Shadow of the Erdtree isn’t a post-credit victory lap or a New Game Plus-only challenge. It’s a full-scale expansion built for Tarnished who have proven they can survive Elden Ring’s most punishing endgame encounters, and it assumes you understand how FromSoftware layers difficulty, lore, and progression. Think of it as a parallel journey that branches off late in the main story, not a continuation that waits for the final boss to fall.
This DLC is designed to slot into a specific point in your playthrough, one where your build is mostly complete, your flask upgrades are nearly maxed, and you’ve already danced through some of the game’s most infamous hitboxes. If you’re still struggling with midgame legacy dungeons, Shadow of the Erdtree will chew you up. If you’re confidently farming runes and optimizing talismans, you’re in the right headspace.
When Shadow of the Erdtree Becomes Available
Access to Shadow of the Erdtree is tied to defeating two mandatory bosses: Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood. Both must be dead in the same save file, and this applies regardless of whether you’re in NG or NG+. There is no shortcut, no alternate trigger, and no NPC workaround that bypasses these requirements.
Radahn gates progression into key late-game systems and lore threads, while Mohg is the true lock on the DLC itself. FromSoftware clearly expects players to have mastered aggressive boss patterns, delayed attacks, and arena-wide pressure before stepping into the expansion. If Mohg is still alive, the DLC may as well not exist.
The Exact DLC Entrance Location
Once Mohg, Lord of Blood is defeated, the DLC entrance appears inside Mohgwyn Palace, directly in Mohg’s boss arena. The cocoon hanging behind the Site of Grace becomes interactable, allowing you to touch Miquella’s arm and be transported to the Realm of Shadow. There is no prompt elsewhere in the world, no NPC pointing you there, and no map marker to guide you.
If you’ve beaten Mohg but never returned to his arena, this is the most common reason players think the DLC isn’t active. You must physically go back to the cocoon and interact with it. Fast travel won’t trigger anything automatically.
Common Pitfalls That Can Block Access
The biggest mistake players make is rushing to the end of the game and starting New Game Plus without checking DLC requirements. While Shadow of the Erdtree is accessible in NG+, the difficulty scaling is brutal, and many players accidentally lock themselves into a far harsher first DLC experience than intended.
Another issue is incomplete progression toward Mohgwyn Palace itself. If you’ve never finished White-Faced Varre’s questline or used the late-game teleporter in the Consecrated Snowfield, you may not even have access to Mohg yet. The DLC doesn’t bypass this; you still need a legitimate path to Mohg, his arena, and the cocoon.
Shadow of the Erdtree doesn’t ask whether you’re curious. It asks whether you’re ready, and the game is very literal about what “ready” means.
Mandatory Progression Requirements: Bosses You Must Defeat Before Accessing the DLC
Before Shadow of the Erdtree even acknowledges your save file, Elden Ring performs a hard check on two specific boss kills. These aren’t optional, missable, or flexible requirements. If either boss is still alive, the DLC entrance will not activate, no matter how far you’ve progressed elsewhere.
FromSoftware is very intentional here. The DLC assumes players understand late-game pacing, delayed attack chains, and sustained pressure, and these two fights are the skill gate that proves it.
Starscourge Radahn: The Festival Is Not Optional
Starscourge Radahn must be defeated in the same save file you plan to use for the DLC. This means completing Redmane Castle, triggering the Radahn Festival, and winning one of Elden Ring’s most mechanically demanding spectacle fights.
Radahn’s death is more than a Great Rune check. It unlocks multiple late-game systems and story flags tied to the broader mythos surrounding Miquella, making it a foundational requirement for Shadow of the Erdtree’s narrative setup.
If Radahn is still alive, the DLC will not unlock, even if Mohg is already dead. Both kills are mandatory, and the order does not matter, but Radahn cannot be skipped.
Mohg, Lord of Blood: The True DLC Gatekeeper
Mohg, Lord of Blood is the final and most important progression requirement. Defeating him is what directly enables access to the DLC entrance inside Mohgwyn Palace.
This is the version of Mohg fought in his underground dynasty mausoleum, not the weaker projection beneath Leyndell. You must defeat the real Mohg, activate the Site of Grace in his arena, and leave his boss room intact for the DLC trigger to appear later.
From a design standpoint, Mohg is the DLC’s skill filter. His bloodflame pressure, phase transition burst damage, and aggressive zoning mechanics mirror what Shadow of the Erdtree expects from the player almost immediately.
