How to fix Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC not working

Let me in, Tarnished.

Elden Ring Shadow of Erdtree knight
Image via Bandai Namco

Shadow of the Erdtree is the major expansion Elden Ring promised for so long, but many players can’t access the content right now, so let’s see why the DLC isn’t working for you.

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Elden Ring‘s DLC ups the ante with even more bosses, a devastating and brutal final boss, and tons of extra weapons and Talismans. It’s everything you want from Shadow of the Erdtree and more, but there’s one thing some players want more than anything—for it to work!

If you’re having trouble with the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC and can’t get it to work, let’s run you through some solutions.

Why is Shadow of the Erdtree DLC not working in Elden Ring?

Shadow Keep in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
It’s beautiful. I’ve looked at this for five hours now. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Shadow of the Erdtree might not be working for you in Elden Ring due to several reasons: You haven’t met the requirements to access Shadow of the Erdtree, you haven’t been to Mohgwyn’s Palace to beat the boss to access the entrance point, Elden Ring requires an update, storage space issues, and you might need to reset the console.

You haven’t beaten Radahn and Mohg

To play Shadow of the Erdtree, you must beat Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood. They are prerequisites, and you don’t even need to beat the final boss. Make sure you have both of these ticked off if you’re keen to play the DLC.

Mohgwyn’s Palace

This ties into the previous point, but once you’ve beaten both bosses, the site at which you defeat Mohg contains the portal to the Realm of Shadow. Touch the broken egg with Miquella’s arm hanging out, taking you to the DLC.

Elden Ring needs updating

The 1.12 update enables players to access the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. So, even if you’ve beaten Mohg and Radahn and have access to the egg, Elden Ring doesn’t recognize the DLC if you don’t have the 1.12 update installed. You won’t have the option to travel to the new map—plus, the update also adds many more changes to the game, including to the Elden Beast boss.

Not enough storage space

The file size for Shadow of the Erdtree isn’t astronomically big, but it requires extra GB, and if you don’t have space on your hard drive, Elden Ring can’t install the content. Check your downloads to see if SOTE cannot install, and consider freeing up some space for the software.

You need to restart the game

As with anything, turning off Elden Ring and restarting it could be the solution. As you would reset your routers to restore your internet or turn devices off in the hope they work when they restart, rebooting Elden Ring is another option to get Shadow of the Erdtree to work.

Author
Image of Andrew Highton
Andrew Highton
Andy is a Game Guides Writer at Dot Esports with a host of experience working at Dexerto, Twinfinite, Keengamer, and more. He's about as passionate a gamer as you're likely to find and spreads that love across a ton of different titles, but will also talk everything football, golf, and wrestling! Be sure to follow his thoughts and ramblings over at @AndyHighton8 on Twitter.