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The hour has come: The Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree trailer is here, release date set for June.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree will get a three minute reveal on Wednesday, Bandai Namco has announced. The expansion has been in development for two years and, partially as a result of its long gestation period, expectations are high.
The presentation will debut on the Bandai Namco Europe YouTube page at 7 am PST / 3 pm UTC / 4 pm CET / 1 am AEST (Feb 22).
Rumors circulated earlier this year that Shadow of the Erdtree will be quickly announced and released in February, but From Software's parent company Kadokawa put those rumors to rest earlier this month, albeit in a customarily vague and businesslike way. Elden Ring released on February 25, 2022, so the rumors mostly stem from the expectation of an announcement before the game's two-year anniversary.
Similarly, in December Elden Ring producer Yasuhiro Kitao said the expansion was "still a while off", and while it may be splitting hairs, that confirms to me that Shadow of the Erdtree won't release in February. More likely it'll be next fiscal year, starting April.
If earlier FromSoftware expansions are any indication—particularly Bloodborne's The Old Hunters—Shadow of the Erdtree will be very substantial indeed, and so many believe, perhaps worthy of a standalone release. That's what FromSoft hype does to one's brain. We'll find out more tomorrow, perhaps even a release date.
