GamesOpen WorldElden RingLouder than ever, Steam records suggest Elden Ring DLC is entering the final stretch as FromSoftware moves onto QA and debuggingWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesOpen WorldElden RingLouder than ever, Steam records suggest Elden Ring DLC is entering the final stretch as FromSoftware moves onto QA and debuggingWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: FromSoftware)
A batch of new backend updates spotted on theSteam databasehasElden Ringplayers riled up about the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, and more so than withprevious updates like this,I think they’re actually onto something. There is legitimate evidence to suggestFromSoftwareis entering the final stretch of a significant Elden Ring update, understandably believed to be the long-awaited DLC.
So, what happened this time? Well, in the past 12 hours or so, an entry with the “[DLC]” tag was added to multiple categories in Elden Ring’s SteamDB history. A depot, per Steam’sdocumentation, is a group of files delivered to users as one item. Adding a depot like this doesn’t instantly release it on Steam; as I understand it, it just sorts it into a specific category for developers to view and work with. Rather, as developers work on stuff, it gets sorted like this for Steam.
In addition to miscellaneous categories with unclear designations like “pd-9” and “pd-7,” an Elden Ring entry tagged “[DLC]” has recently appeared in the following Steam categories: “qa-release,” “qa-debug,” “dev-release,” “dev-debug,” and “development.” DLC has appeared in “development” recently, but based on my search of the game’s entire SteamDB update history, this appears to be the first mention of DLC in debug and QA, which are the most compelling categories here, since May 2023.
That May update was so inordinately large, and touched such a wide range of depots, that I’m currently assuming it was some sort of big-picture maintenance or housekeeping. However, it is worth noting that DLC was mentioned in all of the same groups that are being talked about now, not to mention other categories like “tech-review” and “play-test-3.”
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)
Does this mean FromSoftware has progressed to the quality assurance and debug stages of DLC development – steps which would normally come toward the end of development and precede an imminent release? Quite possibly, yes. I’m not ready to bet a kidney on it, but several factors suggest the latest update is more than just another excuse for Tarnished to go Hollow once again.
Never having made a game, let alone released one on Steam, I tried to answer a few questions as best as I could. First of all, is this actually the kind of DLC fans are thinking of? Is DLC listed like this in SteamDB? Sometimes, yes.
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Elden Ring, of course, doesn’t have any other DLC, so it would make sense that it also doesn’t have a dedicated list for it. So it is possible for DLC to appear in a changelist like this. Does this sort of backend activity indicate an impending release? Again, it can, but I want to be very reserved with that hope.
(Image credit: FromSoftware)
For comparison, I looked at the update history of a few other Steam games with recent DLC – an imperfect comparison, I hasten to add, because developers can operate very differently on Steam, especially when it comes to scheduling and time tables. But there are still useful parallels to be drawn in the way DLC is moved around on Steam, and these support the theory that FromSoftware is putting on the finishing touches for a big content drop.
Games like Naraka Bladepoint and Moonstone Island, which have dedicated “ListOfDLC” entries collecting a variety of content, look a little different in SteamDB. (Elden Ring also technically has a “ListOfDLC,” but it hasn’t been touched since its release.) As it happens, Moonstone Island developer Studio Supersoft has beenteasingyet another DLC for a while, and on January 2 it changed two DLC items in the game’s “beta” category.
This made me wonder if there’s a chance this Elden Ring DLC mention could be something other than Shadow of the Erdtree, and while it certainly might be, it seems unlikely. The biggest Elden Ring update so far, in terms of new content rather than balance changes,is probably the PvP arena released on December 7, 2022. In the weeks leading up to this December patch, there was a similar pattern of SteamDB updates to those dev and QA categories. However, none of this stuff was tagged as DLC, even though the arena is technically downloadable content.
All of this leads me to speculate that this new and repeatedly mentioned DLC file is either Shadow of the Erdtree, the start of new nomenclature from FromSoftware, or a normal update that’s still far bigger than the PvP arena. That being said, as we approach the two-year anniversary of Elden Ring’s February 25 release date, I do think there is more ground for DLC excitement than ever before.
The excruciating wait for Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is a blessing and a curse for the action RPG.
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
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2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3
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4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”