Imagine my surprise when the Dark Souls 2 patch today didn’t just update the calibrations, but also unlocked the Crown of the Ivory King DLC. I’m fairly sure this was supposed to launch tomorrow (after the delay,) but instead it’s playable on PC right now. Hooray.
If Steam has downloaded the update for you (you can probably do properties -> local files -> verify game cache to prompt it if necessary, or try restarting Steam,) you should find a Frozen Flower item in your inventory upon loading up Dark Souls 2. Assuming you own the DLC, obviously.
Update: It seems like the individual DLC is not yet available for purchase, but if you own the Season Pass it is fully playable.
As that description suggests, the entrance to Crown of the Ivory King is through the Shrine of Winter. That’s good news for any arachnophobes who may have been worried about going through Brightstone Cove again. The quickest way to the Shrine is probably to warp to the four-way Shaded Woods bonfire and take the left-hand path after walking up the stairs.
After examining the Shrine of Winter, you’ll show up here. All set for some lovely snow-bound adventures. And, probably, death.
