Over the last decade or so, FromSoftware has grown a reputation for creating some of the most challenging games ever made. TheDark Soulstrilogy,Bloodborne, andSekiroall contain some of the toughest boss fights in gaming history, rewarding skill and punishing greed and clumsiness. Though FromSoft’s latest game,Elden Ring, changes up the usual formula in some pretty big ways, it still retains the same high level of challenge the gaming public has come to expect, and its recently announced DLC could take that challenge to new heights.
Confirmed in a simple Twitter post,Elden Ring’s long-rumored DLC is officially in development. TitledShadow of the Erdtree, fans are unsure of just what this DLC will be about, but long-time FromSoftware fans know that whatever content is inside will push them to their limits. In every Soulsborne game that’s released so far, its DLC expansions have contained some of the hardest boss fights ever made, andShadow of the Erdtreemight just follow suit.
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Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC May Have Some of Its Most Challenging Bosses
Every Soulsborne game, except forSekiro, has had at least one big DLC expansion. These expansions usually bring with them a whole new area to explore, along with a slew of new weapons, enemies, and armor sets. But by far the biggest highlight of these expansions has always been their selection of new bosses. The firstDark Soulscame out of the gate swinging with itsArtorias of the AbyssDLC, delivering one of the best dragon fights in the series with Kalameet, and containing what many fans still believe to bethe best boss fight inSoulshistory with Artoriashimself. All the boss fights in the first DLC share one thing in common: they’re extremely hard.
Assuming that the players have probably reached a high level and have some of the best gear in the game,Dark Souls’Artorias of the AbyssDLC doesn’t pull any punches, with Kalameet, Artorias, and Manus being some of the toughest bosses in the entire game, with varied, fast, and brutal movesets that grant the player no forgiveness. Despite series creator Miyazaki not directing the game, this trend only continued withDark Souls 2’s DLC. TheCrown of the IvoryKingcontains a tough fight with the titular fallen hero, while theCrown of the Old Iron Kingputs players up against the Fume Knight, still widely considered to be one of the hardest bosses in the entire series.
Dark Souls 3turned this trend up to 11, with bothAshes of AriandelandThe Ringed Citycontaining some of the most difficult boss fights in all of gaming.Ashes of Ariandel’s final fight with Sister Friede is a masterclass in duo boss fight design, surpassing the phenomenalSmough and Ornstein fight in the original gamefor many fans.The Ringed City’s Demon Prince battle has a similar design, keeping players on their toes with multiple enemies at once, each with their own unique moveset. Darkeater Midir is a grueling dragon fight, and Slave Knight Gael is still many fans' favorite boss fight in the entire FromSoftware library, albeit an extremely brutal one.Bloodbornealso has its fair share of tough DLC bosses, with Ludwig and the Orphan of Kos being indescribably difficult match-ups.
IfElden Ring’sShadow of the ErdtreeDLC follows in the rest of FromSoftware’s footsteps, then fans could be in for some extremely punishing boss fights - and that’s saying quite a lot considering just how toughElden Ring’s base game boss fights are. If fan theories are to be believed, then it seems like this DLC might take players on a nightmarish journey into Mohg’s dreams, where they could evenface off against Miquella, the brother ofElden Ring’s most infamous boss Malenia.
Elden Ringis available now for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.Shadow of the Erdtreeis currently in development.
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