Navigating the vast lands of Elden Ring has always been a challenge, but accessing the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC presents its own unique journey. As 2025 rolls on and more Tarnished seek to explore this massive expansion, understanding how to access Elden Ring DLC efficiently has become essential knowledge for both veterans and newcomers alike.

how-to-access-elden-ring-dlc-complete-guide-2025-image-0

Prerequisites for Accessing the DLC

Before you can step foot into the mysterious new realm, there are some mandatory bosses you'll need to defeat:

  1. Starscourge Radahn - The festival champion must fall

  2. Mohg, Lord of Blood - This underground menace guards the path

The journey to the DLC begins at Mohgwyn Palace, specifically at the cocoon of Miquella (also called the Empyrean). This critical point serves as your gateway to the new content. The game will prompt you to interact with the cocoon once you've satisfied all prerequisites.

Important Warning: Finish the DLC Before NG+

Here's something that's caught many players off guard - you cannot access the Elden Ring DLC if you've completed the main game without starting New Game Plus. The game quite literally locks you out of the DLC if you've defeated the Elden Beast but haven't begun a new journey.

As one frustrated player put it, "I was just wandering around the burnt world looking for things I missed when the DLC dropped, and boom - couldn't access it despite having beaten both Radahn and Mohg ages ago!" Talk about a punch to the gut.

Accessing DLC from NG+

If you're already in NG+ and wanting to access the Elden Ring DLC, you'll need to re-defeat those key bosses:

  • Starscourge Radahn

  • Mohg, Lord of Blood

This is precisely why many veterans recommend completing the DLC before starting a new journey. As Kevin, a seasoned player, notes: "Just do the DLC now. Enemies will have more health and hit harder in NG+. Plus you would have to redo Mohg and Radahn to gain access."

DLC Difficulty Scaling

Shadow of the Erdtree has its own independent difficulty scaling system. When you first enter the DLC, it will be at its base difficulty (equivalent to NG). If you complete it and then access it again in a subsequent playthrough, the difficulty will increase to NG+ levels.

Interestingly, the difficulty doesn't seem to scale significantly beyond the first NG+ cycle, making it more accessible for players in later journeys.

Quick Access Guide for NG+ Players

For those already in NG+ who want the fastest route to the DLC:

  1. Progress the main story until you can reach Caelid

  2. Defeat Radahn at the Starscourge Radahn festival

  3. Find your way to Mohgwyn Palace (either via White Mask Varré's quest or the teleporter in the Consecrated Snowfield)

  4. Defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood

  5. Approach Miquella's cocoon for the prompt to enter the DLC

The Freedom to Explore

One of the best aspects of the DLC is that once you've accessed it, you can freely travel between the base game and the expansion. This means you can always return to the Lands Between if you find the new challenges too daunting or need to level up further.

As Austin, another player, wisely cautions: "Most definitely do DLC first! If u start a new play through u will not be able to enter DLC until beating Mohg and a few other bosses again. I made the mistake of not thinking about that and being half way thru DLC when starting a new game 🙃"

The lands beyond await, Tarnished. Will you heed the call of the Shadow of the Erdtree before beginning anew, or brave the challenges of NG+ to reach this mysterious realm? The choice, as always in the world of Elden Ring, remains yours to make.