How to start the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC in Elden Ring

The Gravesite Plain where Shadow of the Erdtree starts — (Image credit: FromSoftware)

To start the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC you need to go to Mogh's arena underground in Elden Ring, and touch a withered arm sticking out of a cocoon you'll find there. That'll let you access the expansion - but there are some specific conditions, and bosses you need to defeat, before you're able to begin Shadow of the Erdtree. If you've just rushed in and can't work out how to start things, you've probably missed something so let me explain.

How to start Shadow of the Erdtree

To start the Shadow of the Erdtree in Elden Ring you'll need to beat two bosses before you can get anywhere near the DLC. First up is Radahn, the boss of Caelid, and then Mohg (who can be accessed relatively early if you complete the questline for the NPC Varre). Once these two are defeated you can then access the expansion via a withered arm that appears in Mogh's arena. Interact with that to teleport to the new Elden Ring DLC.

Here's a full breakdown of everything you need to do to access Shadow of the Erdtree:

Beat the Elden Ring Radahn boss fight. The Starscourge is a key boss, so you should have cleared this as part of the core game's story.
You'll also need to beat beat Mohg, Lord of Blood in Elden Ring. This optional boss is easy to miss and if you haven't completed this I recommend seeking out the Elden Ring Varre questline to reach him, if you want to avoid a long, hard route to get to his region.
Once Mohg is defeated there will be a large white cocoon with an arm hanging out of it at the opposite end of his arena - interact with it and choose to "touch the withered arm" which will teleport you to a new area, the Realm of Shadow, to start the Erdtree DLC.

More Elden Ring guides

Shadow of the Erdtree Somewhere a Great Rune has Broken message
Shadow of the Erdtree Abyssal Woods
Shadow of the Erdtree NPC Questlines
Shadow of the Erdtree Inappropriate Activity Detected
Shadow of the Erdtree Martial Arts

Once Radahn and Mohg are gone and you touch the cocoon arm you'll be in the new Shadow of the Erdtree DLC expansion area! Infront of you is a Site of Grace marked by a Shadow of the Erdtree Miquella's Cross - a new thing to look out for - grab that straight away and you'll have a permanent fast travel point back, without having to go through the arm again.

All this new Erdtree stuff isn't something you should really rush though- the DLC is famously tough and while it has it's own leveling system using things called Scadutree Fragments, you really want to be in the best shape you can be before you take on its challenges. To help you get ready here's what to do before Shadow of the Erdtree. You might need to respec your character to really stand a chance here so prepare to try some new tactics.

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Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.