Elden Ring expert predicts Shadow of the Erdtree’s length after speedrunning DLC demo

Elden Ring content creator Iron Pineapple shared their take on Shadow of the Erdtree’s size after speedrunning through the 3-hour press preview he was able to play, and he predicts it’ll be about half the length of the base game.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree has the gaming world’s full attention. Yet, despite releasing near the end of June, not much has been shown off to the public as to what players can expect, aside from a story trailer or two.

However, that’s changed, as numerous creators have gotten their hands on playable slices of the upcoming DLC. Previews cover 3 hours of gameplay and have given fans glimpses at the Land of Shadows, new weapons like the Beast Claws, and some of the monstrosities that await.

Of course, the hot topic in everyone’s mind is the size of the DLC. Given the base game provided hundreds of hours’ worth of content for those willing to grind through New Game + and discover all of Elden Ring’s secrets, many wonder if Shadow of the Erdtree will be as satisfying.

Well, if Dark Souls creator Iron Pineapple’s guess is accurate, the final product could be around half the size of the base game. Considering how long Elden Ring is, this is a massive content offering.

The discussion starts at the 20:04 mark of the video.

Pineapple’s theory came from a combo of speedrunning and efficiency. During the preview, he didn’t explore as much as he wanted to, but he was able to quickly get through the first area thanks to hundreds of hours of training playing challenge runs.

And, while Iron Pineapple got through the first area quickly, there’s a chance of other areas being much larger. This includes yet another FromSoft poison swamp. Miyazaki just couldn’t help himself.

He also cited an interview with IGN claiming that there’d be at least 10 main bosses, and Iron Pineapple felled two of them in his three-hour playthrough alone.

“If I had to guess, I’d say what I experienced with this DLC was 20% or less of the DLC. 15% might be a better guess.”

At the bare minimum, Shadow of the Erdtree is said to be the size of Limgrave, so that’s plenty of content to explore.

“Realistically, this first region will take players a lot longer than the 3 hours I spent speedrunning it. I’d say anywhere from 6-8 hours, assuming they’re fully exploring and doing all the side stuff. And then, if we extrapolate from that, I assume this DLC will be around half the size and length of the base game.”

Bear in mind Iron Pineapple is a seasoned adventurer, and he’s very good at FromSoft games in general. It’s likely this DLC will take much longer if you’re around the skill level of, say, Kai Cenat.

Shadow of the Erdtree launches June 21, marking only a few short weeks left to wait until players can dive in and experience the DLC for themselves.