It has been discovered that the development of Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC may have been going on for a longer period than previously thought. This could suggest that the upcoming expansion may be more extensive and grandiose than what fans were initially anticipated.

Elden Ring, an open-world action RPG game developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco, was released in February 2022. The game received universal acclaim for its gameplay mechanics reminiscent of the Dark Souls series. FromSoftware recently announced the release of the first major expansion for Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree, which fans eagerly anticipate for more unique boss and Elden Ring Runes.

However, a recent discovery suggests that the development of this expansion may have been underway for a longer duration than initially assumed, possibly indicating a larger and more ambitious expansion than anticipated. Despite the lack of a release date, fans remain excited about the upcoming release.

Recent findings suggest that fans of Elden Ring may have something more to look forward to. According to the LinkedIn profile of senior FromSoftware developer Kenneth Chan, the upcoming DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, may have been in development for almost a year before its initial announcement in February.

Chan, the Lead Game Designer for the expansion, has been in this position since April 2022, almost 13 months before the announcement. This information was previously undisclosed as the project was labeled as an "unannounced project" on his profile. These details could indicate that the DLC is expected to be larger and more ambitious than what fans originally anticipated.

There are no set rules regarding the length of time required for a DLC to undergo development. The duration of the development process could vary depending on the scale and scope of the expansion's content. For example, a smaller-scale update might take a few months, while more extensive expansions could take development cycles comparable to standalone games.

It is notable that Elden Ring underwent development for roughly five years, starting from late 2016 and continuing until around December 2022.

Although the duration of DLC development varies, the length of the development period for Elden Ring's upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree expansion is noteworthy.

Also Read: Elden Ring: 3 Enemies That Shouldn't Appear In Shadow Of The Erdtree

While this development time does not suggest that the expansion will have exactly one-fifth of the content of the base game, it does raise the possibility that the expansion may be more substantial than typical DLC. It is thus possible that Shadow of the Erdtree could be closer to a standalone game rather than a typical expansion.

Will Elden Ring Have Multiple DLCs?

It's unclear if Elden Ring will receive more than one DLC, but based on historical data, FromSoftware's previous major titles have all received at least one DLC except for Demon's Souls Remake. The DLCs for Dark Souls, Dark Souls 2, Dark Souls 3, Bloodborne, and Sekiro varied between one to two per title. So it's likely that Elden Ring will get at least one significant expansion-sized DLC, and potentially a few smaller ones as well. Once more information becomes available, we will update the article accordingly.

Barbarians Of The Badlands Leaked?

There are rumors and leaks about the first Elden Ring DLC being called Barbarians of the Badlands. It's expected to be a full-scale expansion set outside the Lands Between, where Tarnished were exiled after Godfrey lost his grace. However, this information is unconfirmed, so it should be taken with a grain of salt.

There is no official confirmation about what the Elden Ring DLC or expansion content might entail. Some speculate that it could be about the fearsome Empyrean, Miquella, while others believe it might focus on PVP in the Colosseum of the Caelid area. However, none of these have been confirmed, and until then, they are just guesses that should not be taken as fact.

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