Six Months Later: How the Community Feels About the DLC
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree launched in June 2024 to massive hype. It was the first major DLC for 2022’s Game of the Year, promising new areas, bosses, and weapons. Six months later, the initial excitement has faded, and the real player sentiment is emerging. I analyzed thousands of Reddit posts, Steam reviews, and X threads to find out: does the community still love it?
The Honeymoon Phase (June-August 2024)
At launch, sentiment was overwhelmingly positive. Steam reviews were 92% positive, Reddit was flooded with “best DLC ever” posts, and X was full of clips of players beating Messmer the Impaler. The new area (the Realm of Shadow) was praised for its scale, the bosses for their difficulty, and the weapons for their balance.
But there were early complaints: “The DLC is too hard, even for Souls veterans.” “The map is confusing, no clear path.” “Some bosses feel unfair (looking at you, Promised Consort Radahn).” These were minority voices at first—but they grew louder over time.
The Turning Point (September-November 2024)
By fall 2024, the narrative shifted. Players had beaten the DLC, and the post-game sentiment started to sour. Reddit threads like “Shadow of the Erdtree is overrated” gained thousands of upvotes. Steam reviews dipped to 87% positive. What changed?
Three main complaints emerged:
1. Boss Difficulty Spikes: Promised Consort Radahn was universally hated. Players called him “the worst Souls boss ever”—too fast, too much health, too many one-shot attacks. Even experienced players struggled for 50+ hours.
2. Map Design: The Realm of Shadow was criticized as “bloated”—too many empty areas, confusing paths, and invisible walls. Players missed the interconnectedness of the base game’s map.
3. Lack of New Mechanics: The DLC added new weapons and spells, but no new core mechanics. Players wanted something fresh—like the horse combat in the base game, but for the DLC.
Current Sentiment (December 2024-May 2026)
Today, sentiment has stabilized into three camps:
The Die-Hard Fans (35%): “It’s still the best DLC ever. The difficulty is fair, the bosses are masterpieces, and the lore is deep.” These players have beaten Radahn and love the challenge.
The Disappointed (40%): “It’s good, not great. The base game was better. Radahn ruined it for me.” This is the largest group—they enjoyed the DLC but feel it didn’t live up to the hype.
The Haters (25%): “Worst Souls content ever. Radahn is a meme, the map is trash, and I regret buying it.” These players quit before finishing, frustrated by the difficulty spikes.
Sentiment by Platform
– Reddit (r/EldenRing): Most critical. Threads regularly hit 5k+ upvotes criticizing Radahn or the map.
– Steam: Mixed. Recent reviews are 78% positive (down from 92%).
– X (Twitter): Most positive. Content creators love the DLC for clips and guides.
– Discord Servers: Split. Casual players hate it, hardcore players love it.
Conclusion: Is It Worth Buying?
The internet says: yes, but with caveats. If you’re a Souls veteran who loves a challenge, it’s a must-buy. If you’re a casual player who struggled with the base game, skip it—Radahn will make you quit.
Overall sentiment: 65% positive, 35% negative. Not the masterpiece everyone hoped for, but still a solid DLC. Just don’t expect to beat it in a weekend.