How To Access Shadow of the Erdtree: What You Need to Know Before Entering the DLC

Elden Ring's expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, is one of the most anticipated DLC releases in recent memory — but it's also one of the most gated. Unlike some expansions that let you jump in from a fresh save, this one demands meaningful progress through the base game first. Understanding exactly what's required — and why — saves you a lot of frustration.

What Is Shadow of the Erdtree?

Shadow of the Erdtree is the sole expansion for Elden Ring, released in June 2024. It introduces an entirely new region called the Land of Shadow, packed with new bosses, weapons, armor sets, spells, and story content. It's substantial — more comparable to a standalone game chapter than a typical DLC drop.

Because the expansion is built around late-game power levels and lore, FromSoftware deliberately placed its entry point deep into the base game's progression.

The Two Hard Requirements to Enter the DLC 🎮

There's no workaround here. To access Shadow of the Erdtree, you must meet both of the following conditions on a single save file:

Both steps happen in the same location — Mohgwyn Palace — but you have to actively interact with the cocoon after the fight. Simply killing Mohg and walking away won't trigger the transition into the DLC.

How To Reach Mohgwyn Palace

This is often where players hit a wall. Mohgwyn Palace is a hidden underground area, and there are two separate routes to reach it:

Route 1 — White Mask Varre's Questline

• Progress Varre's NPC quest after reaching Liurnia of the Lakes
• Complete his questline, including invading other players' worlds and receiving a Pureblood Knight's Medal
• Using the medal teleports you directly to Mohgwyn Palace
• This is the earlier route, accessible well before completing the main story

Route 2 — Consecrated Snowfield Portal

• Reach the Consecrated Snowfield, a late-game area requiring both halves of the Haligtree Secret Medallion
• Find the waygate in the western section of the Snowfield
• This is a much later-game method, but doesn't require completing any questline

Most players using the Varre route can reach Mohg significantly earlier than those relying on the Snowfield portal.

Why Your Character Level and Gear Actually Matter Here

Meeting the access requirements technically lets you enter the DLC — but the expansion is balanced around players who have built strong characters through the base game.

Shadow of the Erdtree introduces its own internal scaling system through Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes, which boost your damage and damage absorption specifically within the Land of Shadow. Even so, entering severely underleveled makes the early DLC content extremely punishing.

General community guidance suggests:

• Character level in the range of 120–150 is commonly cited as a comfortable entry point, though playstyle and build quality matter significantly
• Having well-upgraded weapons (late-stage smithing stone upgrades) makes a meaningful difference
• Your Spirit Ash companion, if you use one, should be upgraded as well

These aren't hard cutoffs — someone with a highly optimized build at a lower level may have a better experience than an underleveled character with mismatched gear.

New Game Plus Considerations

If you're playing on New Game Plus (NG+) or higher, the access requirements reset with each cycle. You'll need to defeat Mohg again on that playthrough to re-enter the DLC. The Scadutree Fragment progression also resets, meaning you rebuild your DLC-specific power from scratch each cycle.

This is worth factoring in if you're deciding whether to finish the DLC before starting NG+.

What Changes Once You're Inside 🗺️

Once you interact with the cocoon and get pulled into the Land of Shadow, you're operating in a largely self-contained region. The overworld is structured similarly to the base game — open exploration with Sites of Grace, legacy dungeons, and optional side areas.

Critically, the Scadutree Fragment system is entirely local to the DLC. Your base game flask upgrades, rune levels, and equipment all carry over, but your effective power in the expansion scales heavily with how many fragments you collect. Exploring thoroughly — rather than rushing boss encounters — has a more direct impact on survivability here than in the base game.

The Variables That Shape Your Experience

How smoothly you access and progress through Shadow of the Erdtree depends on a cluster of factors that vary significantly from player to player:

• Which route you used to reach Mohgwyn Palace affects when in your playthrough you can enter
• Your build archetype (melee, ranged, magic, bleed, etc.) interacts differently with the DLC's boss designs
• How thoroughly you explore determines how many Scadutree Fragments you accumulate before major fights
• Whether you're on a fresh playthrough or NG+ changes the difficulty baseline
• Co-op availability on your platform affects whether you can summon help for difficult encounters

The access requirements are fixed and non-negotiable. But everything about the experience once you're inside — how difficult it feels, how quickly you progress, how rewarding the exploration is — comes down to the specific shape of your save file and how you play.