There’s an Elden Ring trailer going around purporting to be a leaked cinematic for FromSoftware’s highly anticipated expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree. Alongside the short video clip are details pertaining to the DLC’s contents, including how big it’ll be, the number of new weapons and quests that’ll be added, and the additional enemies you’ll battle when Shadow of the Erdtree drops. Unfortunately, this leak is totally fake. Don’t believe what you see online.
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Announced in February after FromSoft stans wouldn’t stop clamoring for more death in The Lands Between, Shadow of the Erdtree is the upcoming expansion to the Japanese studio’s mega-popular open-world RPG. Details like a release date are scarce right now, though that hasn’t stopped folks from grasping at straws over what the official artwork could reveal about the implications of Elden Ring’s convoluted story. There’s a theory that the DLC could focus on Miquella, the brother of scarlet rot queen Malenia, but that’s just a theory at the moment. And since FromSoft hasn’t said a damn thing about Shadow of the Erdtree following its February announcement, fans the internet over are champing at the bit for a morsel, a little nugget of information to satiate their undying hunger. Sadly, those folks have been duped by a recent “leak” that’s been making the rounds online.
The DLC’s details sounded too good to be true
The video in question originated on Imgur, which contained a ton of information about what the upcoming expansion will supposedly feature, stuff like “16 new NPC quests,” “six new weapon types,” “four new legacy dungeons,” and “98 new unique enemy types.” Additionally, Shadow of the Erdtree will reportedly be “as big as the main game map.” Oh, and according to the Imgur post, the only way to access it is through the late-game area Ordina Liturgical Town. All of this appeared sus for an expansion that sounds bigger and more ambitious than the main game, which inspired notable Souls community members and fans of FromSoft games to do some sleuthing. And yep, it’s as fake as counterfeit Supreme merch.
In a since-deleted Reddit post, a user shared the alleged Shadow of the Erdtree trailer, wondering if it was a “possible leak.” You won’t see the contents of that post for one simple reason: It was debunked by a bunch of commenters saying it’s just a fan-made trailer posted by a creator on Artstation, a digital portfolio for creators to share their work online similar to DeviantArt. One redditor said the expansion’s size was “hard to believe.” Another user mentioned that all of the details made it sound like “Elden Ring 2,” not DLC. Most folks in the comments joked about the trailer, saying the information seemed more like “someone’s wishlist” rather than an actual leak. In the end, everyone called bullshit on what they read and saw, which turned out to be accurate. The leaked trailer was just from someone’s Artstation portfolio.
The ‘trailer’ was reportedly made in Unreal Engine 5
Artist Cayde7 posted their fan-made trailer last month on Artstation, noting that it was a “recreation of Elden Ring in Unreal Engine 5.” Cayde7, who appears to be a Chinese-based artist, clarified that the video was part of a project. Alongside UE5, which looks to be incredibly powerful in recent tech demos, Cayde7 used Blender and the 3D vegetation modeling software SpeedTree to extrapolate the official artwork into a 50-second-long video. It looked legit, with the names for publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment and FromSoft emblazoned at the start, some moving fog revealing what appears to be Miquella on the etheral horse Torrent, and the words “Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree” capping the thing off. But that’s it. No gameplay, no release date, no nothing. Folks took this video at face value and ran with it, leading to some unfortunate misinformation.
Kotaku reached out to Cayde7 for comment.
That’s the real bummer here. I understand the anticipation for new content to what was 2022's most prominent game. But taking some unverified “leak” as a possible reveal just ain’t it, especially when the Imgur post alleged that a “world premier trailer” is planned for June 8 during Summer Game Fest. Geoff Keighley is known as the man of world premiers, but something tells me it’s unlikely that his replacement E3 would house such a reveal so soon. I mean, the PvP Colosseum update came out only a few months ago. I’m not sure FromSoft would be ready to pull back the curtain on Shadow of the Erdtree just yet.
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Does that mean Shadow of the Erdtree won’t appear at Summer Game Fest? Can’t say. The event does often come stacked with surprises. As they say, never say never. However, what you’re seeing right now? Yeah, sorry, it’s all fake.