There is no official announcement yet for any Elden Ring DLC, but a leak has already detailed a potential expansion. What do we know about the Barbarians of the Badlands?
Elden Ring’s unexpected massive success has prompted many to believe that a DLC is already on its way. Bandai Namco has been very silent about this matter, so players are left to make their own speculations about the potential expansion. One particular leak points towards the Badlands in the game, which names the following downloadable content known as Barbarians of the Badlands for Elden Ring accounts.
Lack of Info About the DLC Despite Elden Ring’s Massive Success
Historically, FromSoftware games have always been popular in the gaming community with the Soul series and Bloodborne being some of the many favorites. It was already expected that Elden Ring would have a similar level of success based on the reputation of its spiritual predecessors; however, the game exceeded expectations as it landed on several leaderboards, including Steam’s most played games.
Despite the game’s massive success, developers have been mum about any information regarding the upcoming DLCs. But fans are already convinced that there is an expansion on the way despite the lack of confirmation. The current map has tons of spaces that will allow devs to smoothly insert new Elden Ring items and content.
Barbarians of the Badlands Leak
A recent ransomware attack on Bandai Namco has resulted in several spoilers and information about many games, one of them being Elden Ring. In the leak, the perpetrators known as ALPHV, also known as BlackCat, released an image detailing upcoming games and DLCs from Bandai. For Elden Ring, the leaked content was tagged as Barbarians of the Badlands.
Unfortunately for fans, the title of the upcoming DLC is the only thing leaked from the ransomware attack, and there is no further information about the expansion. At the very least, there are tons of things that gamers can speculate based on the title itself. As fans can recall, the Badlands is an area outside the Lands Between, which relates significantly to the game’s lore.
What Do We Know About Barbarians of the Badlands?
While there is no other information available about Barbarians of the Badlands, fans have already made several speculations on what might come out. Many players have already connected the Coliseums as the potential location for the upcoming Elden Ring DLC. Badlands is expected to feature more PvP content, so these structures are the ideal setting for some big brawls.
The Badlands are also featured in the game as several quests explore the lore regarding the area. The missions explore the story of Godfrey, the first Elden Lord, and Nepheli Loux. In the history of the Lands Between, Godfrey was exiled to the Badlands after losing guidance and grace, along with his warriors. In their exile, they became the first Tarnished.
If the upcoming DLCs are about the Badlands, then gamers might be able to explore the story of Godfrey even further. Many are curious about how vital Nepheli is and how she is related to Godfrey due to her status as a Loux and as a Tarnished. Barbarians are also one of the notable classes available for gamers when they create their characters, so the existence of other NPC Barbarians is extremely likely.
Barbarians of the Badlands might be a Hoax
While many players are excited because of the leak, some gamers believe that the leak is false and should be taken with a grain of salt. The hackers of Bandai Namco have a history of sometimes leaking invalidated pieces of information, so this might be one of those moments. The lack of any official announcement from devs does not validate nor falsify the leaks. The image about Badlands states that the DLC will be released in Q3 2023, so players must wait until then.
When is an Elden Ring DLC Supposed to Come Out?
While the leak presented that the DLC might come out in the third quarter of 2023, a potential Elden Ring DLC should follow a different timeline. FromSoftware has a history of releasing expansions in the same year a Souls-like game is released. Souls 1, 2, 3, and Bloodborne have also seen their DLCs released less than 12 months after the main game’s launch.
Based on this information, Elden Ring should potentially have a significant update within 2022. With the game such a massive success, it would be illogical for the publishers to wait over a year to release a DLC. However, it is not entirely possible since one of Bandai Namco’s games, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, received its expansion almost two years after the main title was released.
Regarding how many expansions Elden Ring will receive, it is uncertain whether the game will get one or two since Bandai is mum about any details. Since the latest FromSoftware title is considered a spiritual successor of the Souls franchise, players have assumed that it will follow Dark Souls 2 and 3’s approach of having two DLCs. Considering the game is very popular, the potential for multiple expansions is highly likely.
Other Speculations for the Expansion
Aside from the Barbarians of the Badlands, no further details are known about any upcoming DLCs. Some fans have speculated about other features or content that might get touched upon that isn’t related to the Barbarians. While there are no ways to verify these theories, they are nonetheless plausible due to their relevance.
The first speculation is that the DLC will further explore details about Miquella. The demigod is the twin brother of Malenia and has never been seen in the game, but the egg or cocoon containing Miquella can be found in Mohgwyn’s Palace. Though players cannot interact with the egg-like sac, several NPCs give context about the cocoon and Miquella himself.
Sir Gideon Ofnir mentioned that the sleeping demigod is still alive, and everything will be alright if he continues. Ofnir further elaborates that it might be best to destroy the cocoon instead of letting it be. Miquella is connected to the Outer Gods since he is counted as an Empyrean, so any DLCs related to him might feature these mysterious deities.
The second potential area that an upcoming DLC might explore is the mysterious clouded region at the center of the map. Fans have discussed how the diverging point between the six Divine Towers in the game might pinpoint a hidden area on the map. Upon further inspection, the Erdtree which is considered the most crucial area in Elden Ring, is not at the center of this intersection.
Instead of the Erdtree, the lines diverge at the center of a clouded region, which players cannot access. Due to its connection to the Divine Towers, this area might have a similar significance to the symbol of the Golden Order, if not more. Since the zone is hidden, developers can easily insert new features if they wanted to.
Potential Announcement in TGS about the Elden Ring DLC
Bandai Namco has made an announcement highlighting their schedule for the Tokyo Game Show event. The studio revealed some of their newest projects, including One Piece Odyssey, Tales of franchise, Gundam games, Dragon Ball Z titles, and Monster Farm. However, many fans noticed the mysterious “????” tag in one of the vacant slots in the schedule.
Gamers have speculated that this might be a reserved timeslot for an Elden Ring announcement. This unknown title will be slated as the last segment in the schedule, usually dedicated to the biggest and most significant release. Due to the relevance of the previous slot and the lack of any Elden Ring announcement, fans are convinced that they might finally hear about the DLC in TGS.
An Elden Ring DLC is Definitely on the Way
While there is no official announcement from Bandai or FromSoftware, a DLC will definitely be released for Elden Ring accounts. The game has found massive success, and it would be a waste of opportunity for the developers and publishers to not make any follow-ups. It is safe to assume that gamers will see an expansion this year or in 2023. Fans will just have to wait for official confirmation from developers.
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