“Ohhhhhh Elden Ring!” likely what the whole world shouted this morning when the latest trailer for Bandai Namco’s Elden Ring expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, dropped on social media. It was a story trailer so there wasn’t much in the way of gameplay mechanics that could really be gleaned from what we’ve seen, however culture and discussion around the Souls games only partially revolve around gameplay, and the lore is what a lot of fans like to dig in to so it’s those fans that really loved this trailer.
You can practically hear the keyboards mashing as YouTubers type away on lore theory scripts after that, trying to get their videos out before Shadow of the Erdtree’s release on June 21st, 2024 exactly one month from today. The biggest fan theory we’ve heard so far is that Messmer is a red herring: despite being pushed heavily as the face of the expansion (even including a giant 18 inch statue of him for the collector’s edition) and being presented as what should be the final boss of the Shadowlands where the expansion takes place, many claim that he’s just too obvious, and that a background figure such as Miquella might actually be the main antagonistic force come Shadow of the Erdtree, with Messmer being a boss you’d fight halfway or even at the beginning of the expansion.
It’s all conjecture, but that’s the fun when it comes to Souls games lore and story, trying to take clues from wherever presented and piece them together into a narrative that you personally find enjoyable. But a lot of the answers to the questions on everyone’s minds regarding Shadow will definitely get some extra fire behind them come June 21st. Until then, enjoy the video essays that your favorite lore YouTuber has undoubtedly already uploaded.