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To make an Elden Ring save eligible for Shadow of the Erdtree, defeat Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood on the character you will use. FromSoftware’s official FAQ lists those two defeats as the access conditions. It does not require a completed ending or starting a new journey.
Before launching the expansion, verify that the correct profile and save are loaded, that the base game and expansion are owned on the same platform, and that you understand what is—and is not—established about New Game Plus difficulty. Official sources do not provide a universal NG+ recommendation or a numeric DLC scaling multiplier.
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The minimum requirements for DLC access
Your preparation has two separate parts: progress on the intended character and ownership of the required software. Treat both as gates; satisfying one does not replace the other.
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| Requirement | What to verify | What the official information establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Starscourge Radahn defeated | The victory is recorded on the save you plan to use. | FromSoftware’s FAQ names Radahn as one of the two conditions for DLC-area access. |
| Mohg, Lord of Blood defeated | The same character has defeated Mohg; do not rely on another character’s progress. | FromSoftware’s FAQ names Mohg as the second condition for DLC-area access. |
| Base game available | The platform account owns or otherwise has access to ELDEN RING. | Bandai Namco states that Shadow of the Erdtree requires the base game. |
| Expansion entitlement | The expansion is purchased for the account and platform edition you are using, and its content is installed where required. | The expansion is additional content rather than a standalone game. |
| Correct save and profile | Load the intended character, platform profile and game version before checking progress. | Save handling and transfer options differ by platform. |
These conditions are deliberately narrow. The FAQ does not add a requirement to finish the base-game ending, defeat every major boss, or begin another journey. Do not create a new journey merely to satisfy a condition that is not listed.
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Prepare the exact character you will take into the expansion
The most common preparation mistake is checking progress on one character and then launching with another. Make the save-selection step explicit, especially if your profile contains several characters or if you own both console generations.
- Start the game on the platform you will use for the expansion. Confirm the console or PC account and the edition shown by the platform. If more than one profile is available, select the profile that owns the base game and expansion.
- Open the character list and identify the intended save. Use the character name, level, journey status and other information shown by the game to distinguish it from alternate characters. Do not assume the most recently played character is the one you want.
- Load that character and check its journey state. Note whether it is on the first journey or an NG+ journey. The journey state is a planning consideration, not an additional access condition in the official FAQ.
- Confirm Radahn’s defeat on that character. The required victory must belong to the save you are preparing. If you are uncertain, use the character’s own progression record or revisit the relevant in-game status information rather than relying on memory.
- Confirm Mohg’s defeat on that character. Apply the same check independently. Defeating Mohg on another character does not prepare this save.
- Make a fresh backup according to your platform’s normal save procedure. Keep the backup associated with the same profile and platform. A backup is useful only if you can identify which character and journey it contains.
- Leave the character on the journey you actually want to play. If you are already in NG+, you do not need to restart solely for DLC access. If you have not begun another journey, you do not need to do so for access either.
The official access statement does not publish a character-level threshold, a required ending, or a required inventory list. Avoid treating community checklists as mandatory unless each item has separate, reliable evidence.
Do you need to finish the ending or start New Game Plus?
No additional completion step is established by the official access conditions. FromSoftware’s FAQ identifies the two boss defeats, not a completed ending and not a new journey. A save that has defeated both named bosses should be evaluated against those conditions rather than against an assumed “100 percent” completion standard.
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Starting a new journey can be a personal choice—for example, if you want to replay the base game or deliberately change your challenge—but it is not listed as a prerequisite for entering the expansion. Conversely, remaining on the current journey is not presented in the FAQ as a reason for denial.
If your save is already in New Game Plus
An NG+ save is not disqualified by the cited access statement. Check whether Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood have been defeated during the progression represented by that save. If either victory is missing on the current journey, complete the missing requirement on that character before trying to access the DLC area.
Do not infer a broader carry-over rule from one feature. Version 1.12 patch notes state that active Summoning Pools carry over to NG+. That is a specific multiplayer convenience; it does not prove that every quest state, inventory item, boss flag or DLC-related condition carries over in the same way.
