Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree ESRB Description Appears Online

Elden Ring's much anticipated Shadow of the Erdtree DLC has received its ESRB rating and description several months ahead of its June 21 release. Unsurprisingly, 2022's Game of the Year Elden Ring was stamped with an M rating for its brutal and violent nature and common depictions of blood and gore.

Back in February, developer FromSoftware finally dropped its reveal trailer for Shadow of the Erdtree. The thrilling trailer confirmed Miquella's involvement in the DLC's narrative and established that his cracked egg in Mohgwyn Palace will serve as the entry point into the Land of Shadow, the massive new area Shadow of the Erdtree will take place in. The trailer also unveiled a cryptic new villain named Messmer, who seems like the DLC's final boss. His flowing red hair already has fans spinning up theories pondering possible connections to other Elden Ring bosses like Malenia, Radahn, or Radagon.

With a release date of June 21, there's still time left until Shadow of the Erdtree's debut, though this didn't stop the ESRB from already revealing the DLC's rating and description. To nobody's surprise, Shadow of the Erdtree maintains Elden Ring's M for mature rating, listing blood and gore, language, suggestive themes, and violence as key factors. The brief rating summary describes Elden Ring's gameplay, such as its third-person perspective and some of the many weapons players wield against the game's variety of dangerous enemies.

Strangely, the ESRB description also makes indirect mention of two of Elden Ring's most distinct bosses, Stormveil Castle's Godrick the Grafted and the often considered toughest boss in the entire game, Malenia. Unless Godrick and Malenia show face in Shadow of the Erdtree, which seems highly unlikely, it appears that this ESRB rating summary is describing Elden Ring proper and not the upcoming DLC. Other major DLCs that have been released recently, like Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty, either don't have an ESRB page at all or don't even have the