Story Progression and New Game Plus Considerations
There are no additional main story requirements beyond these two bosses. You do not need to become Elden Lord, burn the Erdtree, or defeat endgame bosses like Maliketh or Radagon to access the DLC.
However, progression state matters in terms of difficulty. If you enter Shadow of the Erdtree in New Game Plus, enemy scaling, damage output, and boss HP will reflect that cycle. The game does not rebalance the DLC for first-time DLC players in NG+, and the opening hours can feel punishing if you’re underprepared.
As long as Radahn and Mohg are dead in your current save, the DLC entrance will be active. If either boss remains alive, Shadow of the Erdtree stays completely inaccessible, regardless of your level, gear, or narrative progress elsewhere in the Lands Between.
Miquella’s Cocoon Explained: The Exact DLC Entrance Location
With Radahn and Mohg defeated, the game quietly unlocks Shadow of the Erdtree’s entrance without any new map markers or NPC prompts. True to FromSoftware tradition, the gateway is physical, diegetic, and easy to overlook if you don’t know exactly where to look.
The DLC entrance is not a menu option, teleporter, or Roundtable interaction. It exists entirely in the world, anchored to one of Elden Ring’s most unsettling story objects: Miquella’s cocoon.
Where to Find Miquella’s Cocoon
Miquella’s cocoon is located inside Mohgwyn Palace, directly beyond the boss arena where you defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood. After killing the real Mohg and activating the Site of Grace in his arena, do not fast travel away immediately.
Behind Mohg’s throne, at the far end of the boss chamber, you’ll find the massive, pale cocoon embedded in the wall. An emaciated arm hangs limply from it, unmistakable once you know to look for it.
This exact object is the DLC entrance. There is no alternate location, no NPC intermediary, and no backup trigger elsewhere in the Lands Between.
How the DLC Entrance Actually Activates
Once Shadow of the Erdtree is installed and both Radahn and Mohg are dead on your current save file, approaching the cocoon will prompt a new interaction. The game will give you a contextual input near Miquella’s arm, triggering a short transition that pulls your Tarnished into the DLC’s opening area.
If the interaction prompt does not appear, one of three things is wrong: Radahn is still alive, you killed the wrong version of Mohg, or the DLC is not properly installed on that platform. Player level, Erdtree progression, and ending choices do not affect this trigger.
Importantly, this interaction only appears after Mohg’s arena is left intact. Reloading the area or resting at the Site of Grace is safe, but if you’ve never defeated the true Mohg here, the cocoon remains inert.
Common Pitfalls That Block Access
The most frequent mistake is killing the Mohg illusion beneath Leyndell and assuming it counts. It does not. Only Mohg, Lord of Blood in Mohgwyn Palace unlocks the cocoon.
Another common misconception is that White-Faced Varre’s questline is mandatory. It is not. Varre is simply the fastest way to reach Mohgwyn Palace early, but any method of accessing the region works as long as Mohg is defeated there.
Finally, New Game Plus can trip players up. Boss kills do not carry over for DLC access. If you entered NG+, Radahn and Mohg must be defeated again in that cycle before the cocoon interaction becomes available.
Why Miquella’s Cocoon Matters Narratively
From a lore perspective, the cocoon isn’t just a door. It’s a deliberate narrative handoff. Shadow of the Erdtree doesn’t begin with exposition or setup text because the setup already exists here, silently, in Mohg’s obsession and Miquella’s unfinished ascension.
By tying the DLC entrance to a physical interaction with Miquella’s cocoon, FromSoftware ensures players engage with the story on its terms. You are not selecting a new adventure. You are trespassing into one that has been waiting, unfinished, since the base game launched.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough: How to Unlock and Enter Shadow of the Erdtree
With the narrative groundwork established, actually entering Shadow of the Erdtree is a mechanical process, not a vague endgame trigger. FromSoftware designed this entrance to be strict, deliberate, and easy to miss if you don’t follow the sequence exactly.
Step 1: Defeat Starscourge Radahn
Radahn is the first non-negotiable gate. He must be defeated on your current save file, not a previous NG cycle, and not via any workaround.
This matters because Radahn’s death is what fully advances Miquella’s stalled fate in the background. Without it, the game will never flag your save as eligible for the DLC interaction, even if everything else is done correctly.
