The much-anticipated expansion for the Elden Ring, known as the Shadow of the Erdtree, appears to be further down the road than initially expected.
This information comes to light as Kadokawa, the holding company of the game’s creator, FromSoftware, shares its annual financial results, which elaborate on its future aspirations for the Soulsborne RPG game and its upcoming sequel, Armored Core 6.
The Anticipated Elden Ring Expansion
Earlier, the gaming community was speculating about the new Elden Ring expansion’s release year, which was predicted to be 2024. However, this may be subject to change as Kadokawa indicates that the launch of the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is part of their “medium to long-term direction.”
Publicly announced in February, data regarding the Elden Ring’s supplementary content remains limited. Nevertheless, we understand from the profiles of some game developers that the DLC’s development could have been underway for over a year.
Kadokawa, the media giant that owns FromSoftware, recently shared its fiscal year-end financial results, providing a glimpse of the future plans for Elden Ring.
Kadokawa forecasts a “reactionary decrease in sales” in the ensuing year, after experiencing a significant rise due to Elden Ring’s successful launch in 2022.
From Q2 of 2023 onwards, Kadokawa anticipates that the upcoming Armored Core 6 and an array of mobile games will “boost sales and profits.”
Elden Ring in Kadokawa’s Vision
The corporation discusses Elden Ring separately under its “medium to long-term direction.” Kadokawa reveals that it is currently developing DLC to enhance the Elden Ring franchise, aiming to maximize profits by extending the lifespan of the intellectual property.
Interestingly, the parent company also mentions that FromSoftware plans to augment its development capabilities by increasing its workforce. This indicates that the developer is planning to hire more employees to manage future projects.
While it might be disheartening for fans to learn that the Elden Ring DLC may still be some distance off, there is a silver lining. FromSoftware appears to be dedicating a substantial amount of time and attention to the development of Shadow of the Erdtree.
This suggests that, although delayed, the DLC is likely to provide a significant and valuable enhancement to the Elden Ring gaming experience. Thus, we continue to keep our hopes high.
