Elden Ring DLC Finally Leaked In Patch Update
As 2022 winds to a close, it looks like FromSoftware's Elden Ring is clear to take the crown as Game of the Year. We put hours (sometimes hundreds) into our quest to save the Lands Between, but come on, was anyone really buying this was the end of the road?
From the early days of the Elden Ring network test, dataminers have been diving deep to go out of bounds, find giant bears, and unlock hidden colosseums. There have been plenty of winks toward a mythical Elden Ring DLC, but finally, we have some actual evidence that it's on the way.
What Is The Elden Ring DLC?
FromSoftware has just released a new Elden Ring patch for the first time since August, and within, it's turned up some tantalising teasers. The patch seemingly references two DLC packs in the form of two DLC maps. In July, there was a ransomware leak of something called Barbarians of the Badlands as a rumoured DLC, but no one was sure whether it was the real deal.
Things get a bit technical, but codes referencing m20 and m45 could refer to DLCs. Modders noted that m20 is the same code language as other Elden Ring legacy dungeons. If this wasn't enough, there's a direct references to "DLC01," with the file mtd_DLC01 being a pretty big indicator of what's to come.
The fact that these are new maps suggest we won't be breaking open the doors to the colosseum, so this still leaves that open for PvP. At least it's good news that Elden Ring hasn't tossed its DLCs to the wind - we're looking at you Pokemon: Arceus. Also, if the files are there, we hope we won't be waiting as long as we've had to for the Resident Evil Village Shadows of Rose DLC.
When Could The Elden Ring DLC Release?
Given Elden Ring's history with the Game Awards, the December showcase could be one to watch. Unfortunately, for now, there's no concrete word on when the "first" Elden Ring DLC could drop. As an added aside, there's also a mention of raytracing, which could help push the AAA title into new-gen gaming in a big way.
Two DLCs mean we're spoiled for choice. Remember, Cyberpunk 2077 players were furious that they'd only get the Phantom Liberty DLC - only to find out CD Projekt Red was working on a whole new game as an even bigger surprise. There's already talk about an Elden Ring 2, and while that's presumably a long way off (we'd like Bloodborne 2 first), at least FromSoftware isn't letting the dust gather on its Souls-like superstar.