Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Has Its Own New Game Plus

Highlights

• Shadow of the Erdtree DLC for Elden Ring includes a hidden new game+ mode, offering a tougher challenge for returning players.
• The new DLC+ mode introduces higher difficulty levels with increased enemy damage and health compared to the first playthrough.
• To enhance player experience, Shadow of the Erdtree features a unique leveling system with Scadutree Fragments for power progression.

Players are still uncovering secrets in the weeks following the release of Elden Ring‘s massive DLC expansion, with one fan discovering that Shadow of the Erdtree features its own new game+ mode. This revelation may surprise even some of the most knowledgeable Elden Ring fans, as Shadow of the Erdtree‘s NG+ mode is quite hidden.

Elden Ring fundamentally shook the gaming world to its core, becoming one of the biggest releases of the last few years. Praised for its depth, massive world, and variety of enemies, Elden Ring would go on to sell millions of copies, practically ensuring fans would one day get to return to The Lands Between in a future expansion. Developer FromSoftware took its time, officially releasing Elden Ring‘s first and only paid expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, over two years later, in June 2024. Shadow of the Erdtree is an absolutely massive chunk of new content, complete with new weapons, items, and storylines for players to enjoy, while also adding to Elden Ring‘s daunting list of boss encounters. However, weeks later, players are still discovering new things about the expansion, with one fan reporting that Shadow of the Erdtree actually features its own version of a popular mode.

Reddit user Spleenczar shared this discovery online, announcing to the Elden Ring community that the game’s new expansion actually features its own new game+ mode. If players beat the final boss in Shadow of the Erdree a “DLC+” will begin, which triggers a new difficulty modifier. This increases enemy damage and health, meaning players who play the new DLC on their first cycle will find it easier than people playing it for the second time on an NG+ cycle. Shadow of the Erdtree‘s NG+ mode is not widely publicized but is detailed on Fextralife, a website dedicated to providing information about FromSoftware and other RPG titles.

New DLC+ Mode Uncovered in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

The player tested the new mode out themselves, and sure enough, Shadow of the Erdtree is considerably more challenging for players on their second go of the DLC. “To actually test this, I made a character and reached the end of the base game with it, then made a copy of the save,” explains the player. “On the copy, I killed the final DLC boss, but I did not on the original. I then took both versions into NG+ and tested how much damage they took from Messmer’s opening attack given everything else being identical – and the damage was significantly different, with the character who cleared the DLC already taking more.” Messmer is one of many bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree and is one of the first encounters in the new expansion.

Shadow of the Erdtree mixes up the Elden Ring formula and adjusts the difficulty considerably. To ensure players face the same level of challenge in the expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree introduces a new leveling system that requires players to collect items called Scadutree Fragments if they wish to become more powerful. Players are put into this new system as soon as they enter Shadow of the Erdtree, making Elden Ring‘s new piece of DLC feel completely separate and unique compared to the rest of the base game.