If the festival hasn’t started, progress Ranni’s questline or advance Altus Plateau to trigger it. Once Radahn falls and the stars resume their course, your save has cleared the first major check.
Step 2: Defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood at Mohgwyn Palace
This is the most common failure point. The only Mohg that counts is Mohg, Lord of Blood, located at the top of Mohgwyn Palace.
The Mohg illusion beneath Leyndell does not count under any circumstances. Killing it only clears a legacy dungeon boss and has zero impact on DLC access.
You can reach Mohgwyn Palace early through White-Faced Varre’s quest, late via a portal in the Consecrated Snowfield, or anywhere in between. The route does not matter. Only the boss kill does.
Step 3: Do Not Start New Game Plus
Before moving on, double-check your save state. If you defeat Radahn and Mohg, then enter NG+, those flags reset.
FromSoftware treats DLC access like any other world-state check. New cycle, new requirements. If you are planning NG+, enter the DLC first or be prepared to repeat both boss fights.
Step 4: Return to Mohg’s Arena and Approach Miquella’s Cocoon
After Mohg is dead, return to his boss arena at Mohgwyn Palace. The Site of Grace can be rested at safely, and the arena should remain unchanged.
Approach Miquella’s cocoon at the back of the chamber, focusing on the withered arm hanging from it. If all conditions are met, a contextual interaction prompt will appear automatically.
No NPC needs to be spoken to. No item needs to be equipped. If the prompt is there, you are cleared for entry.
Step 5: Interact With the Cocoon to Enter the DLC
Activate the prompt near Miquella’s arm. A brief transition plays, and your Tarnished is pulled directly into Shadow of the Erdtree’s opening area.
There is no confirmation screen, no warning message, and no point-of-no-return popup. FromSoftware expects you to understand what you are touching and accept the consequences.
Once the transition completes, you are officially inside the DLC, operating under its new systems, scaling rules, and progression structure.
If the Prompt Does Not Appear
If you are standing at the cocoon and nothing happens, one of three things is wrong. Either Radahn is alive, Mohg, Lord of Blood has not been defeated at Mohgwyn Palace, or the DLC is not installed or properly recognized by your platform.
Player level, main story completion, Great Rune count, and ending choice do not matter. This is a binary check, not a soft recommendation.
Fix the missing requirement, reload the area, and return to the cocoon. When everything is correct, the game will not be subtle about it.
Recommended Level, Build Readiness, and Gear Before Entering the DLC
Once the cocoon prompt appears, the game stops holding your hand. Shadow of the Erdtree does not check your level, build, or gear before pulling you in, but it absolutely assumes you are endgame-ready the moment your boots hit the ground.
If you enter underprepared, the DLC will not gently scale you up. It will punish sloppy stat spreads, unfinished builds, and complacent muscle memory from late-game Elden Ring.
Recommended Character Level
For most players, level 120 to 150 is the realistic entry point. This is the range where your primary damage stat is properly soft-capped, your Vigor can survive DLC-tier burst damage, and your build has room for utility rather than pure stat triage.
Entering below level 100 is technically possible, but it turns every encounter into a glass-cannon exercise in perfect I-frames. Shadow of the Erdtree enemies hit harder and faster than Mountaintops content, with tighter tracking and less forgiveness on roll timing.
Vigor, Endurance, and Survivability Checks
If your Vigor is under 50, you are undergeared for the DLC’s opening hours. Many enemies can two-shot unoptimized builds, and chip damage adds up quickly in longer engagements.
Endurance matters more than you think. Extended combos, delayed swings, and stamina-draining pressure mean you need enough green bar to dodge, block, and retaliate without getting stamina-broken mid-fight.
Build Completion Matters More Than Meta
Shadow of the Erdtree is not designed around meta DPS spreadsheets. It is designed around fully realized builds that understand their own win condition.
Whether you are running Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith, or Arcane, your core stat should be at or near its soft cap, your weapon upgraded to maximum or near-maximum, and your Ash of War chosen intentionally. Half-finished hybrid builds suffer hard here, especially early on.
Weapon Upgrades and Damage Expectations
Somber weapons should be at +9 or +10 before entry. Standard weapons should be +24 or +25. Anything less will feel like hitting armored targets with a training sword.
Enemy HP pools are tuned for endgame output, and poor damage scaling stretches fights long enough for mistakes to snowball. If you struggled to kill Mohg efficiently, you will struggle even more here.