Choosing between the current journey and another journey
Official sources reviewed for this question do not compare DLC difficulty across NG+ journeys. The choice therefore depends on how much base-game repetition you accept and which prepared save already satisfies the two access conditions.
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| Enter on the current journey | You want to preserve the present character state and avoid replaying the base game. | Radahn and Mohg are defeated on this save; the correct account owns the base game and expansion. | No official source here promises a particular difficulty level for that journey. |
| Begin another journey first | You want to replay base-game content, alter your route, or make a personal challenge choice. | The new journey’s character progression still reaches both required boss victories before DLC access. | Starting another journey is not an official access requirement or an official difficulty recommendation. |
This table is a decision aid, not a claim that one journey is easier. The official material cited for this preparation question does not publish a journey-by-journey damage multiplier, recommended NG+ level or universal “best” entry point.
What is known about DLC difficulty and Scadutree Blessing
Patch version 1.12.2 revised the attack and damage-negation curve provided by Scadutree Blessing. The notes describe stronger effects in the first half of blessing levels and a more gradual progression through the second half. That change concerns the DLC’s blessing balance; it does not establish how much harder the DLC becomes on NG+ journeys.
Use this distinction when planning:
- Access question: the official answer is Radahn plus Mohg on the intended save.
- Journey question: official sources reviewed here do not state a numeric NG+ scaling factor or endorse one journey as universally preferable.
- Preparation question: choose your journey based on your tolerance for replaying the base game and your preferred challenge, not on an unsupported promise of a specific DLC difficulty.
Do not convert the Scadutree Blessing patch note into a claim that a certain blessing level, character level or NG+ journey is mandatory. The note describes a balance adjustment, not a recommended preparation route.
Platform and save checks
PlayStation saves and PS4-to-PS5 conversion
The PS5 online manual includes a PS4-to-PS5 save-conversion option. If you are moving from the PS4 version to the PS5 version, use the conversion function described in that manual and then confirm that the intended character appears before beginning the expansion. The existence of that menu option does not establish a general cross-platform transfer guarantee, so do not assume that a cloud or console move has preserved every character without checking.
- Sign in to the PlayStation profile that owns the relevant game content.
- Open the PS5 version’s save-management or conversion menu and use the PS4-to-PS5 conversion option documented in the online manual.
- After conversion, load the character list and verify the name, journey state and Radahn/Mohg progress.
- Only then begin the expansion from that converted save.
Xbox save timing
The Xbox online manual describes automatic saves at specific times. Because the manual’s statement is about when saving occurs, not about a universal transfer policy, allow the game to complete its normal save operation before quitting or changing profiles. Reopen the game and verify the character if you have just defeated one of the required bosses or changed consoles.
Multiple profiles, editions or consoles
Keep three identities separate: the platform account, the game edition and the character save. A purchase on one account does not automatically make the expansion available to a different account, and a character on one profile does not satisfy the boss conditions for another. If your platform offers both PS4/PS5 or Xbox editions, check which version is installed and which save that version is reading.
Ownership, editions and installation
Bandai Namco lists Shadow of the Erdtree Edition as a package containing the base game and the expansion. A Deluxe Edition is also listed with those components plus digital artbooks and soundtracks. These package descriptions establish the included content, not a current regional price or store inventory.
| Your situation | Action before loading the DLC save |
|---|---|
| You own the base game and are buying the expansion separately | Check the platform store’s product page for the exact account, region and platform version, then install or enable the expansion. |
| You own a bundle edition | Confirm that the installed bundle contains both the base game and the expansion for your platform. |
| You own only the expansion listing | Obtain access to the required base game; the expansion is not presented as standalone content. |
| You own one console generation’s version and are moving to another | Verify edition compatibility and use the platform’s documented save-handling process before assuming the character is available. |
Do not use a store listing from another region or platform as proof of your own entitlement. The exact edition name and platform compatibility shown on your account are the relevant checks.
