Elden Ring has been a triumph in almost every conceivable way. FromSoftware’s latest action RPG has taken over the gaming community since its release, and provided hundreds of hours of gameplay for dedicated players. Yet, even after providing so much content, there is still a yearning for more of this fantastically designed world.
FromSoftware is no stranger to adding significant expansions to its games, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility. On top of that, players have already uncovered various unused assets, cut features, and clues that point toward the future of Elden Ring content. Here are just a few of the things we’d like to see from Elden Ring DLC.
A greater take on PvP multiplayer
Throughout Elden Ring, you can come across large colosseums in Limgrave, Caelid, and Leyndell. To the dismay of many, these colosseums cannot be entered through any normal means of play. So, why are they there in the first place? Looking at past FromSoftware games provides a clue. In the Artorias of the Abyss DLC for Dark Souls, players came across the legendary Knight Artorias boss fight within a colosseum. A different area of the colosseum could then be used to engage in PvP duels with other players. In Dark Souls 2, players could join the Brotherhood of Blood covenant, and this would allow them to fight in PvP arenas for rewards.
It would make perfect sense if FromSoftware has something similar in mind for the mysterious colosseums of Elden Ring. A running theory from Elden Ring players is that we may go back in time to when these arenas were being used. Considering that The Great-Jar wants players to prove their worth by taking on NPC duels outside of the Caelid colosseum, it seems even more likely.
Maybe the different colosseums could be home to different kinds of PvP battles? One might hold individual duels and others could involve team battles. They could even host player tournaments that require successive victories at each location. Alternatively, these buildings could even be used for a boss rush-style mode, where players can retry their favorite battles from the game.
Brand new areas to explore
A new location with FromSoftware’s signature level design would undoubtedly be a joy to experience. Past FromSoftware DLCs introduced new areas that were often disconnected from the main map and required players to teleport to the new locale. That could still be the case in Elden Ring, but since the studio has already developed such a well thought-out world, it would be a shame not to naturally expand upon it.
For starters, the Erdtree itself seems like a huge area that we don’t get to explore much. As far as players know, the only interior space is the site of the final confrontation. But, what if there could be more to the Erdtree? Different floors or even the roof of the tree could surely be big enough to house a new dungeon. Going back to the open world, there are many underground sections to the Lands Between, but there is also still plenty of space left on the map. Could FromSoftware open up some new tunnels that lead to further unexplored cities beneath the ground?
Last but not least, Elden Ring streamers have pointed out that the divine towers all point towards a central point on the map. This point in the ocean is concealed by clouds when looking at the map, but streamer Elajjaz used a hilarious glitch to make his way there and found a mysterious square-shaped platform just under the surface of the water. Hopefully, FromSoftware has something in mind for this unused space. That said, it could also just be a leftover asset from development, or the site used for the second phase of the boss battle with Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon.
The return of content that was cut during development
Various Elden Ring players have uncovered potentially cut content that didn’t make it to the final release. Could these features be reworked into future Elden Ring DLC? FromSoftware has cut content in past games, such as removing the Land of the Giants in Demon’s Souls. However, the team also tries to reuse these ideas later, and The Mountaintops of the Giants in Elden Ring bears interesting similarities to that lost area from Demon’s Souls.
One of the biggest examples of content cut from Elden Ring is the dream mechanic. At some point during development, players could use a cut item called St. Trina’s Crystal Ball to obtain Dream Mist from sleeping enemies. Dream Mist could then be crafted into the Dreambrew drink, which, when used, unlocks new dialogue options with specific NPCs. Sadly, these items and the presence of sleeping enemies did not make it to the final release.
Could FromSoftware rework this into a new Elden Ring DLC idea? Interacting with sleeping enemies to recruit them as allies might be one route. Alternatively, it would be fun if various dreams could provide fractured parts of a clue that leads players to a new location or hidden boss.
Elden Ring DLC could also take the form of other content that was removed from the game. The colosseums mentioned earlier are one example of this, but there was also a potentially removed ending called the Age of Absolute. At some point, it also seems like a bestiary was planned. Perhaps this idea could return with a Monster Hunter-style quest system. Players could take on quests from new NPCs to hunt for specific monsters and turn their raw materials into brand-new equipment. It would also be a great addition to cooperative multiplayer.
Prequel stories that expand on the lore
FromSoftware has never released DLC for a Soulsborne game that explored any events past the end of the story. Instead, the studio creates tangential expansions that explore the lore of events that happen during the game, or in the distant past. The Artorias of the Abyss DLC let Dark Souls players time travel back to the lost land of Oolacile. Players then figured out how Oolacile directly connects to current-day Lordran through points of interest. The DLC also presented key revelations that built upon the lore of certain characters who had long since perished in the main story.
Elden Ring, much like the games before it, takes place during a time when the land is already in a downward spiral of turmoil and decay. Many of the biggest story events have happened long before your Tarnished rises. With that in mind, it would be a fascinating trip to go back in time and explore the events before The Shattering. That might mean going to the Night of the Black Knives and seeing the murder of Godwyn. It could also take us on an adventure to the Badlands, which is seldom touched upon in Elden Ring. Seeing characters like Queen Marika or General Radahn in their prime could make for a different kind of boss battle, and it would be fascinating to see Ranni the Witch in her original form. The possibilities are endless.
The mystery of Miquella the Unalloyed needs to be addressed
Miquella the Unalloyed is never seen in full and still resides in a festering cocoon at Mohgwyn Palace. In the lore, Miquella created the Haligtree to attempt to cure the ailments of himself and his sister Malenia. As Empyreans, beings born of a single god, the twins were both afflicted with curses. In the case of Miquella, it’s the burden of eternal childhood.
Yet, before finding a cure he was abducted by Mohg, Lord of Blood. Mohg wished to help Miquella ascend to godhood while becoming his consort. That’s because Empyreans are the only beings considered worthy of doing so. It’s strange that such an important character is barely seen during the game, and this might be the most obvious red herring for Elden Ring DLC.
Miquella is frequently mentioned as an important figure by NPCs and item descriptions. Sir Gideon Ofnir remarks, “If he continues his slumber within the cocoon, all will be well but perhaps it will be safer to destroy it.” We know that Miquella is in a deep sleep, and further evidence expands on this. Some cut Elden Ring dialogue implies that Miquella is the same being as St. Trina, a character associated with sleeping status effects. If Miquella is living in his own dream, it would explain why he does not respond to Mohg, and it hints at where this plot could go next.
A future Elden Ring DLC featuring Miquella could take us inside his dream world for a climactic showdown with the Empyrean. Given that players also enter the Deathbed dream of Fia, the Deathbed Companion, it’s certainly possible that more dream worlds could exist in Elden Ring.
Elden Ring contains a massive world ripe for DLCs or further expansions. Considering FromSoftware’s history, we’ll certainly get more content soon.
