Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC Has Already Made History

Highlights

• Shadow of the Erdtree is now the highest-rated video game DLC ever made.
• Shadow of the Erdtree has an impressive 94 overall rating.
• The top 10 DLC list includes recent releases like Destiny 2: The Final Shape and Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, but Elden Ring reigns supreme.

The Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is now the highest-rated DLC ever made. The Elden Ring base game is already one of the most critically-acclaimed games of all time, and so expectations have always been high for Shadow of the Erdtree. If the reviews are any indication, it seems as though Shadow of the Erdtree not only meets expectations, but exceeds them.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC reviews have praised the game for its tough-as-nails difficulty, gorgeous new locales to explore, and haunting new enemy designs. It seems as though the DLC gives players an average of 25 to 30 hours of additional playtime, so it’s an incredibly meaty expansion, which has certainly helped it impress critics. And while there are a couple of reviews that awarded Shadow of the Erdtree a lower score, most have been in the 9/10 and 10/10 range, firmly establishing it as the highest-rated DLC ever made.

According to review aggregate site OpenCritic, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree currently has a 94 overall rating. The closest DLC in terms of review score is Dead Cells‘ The Queen & the Sea expansion, which earned a 93 overall rating. A couple of Final Fantasy 14 expansions made the top 10, as did the two Witcher 3 DLCs, Blood and Wine and Hearts of Stone.

Best Video Game DLC

1. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree – 94
2. Dead Cells: The Queen & the Sea – 93
3. Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker – 93
4. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Blood and Wine – 92
5. Destiny 2: The Final Shape – 92
6. Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed – 90
7. Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers – 90
8. Monster Hunter World: Iceborne – 90
9. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Hearts of Stone – 89
10. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty – 89

Interestingly, the top 10 mostly consists of relatively recent releases. Besides Shadow of the Erdtree, the critically-acclaimed Destiny 2: The Final Shape is also in the top 10, sitting comfortably in the number five spot. Last year’s Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty also managed to hit the top 10 with its 89 overall rating.

There are plenty of great DLC and expansions out there, but it seems unlikely that any will manage to knock Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree off its top spot any time soon. One possibility is that the upcoming Dawntrail expansion for Final Fantasy 14 will get the job done, considering two other FF14 expansions are in the top 10, but it will have to be groundbreaking, to say the least.