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How to start Shadow Of The Erdtree, the new Elden Ring DLC

Here's how to access Shadow Of The Erdtree

A maggot-faced, cloaked individual crosses his arms as Elden Ring Shadow Of The Erdtree's Lands Of Shadow stretch behind him.
Image credit: Bandai Namco
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Guide by Ollie Toms Guides Editor
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Want to know how to start the Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC in Elden Ring? Elden Ring is already a gigantic open-world masterpiece, but FromSoftware have expanded it ever-further with their new DLC, Shadow Of The Erdtree. Featuring a brand new map that's smaller but far more densely packed than the original, the DLC is packed with new bosses, weapon types, and more. There's little wonder Elden Ring players are so excited.

But how do you actually access the new map and begin the Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC? As you might have expected, it will take a fair bit of playing through the base game before you can reach the Land Of Shadow. Follow this guide to learn exactly how to start the Elden Ring DLC, along with a roundup of useful guides to get you started in Shadow Of The Erdtree.

Cover image for YouTube videoELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree | Official Gameplay Reveal Trailer
Take a look at the trailer for Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree here, and then check out our Shadow Of The Erdtree trailer breakdown guide for all the hidden details!Watch on YouTube

How to start Elden Ring Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC

To start the Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC, you must first defeat Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord Of Blood. Once you've defeated these two bosses, go to the throne at Mohgwyn's Palace and you'll see a new character standing next to the cocoon. Speak to her, and she'll introduce herself as Needle Knight Leda, a follower of Miquella. She instructs you to interact with the withered arm in the cocoon to begin the DLC.

Touching the withered arm will transport you to the Land Of Shadow, the new map in which the Elden Ring DLC is set. You can move in and out of the Land Of Shadow at will afterwards, but in order to unlock the new DLC map you need to reach and interact with the arm in the cocoon.

To reiterate, here are the steps you must complete to start Shadow Of The Erdtree:

  1. Defeat Starscourge Radahn.
  2. Defeat Mohg, Lord Of Blood.
  3. Touch the withered arm in the Cocoon in Mohgwyn Palace.
If you're looking for the absolute quickest path to starting the DLC, check out our walkthrough on the fastest way to start Shadow Of The Erdtree, which takes you from your first steps in Limgrave to the Withered Arm in Mohgwyn Palace in record time!

1. Defeat Starscourge Radahn

A screenshot from a cinematic trailer for Elden Ring, depicting General Radahn standing in a battlefield brandishing his dual greatswords.
Image credit: Bandai Namco

Starscourge Radahn is the major boss of Caelid, the Rot-infested region to the east of Limgrave. To defeat him, you must wait until the Radahn Festival is active, then travel to Redmane Castle in the southeast corner of Caelid and activate the portal on the beach.

There are three ways to start the Radahn Festival:

  • Reach any Altus Plateau Site Of Grace, OR
  • Progress Ranni's quest until you mention Radahn to Blaidd in Siofra River, OR
  • Progress Ranni's quest until you mention Witch-Hunter Jerren to Iji.

Caelid is a tricky region and we'd recommend you complete Limgrave and Liurnia (and possibly the Altus Plateau) first. For full details, check out our Elden Ring area order guide.

2. Defeat Mohg, Lord Of Blood

Mohg Lord of Blood stares down at the player in Elden Ring.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

The other boss you must defeat to activate the DLC is Mohg, Lord Of Blood. He can be found inside Mohgwyn Palace, an underground region which can only be accessed in two ways:

  • Use the teleporter in the west of the Consecrated Snowfield, OR
  • Use the Pureblood Knight's Medal given at the end of White Mask Varré's quest.

The second method allows you to get to Mohgwyn Palace far quicker. However, Mohgwyn Palace is a very tough endgame area, so if you use the Pureblood Knight's Medal to get there quickly, you may find yourself underlevelled and unprepared to take on Mohg himself.

If you need some help dealing with Mohg, check out our Elden Ring Mohg, Lord Of Blood boss fight guide.

3. Touch the withered arm in Mohgwyn Palace

A close-up of a withered hand hanging from the cocoon in Mohg's arena in the Shadow Of The Erdtree trailer.
Touch the withered arm and you'll be transported to the Land Of Shadow, the DLC map. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Once you've defeated Mohg in his throne room, you simply need to interact with the withered arm poking out of the bloody cocoon on Mohg's throne. This arm belongs to the demigod Miquella, brother of the infamous boss Malenia, Hand Of Miquella.

Miquella is a very mysterious figure who is absolutely central to the lore and story of the Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC, so it makes sense that he is your gateway into the Land Of Shadow.

If you don't have the ability to interact with the withered arm, then simply fast travel to the nearby Site Of Grace again to reload the area, and you should find a character standing next to the arm. Speak to her, and she'll introduce herself as Needle Knight Leda, one of the key NPC characters of the DLC. She'll instruct you to touch the withered arm to transport yourself to the Land Of Shadow.

How to prepare for the Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC

If you are capable of defeating Mohg, Lord Of Blood, then you likely are already at the right level of power for beginning your journey into the Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC. The entire map should be a similar level of difficulty to late-game areas in the base game such as Miquella's Haligtree and Crumbling Farum Azula.

If you want a better idea of what to expect, then have a read of our guide on the recommended level for Shadow Of The Erdtree.

If you're looking for more in-depth guides that are specific to the Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC, we've got a lot of those too. Take a look at these guides to prepare yourself for the DLC:

Bosses:

Locations:

Weapons:

Key Items:

Quests:

Other Guides:

That's all you need to know in order to get started with Elden Ring's gigantic Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC. To prepare yourself for the coming fights, why not check out our guides on the best Elden Ring builds, best Elden Ring weapons, and best Elden Ring armor sets on offer?

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