Over Half Of Elden Ring Players Can't Play The DLC, Even If They Buy It

Gamers everywhere are bracing themselves to die over and over again. "Prepare to Die" hasn't been a FromSoftware tagline since the original "Dark Souls," but the slogan is about to experience a comeback. We can't wait to see the "Shadow of the Erdtree" DLC when it releases on June 21, but some recent stats show that most "Elden Ring" players are going to end up waiting a little longer. Over 60% of them haven't defeated Mohg, Lord of Blood, the base game boss who's blocking the entrance to the DLC. 

We aren't here to judge. Some of the bosses in "Elden Ring" are outrageously difficult, and Mohg is one of the toughest fights in the entire game. Every FromSoftware DLC since "Dark Souls: Astorias of the Abyss" has been locked behind some kind of in-game benchmark, but Mohg isn't one of the main bosses in "Elden Ring," so not everyone has encountered him in their playthroughs. The "Shadow of the Erdtree" trailer all but pointed us to Mohg's big fight, but despite that, a majority of the game's players still have some work to do before they dive into the DLC.

It seems like Bandai Namco might be starting to get nervous that too many "Elden Ring" players will be locked out of the DLC when it drops. The company just gave everyone a handy reminder to prepare for the new content by killing Mohg.

Friendly PSA for all those looking forward to #ELDENRING Shadow of the Erdtree.

You have less than 2 weeks to prepare! https://t.co/J18CrUkDQm

— Bandai Namco US (@BandaiNamcoUS) June 11, 2024

Mohg isn't just an arbitrary pick that the devs made, and he isn't just a big challenge to make sure players are strong enough to tackle the content in "Shadow of the Erdtree." The "Elden Ring" lore isn't the easiest to digest, but the game's story actually helps explain why Mohg is the boss that we need to focus our attention on. Long before the start of the game, Mohg essentially kidnapped Queen Marika's son Miquella, hoping to transform the boy into a new god. Miquella is trapped inside the cocoon at the back of Mohg's boss arena, and it seems like interacting with Miquella's body will be our gateway into the DLC. The trailer tells us that we'll be working alongside Miquella, but it doesn't show us what's happened to him since Mohg trapped him inside the cocoon. Knowing "Elden Ring," and especially FromSoftware, there's a good chance he's already gone through part of a terrible transformation.

So many "Elden Ring" players being locked out of the DLC at launch might feel like a tragedy, but by some accounts, FromSoftware has pulled a genius-level move by hiding "Shadow of the Erdtree" behind Mohg. As we've already pointed out, plenty of people have made it to the end of "Elden Ring" without encountering the Lord of Blood, but almost everyone who experiences the fight firsthand thinks it's one of the best the game has to offer.

"Elden Ring" players love fighting Mohg, as long as they're appropriately leveled. "Damn fine boss fight that turns into a complete hell if you're underleveled. Once those wings sprout it's just nonstop trident poke combos, blood spraying everywhere and nowhere safe to stand," wrote one Redditor. The challenge is part of the appeal though, and others think that Mohg is about as fair as "Elden Ring" gets. As one fan put it, "Mohg is genuinely one of the best bosses in the game. He's actually quite hard but he also feels very fair and challenging."

The fight itself is only half the appeal. Most "Elden Ring" players have noticed that the fight's music is one of the best tracks in the game, and the arena makes for an absolutely stunning set piece. FromSoftware couldn't have picked a better way to kick off "Shadow of the Erdtree." We just hope more than half of the game's fans actually get to experience it.