We are less than a month away from the long-awaited Elden Ring DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, and players are prepping to enter the Realm of Shadow. With the countdown timer nearing its end, players might wonder what level their character needs to be to take on the Elden Ring DLC appropriately.
What is the appropriate level for Shadow of the Erdtree?
While the “best level” to be at for the Erdtree DLC is subjective, a few interviews have suggested what players can expect from the Elden Ring expansion. The Realm of Shadow will feature bosses almost on par with Maelnia, meaning players can use Malenia as a scale.
If you want to theoretically steamroll the DLC, you’ll want to be at a level where Malenia feels comfortable. This could be anywhere from level 180 to 200+.
If you want more of a challenge, we recommend being at a level where Malenia felt difficult but fair. We felt Malenia was at her fairest between levels 140-150.
However, most PvP players sit around level 100-150, which is also where most players land when they complete the game. That said, do levels even matter in the DLC?
Shadow of the Erdtree Power Scaling Will Be Different
In an interview with Famitsu (translated via Reddit), Director Hidetaka Miyazaki revealed that the Realm of Shadow in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC will have a localized power-scaling system.
Miyazaki states, “There is an element of leveling unique to the DLC. Think of the attack power system in Sekiro. Separate from the original level system, there is an ‘attack power’ that is only enabled in the DLC areas. This was introduced in order to give freedom to meet the threats mentioned earlier, so you can do something like exploring other areas before going back to challenge bosses that were too strong the first time, allowing you to more easily experience this even in the high-level range. On the other hand, by keeping your attack power low, you can also experience this challenge at a lower level.”
So, we don’t know what this scaling will be or if it completely negates a player’s level in the Lands Between. What we do know is that players will get stronger in DLC areas by managing this mysterious “attack power” Miyazaki hinted at.
That said, Miyazaki expressed that the design philosophy behind The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC’s difficulty is the same as it was for Elden Ring. He wants players to have the freedom to take on challenges as they please, whether that be as an overpowered god or a weak wretch. It would seem that, even if player level doesn’t matter, there will still be a way for players to adjust the level of difficulty to their liking.