Talismans, Armor, and Poise Considerations
Talismans are not optional optimization in the DLC, they are survival tools. Damage negation, stamina recovery, and build-synergy talismans provide measurable advantages in every encounter.
Armor selection should balance poise and survivability without fat-rolling. Many DLC enemies punish panic rolls and long recovery frames, making medium roll consistency far more valuable than raw defense stacking.
Status Effects and Resistance Awareness
Shadow of the Erdtree leans heavily into status pressure. Bleed, Frostbite, Madness, and elemental chip damage show up early and often.
Stock up on boluses, understand your resistances, and do not rely on a single damage type without a backup plan. Enemies are more aggressive about exploiting weaknesses, and overcommitting to one trick invites hard counters.
Mindset Shift Before You Step Through
This DLC is not an extension of the base game’s victory lap. It is a difficulty reset designed to humble endgame Tarnished.
If you enter expecting familiar pacing, generous openings, or late-game dominance, Shadow of the Erdtree will correct that assumption immediately. Enter prepared, enter focused, and treat the opening area like a new Lands Between, not a continuation of your power fantasy.
NPC Questlines, Flags, and Story Conditions That Matter (and Those That Don’t)
Once your build is locked in and your gear is DLC-ready, the next anxiety spike usually hits: did you accidentally break a questline or flip a story flag that blocks Shadow of the Erdtree? The good news is that FromSoftware kept the access conditions tighter than the lore implications, and most players are far safer than they think.
What matters is extremely specific. What doesn’t matter is almost everything else.
The Only Mandatory Boss Flags: Mohg and Radahn
To access Shadow of the Erdtree, two bosses must be defeated on that save file: Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood. These are hard requirements, not soft recommendations, and the DLC will not trigger without both flags set.
Radahn’s defeat advances the overarching Miquella timeline and is treated internally as a world-state progression flag. Mohg’s death is non-negotiable because the DLC entrance is physically tied to Miquella’s cocoon in Mohgwyn Palace.
Order does not matter. You can kill Radahn first or Mohg first with zero consequences.
The Exact DLC Entrance Location
Shadow of the Erdtree is entered at the Cocoon of the Empyrean, the withered arm hanging from Miquella’s cocoon inside Mohg’s boss arena. After Mohg is defeated and Radahn’s flag is set, interacting with the cocoon triggers the DLC transition.
If nothing happens when you interact with it, you are missing a requirement. In practice, that almost always means Radahn is still alive somewhere in Caelid.
NPC Questlines That Do Not Block Access
Most NPC questlines do not affect DLC access in any way. This includes Melina’s story, Ranni’s questline, Fia, Goldmask, Dung Eater, Volcano Manor, and even Hyetta and the Frenzied Flame route.
You are not locked out if Melina is dead, if the Erdtree is burning, or if you’ve already committed to an ending path. Shadow of the Erdtree sits parallel to the endgame, not behind it.
Endings, World State, and Erdtree Progression
Choosing an ending does not block the DLC, as long as you do not start New Game Plus. You can defeat the Elden Beast, watch an ending, and still access Shadow of the Erdtree on that same cycle.
Burning the Erdtree, unleashing Destined Death, or advancing Crumbling Farum Azula does not interfere with the DLC trigger. These world-state changes are intentionally ignored for DLC access.
Common Pitfalls Players Worry About (But Shouldn’t)
Killing Mohg early does not break anything. In fact, many players defeat him long before they’re mechanically ready for the DLC, and that’s fine.
Skipping NPC dialogue, failing side quests, or killing NPCs has no impact on entry. Shadow of the Erdtree does not check quest completion flags beyond the two required bosses.
The One Way to Actually Lock Yourself Out
Starting New Game Plus resets the world state, including Mohg and Radahn. If you move into NG+ without defeating both again, the DLC will not be accessible until you do.
If you are sitting at the Roundtable Hold with a completed ending and considering NG+, stop and enter the DLC first. Shadow of the Erdtree is balanced assuming endgame power, not NG+ scaling unless you choose that intentionally.
What This Means for Save File Preparation
If Radahn is dead, Mohg is dead, and your character exists in a non-NG+ world, you are functionally DLC-ready from a story perspective. Everything else is optimization, not access.
FromSoftware designed Shadow of the Erdtree to be difficult to survive, not difficult to unlock. The real gate is your build, your fundamentals, and your willingness to relearn combat rhythms the moment you touch Miquella’s cocoon.
