With Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree set to expand an already massive game, should you start a new character, or use one of your existing builds?
As with most Souls games, Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC isn’t playable right out of the gate, you’ll need to have met certain conditions before you can venture into the Shadow Lands. The DLC is designed for those who’ve reached the endgame in Elden Ring’s base game, so be aware, that you’ll not be able to start a new character and just jump straight in.
Before you can access the Elden Ring DLC, you’ll need to have beaten Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood. Mohg himself is an endgame boss in Elden Ring and takes many hours to reach. It’s also worth having completed the Haligtree. While this isn’t mandatory, it’s advised, because not only is Miquella’s lore heavily connected to the Haligtree, the location serves as a good litmus test for your character’s strength.
Should I start a new character?
We would advise against it. This is because if you start a new character in Elden Ring, you’ll need to play through many hours of the game again to reach the point you need to be at to access the Shadow of the Erdtree content.
If you have a character who’s already beaten Radahn and Mohg, you’ll be able to just warp back to Mohg’s boss arena, approach Miquella’s egg, and start your new adventure. Even if you’ve beaten the game and seen one of the endings, this content will still be available to you – provided you’ve not moved on to the next New Game + cycle.
Of course, if you want to start again then go for it. Just be aware that you’ll have a whole lot of adventuring to do before you can get to the new Shadow of the Erdtree content.
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Should I progress to NG+ before starting the DLC?
We’d also advise against jumping into your next New Game+ cycle before starting the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.
As with starting a new character, when you enter your next NG+ journey, you’ll be back at the start and will need to play through the story and clear Radahn, Mohg, and ideally the Haligtree before you can jump into the expansion. While you’ll likely already have all the gear and items you’ll need, it’ll still take many hours to get back to the required DLC entry point. It’s also worth pointing out that every NG+ cycle makes the game harder and the Shadow of the Erdtree content is already going to be the hardest content by far. Therefore, don’t make it even more difficult by entering the next NG+ journey. If you already have an endgame character, consider beating the DLC with them first before moving on to your next playthrough.
If you already have a character who’s been through multiple NG+ cycles and is able to enter the DLC without starting again. In that case, this is likely preferable to starting a new character, as your existing one will likely be tough enough to explore the Shadow Lands, regardless of the bump in difficulty brought by being beyond NG+.
Essentially, don’t be afraid to jump into the DLC with a high-level character who’s already beaten the game multiple times. Only start again if you have to, or want to.
For help on many of the powerful endgame bosses in Elden Ring, check out our guides on how to beat, Mohg, Radahn, Malenia, and the final story boss of Radagon and the Elden Beast.