Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree boss expects you may use guides, but never wants them to be a prerequisite

Ahead of the highly-anticipated Elden Ring DLC expansion Shadow of the Erdtree, FromSoftware boss Hidetaka Miyazaki has said he understands why many players use guides to help them with the studio’s games, but doesn’t want them to be a necessity.

Speaking with PC Gamer, Miyazaki said the team expects players to consult guides when playing through its games. “There’s going to be a wealth of information on the web and in their communities where they have access to the secrets and the strategies,” he noted.

But, even though the FromSoft team does expect many of its players to turn to a guide or two to help them negotiate the Lands Between and Shadow of the Erdtree’s Land of Shadow, the studio still believes players should be able to enjoy its games without additional help.

We’ve Played Shadow of the Erdtree! HANDS-ON Preview Impressions – Bosses, Builds & More!

“We obviously understand [players use guides], but we don’t make or plan anything with that as a prerequisite,” he said. “If anything, we try to cater to the player who is completely blind and wants to go through organically. If they can’t do it, then there’s some room for improvement on our behalf, and we’d like to try to embrace those players more in the future.”

Miyazaki added that those getting ready to play Shadow of the Erdtree specifically will have plenty of experience with Elden Ring’s base game, and therefore the team has “faith that they will be able to continue, find these secrets and overcome these challenges”.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with using guides when playing games, and indeed Miyazaki called it a “perfectly valid playstyle”.

“We don’t necessarily cater to players who are reading guides as they go… we respect those players who like to approach it with a guide in hand. We just want to let you know it’s not our prerequisite, designing the game in their favour,” he closed.

Shadow of the Erdtree is set to release later this month, on 21st June.

In order to venture into Shadow of the Erdtree’s Land of Shadow, players will need to make sure they have completed all necessary requirements in Elden Ring’s base game. That’s defeating both Starscourge Radahn and Mohg Lord of Blood. Our Ed has also laid out further tips to get you as ready as can be for Shadow of the Erdtree’s release.

For more, be sure to check out Eurogamer’s Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree preview here. Also, keep an eye out for our guides coverage on the DLC’s release 😉