes the Land of Shadow as being “comparable, if not larger, than the area of Limgrave from the base game,” which would fit there nicely.
However, we also know that the Land of Shadow is intricately connected to Miquella. In the same interview, Miyasaki states that we’ll enter the DLC by interacting with Miquella’s egg in Mohg’s throne room. So, there’s probably a metaphysical angle to the Land of Shadow as well.
Fortunately, we don’t have too long before we can learn more about this fascinating new location. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree launches on June 21, 2024.