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What the official information does not answer
Several popular preparation questions go beyond the stated access gate. The cited FAQ does not publish a minimum rune level, a required weapon upgrade, a mandatory ending, a complete inventory-retention list, or a table showing how each NG+ journey changes DLC damage. It also does not say that every quest, item, boss flag or map state carries into a new journey in a particular way.
That limitation matters when comparing guides. A checklist may recommend finishing optional quests, collecting particular talismans or delaying a journey reset for personal reasons. Those can be sensible choices, but they are separate from the two conditions that FromSoftware names for DLC-area access. Label optional preparation as optional, and verify any item-specific claim independently.
Troubleshooting when the expansion does not appear
Both bosses were defeated, but access is unavailable
- Quit to the title screen and reload the same character; confirm you did not switch profiles or characters.
- Check that both victories occurred on the current save, not on a different journey or alternate character.
- Verify that the base game and expansion are installed or enabled under the same platform account.
- Check the edition and platform version, particularly after a PS4-to-PS5 conversion.
- Allow the platform’s normal save process to complete, then restart the game and recheck the character.
Only one required boss has been defeated
The official condition names both bosses. Complete the missing victory on the intended character rather than assuming progress from another save will count.
You are unsure whether to start another journey
Do not restart solely for access. The FAQ does not list a new journey as a prerequisite. Start one only if replaying the base game is part of your own plan.
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No such number is established by the official sources covered here. Treat precise multipliers or universal journey recommendations as unverified unless a current official source specifically publishes them.
A final pre-launch checklist
- The intended profile and character are loaded.
- The character has defeated Starscourge Radahn.
- The same character has defeated Mohg, Lord of Blood.
- You have not mistaken another character’s progress for this save’s progress.
- The base game is available on the platform account.
- The expansion entitlement matches the platform and edition you are using.
- Any PS4-to-PS5 conversion has been completed and verified, if applicable.
- The game has completed its normal save process after recent progress.
- You are entering on the current journey or beginning another one by choice, not because the official access conditions require it.
- You are not relying on an unsupported NG+ damage multiplier or universal recommended level.
Once those checks pass, the save is prepared according to the official access information: the two named boss defeats are present, the required base game and expansion are available, and the platform is reading the character you intend to play.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to beat the Elden Ring ending before Shadow of the Erdtree?
No. FromSoftware’s FAQ names Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood as the DLC-area access conditions. It does not list a completed ending.
Do I need to start New Game Plus to unlock the expansion?
No. Starting another journey is not listed as a prerequisite. You can remain on the current journey if that save has defeated both required bosses.
Can an NG+ save enter Shadow of the Erdtree?
The cited access statement does not disqualify NG+ saves. Check that Radahn and Mohg have been defeated on the character and journey you intend to use.
Does NG+ make the DLC harder by a known official percentage?
The official material covered here does not publish a numeric NG+ multiplier or a universal recommended journey. Choose a journey based on your preferred challenge and willingness to replay the base game.
Do Radahn and Mohg have to be defeated on the same character?
Yes, prepare the character that will enter the expansion and verify both victories on that save. Progress on another character does not prepare this one.
Is Shadow of the Erdtree a standalone game?
No. Bandai Namco states that the expansion requires the ELDEN RING base game. Check that both components belong to the same platform account and compatible edition.
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Use the PS4-to-PS5 save-conversion option described in the PS5 online manual, then verify the character name, journey state and both boss victories before launching the expansion.
Do all items and quests automatically carry into NG+?
Do not assume that. Version 1.12 specifically notes that active Summoning Pools carry over, but that narrow statement does not establish a universal rule for every quest, item or progression flag.
The Bottom Line
Prepare the exact character you will play, defeat Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood on that save, and confirm that the base game and expansion are entitled to the same platform account. You do not need a completed ending or a new journey solely for access. If you choose NG+, do so for your preferred challenge—not because an official source provides a universal difficulty recommendation.
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