I don’t think there’s been an expansion I’ve been more excited about than Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree. I’ll hopefully get answers to some questions I’ve had since the start of the base game, and the prospect of sinking more hours into the soulslike titan fills me with glee. Normally I’d want to go in with as little information as possible – and that’s still mostly the case. There’s one thing I’m glad I found out about, however, and you’ll be glad you found out about it, too.
In the original Elden Ring there are a couple of moments where you can have a real impact on the game itself. Killing Radahn is one of them, with a giant crater smashing open, allowing you access to the underside of the Lands Between. The other becomes apparent when you return from Crumbling Farum Azula and witness the ruins of Leyndell. Both of these change the open-world game map somewhat, but their effects are limited other than opening up areas or allowing you to get to the last bosses.
In Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, something similar happens, but it has the chance to completely disrupt your adventure with far-reaching consequences.
Spoilers for Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree from this point on.
As you play through Shadow of the Erdtree you’ll encounter many NPCs who worship and follow Miquella. Some will have quests for you that take time, exploration, and travel to resolve, and while you’re working on them you might also find yourself progressing the main story.
What the game doesn’t tell you is that there’s a point of no return in the main quest, after which all NPCs who follow Miquella will be removed from the game. If you proceed past this point they will disappear, meaning all quests related to them cannot be completed – at least until you enter new game plus.
This point happens fairly late on in the main quest. After defeating Messmer the Impaler and taking his kindling you’ll be looking for a tree to set fire to in fine Elden Ring tradition. The next boss is Romina, Saint of the Bud who guards the Sealing Tree. Set fire to the Sealing Tree and all Miquella-aligned NPCs in the DLC will be removed from the game, only returning as hostile enemies later on in the story.
This means that if you want to do everything and see as much as possible, you’ll have to do so before defeating Romina, Saint of the Bud and using the Sealing Tree she watches over. You’ll still be able to explore the DLC, defeat bosses, and delve into dungeons, but any quests you were hoping to complete will be gone until the next time around.
So tread carefully when you head to the Land of Shadow as while adventure awaits, you might find your exploits brutally cut short if you don’t pay attention to your quests.
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is out now on PC, and you can head over to Steam to grab it for yourself. Why not also take a look at what we thought in our full Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree review.
If you’re setting out fresh into new lands, why not check out our guide to how to start Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, get the most out of your time with our guide to the best Elden Ring builds, and learn what you need to know about all Elden Ring bosses.
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