Elden Ring was an absolutely massive game with playthroughs that could take more than 80 hours. So, how long is Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC?
Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC has finally arrived and early reviews have proven beyond any doubt that this is a must-play expansion. As with the base game, Elden Ring’s DLC has a plethora of content to discover from the eight new weapon types to a new suite of Crystal Tears.
All of this goes towards optimizing your build so you can follow in the footsteps of Miquella without being pummeled by the difficult new enemies and bosses. Of course, with all of this new content, it begs a particular question.
Just how long is Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Ertree DLC? Well, following our own review, we have an answer, as well as some estimates for a more thorough playthrough.
Hidetaka Miyazaki himself said that Shadow of the Erdtree takes place in an area “comparable, if not larger, than the area of Limgrave from the base game”. We know now that was a big fat lie and he has greatly undersold the scope of this DLC in that IGN interview.
The Land of Shadow is separate from the wider Lands Between and has its own distinct map. Not only is the area in which the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC takes place far bigger than Limgrave, it’s also far more densely packed.
It’s as if someone has stacked multiple instances of Limgrave on top of one another. This translates to a pretty hefty playtime, even if you’re just rushing the main story and not paying attention to everything else on offer.
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How long is Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree’s main story?
If you are efficient and a skilled enough player, beelining through Shadow of the Erdtree’s core plot should take somewhere between 15-20 hours. This will depend on a number of variables including your build, how much you struggle with particular bosses, and what minor detours you take.
Even hunting down the Scadutree Fragments from Miquella’s Crosses to increase your own effectiveness can be a time-consuming task. And that’s only one of the many things that could sidetrack even the most focused players.
How long is a completionist playthrough of Shadow of the Erdtree?
If you were to go out of your way to approach every new NPC in Shadow of the Erdtree, follow their questlines, and slay the optional bosses along the way, your playthrough could last anywhere between 40 to 60 hours. Tracking down every new set of armor, and item could take you closer to the base game’s 80-hour length.
There is an absolute mountain of content in Shadow of the Erdtree and it gives the same sense of wonder and discovery as Elden Ring did initially in 2022. Even we haven’t discovered everything it has to offer and our dedicated reviewers have been playing non-stop for weeks.
Hopefully, this gives you some idea of what to expect when you set out on your adventure in the Land of Shadows. Perhaps it’s not a definitive answer to exactly how long Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is but our estimates are similar to many who have taken the journey.
If you’re looking to cut your time down in Shadow of the Erdtree for whatever reason, we might be able to help overcome some early hurdles. Check out our guides on how to beat Divine Beast, Dancing Lion, and Rellana, Twin Moon Knight.
