It’s been a long wait since 2022’s release of Elden Ring, but finally, Shadow of the Erdtree is here and you’ll be pleased to learn you don’t need to create a new character to access this massive DLC. There is some prep you will need to undertake, however, before the Land of Shadow is available to you, so keep reading to learn where the entry to this mysterious realm is located.

Shadow of the Erdtree Access Requirements¶

So, you’ve not played the game since you put the Elden Lord down back in 2022 and you’ve jumped back in, unbeknown to all of where your character actually is. If you’re familiar with From Software’s DLCs for their past Soulslike games, you’ll know that you don’t actually select it from a menu. Instead, there’s something you’ll need to do during the course of the adventure to access the new content.

To put it simply, the requirements to access the Land of Shadow is the following:

• Defeat Radahn in Caelid
• Defeat Mohg in Mohgwyn Palace
• Interact with the arm in the cocoon at Mohgwyn Palace, where you fought Mohg

Optionally:

• Make sure you’re around Level 100 (on a fresh New Game, higher on a NG+)

That’s quite a few requirements that you’ll need to hit, so let’s break it down piece by piece.

Defeat Radahn¶

As you head through the Lands Between, you’ll eventually reach the region of Caelid, over to the east of the world map. This is a dreary place with plenty of deadly creatures ready to jump you at a moment’s notice. If you’re following Ranni’s Questline, you’ll naturally end up at the Radahn Festival at Redmane Castle, where traveling through the Waygate will take you to the battle.

Alternatively, once you reach Altus Plateau and activate a Site of Grace there, you can then change the time to night to trigger the festival. You can then simply head to the Impassable Greatbridge Site of Grace and proceed to face Radahn.

Surprisingly, Radahn is actually an optional boss, even if most players will encounter him naturally as part of their first playthrough. Once you do begin the battle, take advantage of the companions you can call in to aid you and look to stick to a melee strategy if you can, Radahn is a tough encounter, especially if you’re at a lower level. If you’re looking for a full in-depth walkthrough of how to take out Radahn, check out our Radahn Boss Guide!

Defeat Mohg¶

The second of the two required bosses you need to defeat is Mohg, Lord of Blood. Like Radahn above, this is another optional encounter however this one requires a lot more work to uncover as it’s not on the main path that most players will travel. Mohg can be found in Mohgwyn Palace, an optional area that can be tricky to find if you don’t know where you’re looking. There are once again two methods you can take to finding him.

The first, and the earliest way to encounter him (although this will put you at a disadvantage in terms of gear and unlocks) is to progress through the White-Faced Varré NPC Questline. One of the rewards you get from this is the Pureblood Knight’s Medal, an item you can use that will whisk you off to Moghwyn Palace.

The second, and perhaps the most common way to reach Mohg is by progressing with the adventure until you reach the Consecrated Snowfield. Look for a Waygate situated northwest of the Yelough Anix Ruins. Teleport to the Ordina, Liturgical Town, site of Grace, and head southwest from there. The Waygate is near the edge of the cliff on the lower platform, west of the spires. Note that this Waygate is inactive until you defeat the nearby invader.

Regardless of the method you use to access Mohgwyn Palace, you’ll need to head through this dangerous area and, once you take an elevator up, you’ll know that Mohg is just around the corner. Mohg is a tougher encounter than Radahn, and has plenty of nasty attacks up his sleeves. If you’re looking for an in-depth guide, with recommendations on what equipment to use, check out our Mohg Boss Guide!

The Cocoon and Level 100+¶

With the main requirements now met, the way to the Land of Shadow is now opened. If you look just beyond where you defeated Mohg in Mohgwyn Palace, you’ll see a rather large Cocoon with an arm hanging out of it. This will seemingly do nothing if you haven’t purchased Shadow of the Erdtree, however, if you have, you will now be able to interact with it to trigger a cutscene and be whisked off to the Land of Shadow, where Shadow of the Erdtree takes place.

Before you head into there though, FromSoftware recommends that you have a Tarnished that is Endgame ready, which means being Level 100 at a minimum, but more likely around 115-125. If you’ve already defeated the Elden Ring but didn’t proceed to New Game+, you should find you’re already around this Level. If you’re looking to gain some extra levels, visit areas such as the Haligtree or Leyndell, Royal Capital and defeat the enemies around there.

There you have it, you now know how to access the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. For those of you that have already met the requirements and want to jump straight in, open the map and travel to the Cocoon of the Empyrean Site of Grace, found at Mohgwyn Palace on the Underground map. This will place you right in front of the Cocoon, ready for Shadow of the Erdtree!