Common Pitfalls and Lockout Risks: What Can Delay or Prevent DLC Access
Even with Radahn and Mohg defeated, there are still a few traps that can stall your entry into Shadow of the Erdtree. None of these are obscure FromSoftware riddles, but they are the exact kind of friction points that catch players who assume the DLC will auto-trigger.
Think of this section as a final checklist. These are not build issues or difficulty warnings, but practical, save-file-level problems that can stop the DLC from appearing when it should.
Beating the Wrong Mohg (Yes, It Still Happens)
The DLC requires Mohg, Lord of Blood, the version found in Mohgwyn Palace. Killing Mohg, the Omen beneath Leyndell does not count, even though the name and moveset overlap enough to confuse returning players.
If you never used the Pureblood Knight’s Medal or accessed Mohgwyn Palace via the Consecrated Snowfield portal, double-check your map. The correct Mohg arena is deep underground, bathed in red light, with no relation to the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds.
Radahn Must Be Fully Dead, Not Just “Festival Unlocked”
Triggering the Radahn Festival at Redmane Castle is not enough. You must defeat Starscourge Radahn and receive his Great Rune for the DLC flag to register.
Some players leave Radahn alive after unlocking Nokron or get distracted post-festival. If the star hasn’t fallen and his remembrance isn’t in your inventory history, the DLC entrance will not activate.
Missing the Actual DLC Entrance Interaction
Shadow of the Erdtree does not begin at a Site of Grace, NPC, or Roundtable prompt. The entrance is a physical interaction point at Miquella’s cocoon in Mohg’s boss arena.
You must approach the cocoon and interact with it. If nothing happens, reload the area, rest at a Grace, or fast travel away and return. The trigger is simple, but it will not fire passively.
DLC Installed and Version Synced
This sounds obvious, but it is one of the most common real-world blockers. The DLC must be fully installed and your game must be patched to the required version on your platform.
If you are playing offline, on a shared console profile, or swapping between systems, verify ownership and installation status. If the game doesn’t know Shadow of the Erdtree exists, the cocoon will remain inert.
Multiplayer and Invasion State Issues
You cannot enter the DLC while actively invaded or during certain co-op states. If the interaction prompt doesn’t appear, sever multiplayer, rest at a Grace, and return solo.
This also applies if you are mid-quest invasion or have unresolved aggro states nearby. Clear the area, reset it, and try again without summons active.
New Game Plus Is the Only True Hard Lock
As established earlier, starting NG+ resets Radahn and Mohg. If you advanced into NG+ even accidentally, the DLC will remain inaccessible until both bosses are defeated again in that cycle.
This is the single irreversible mistake players make. Everything else is delay or confusion; NG+ is a full reset of eligibility.
Why These Pitfalls Exist
FromSoftware intentionally kept Shadow of the Erdtree’s requirements minimal, but also literal. The game checks specific boss flags and a single physical interaction, nothing more.
If access fails, it is almost always because one of those checks is incomplete, not because of narrative choices, endings, or NPC outcomes. Once those flags are clean, the DLC opens immediately, no cutscene gatekeeping required.
Final Pre-DLC Checklist: How to Prepare Your Save File with Confidence
At this point, you know where Shadow of the Erdtree begins and what the game is checking behind the scenes. This final checklist is about locking in certainty, so when you touch Miquella’s cocoon, the DLC triggers cleanly and immediately. Think of this as your last pre-flight inspection before FromSoftware drops the floor out from under you.
Confirm Both Mandatory Boss Flags Are Cleared
General Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood must be dead in your current playthrough. It does not matter how you reached Mohg, whether via Varre’s quest or the Consecrated Snowfield teleporter, as long as the boss is defeated.
If either boss is alive, the DLC entrance will not respond. There is no partial progress, alternative flag, or workaround here. The game is binary and unforgiving.
Verify You Are Not in New Game Plus by Accident
If you rolled into NG+ after finishing the base game, even for testing or curiosity, your Radahn and Mohg kills no longer count. This is the most common reason endgame-ready characters suddenly lose DLC access.
Check your map progression and boss states carefully. If Radahn’s festival is active again or Mohg’s arena is untouched, you are in a new cycle and must re-clear them.
Physically Reach the Correct DLC Entrance Location
The entrance is inside Mohgwyn Palace, directly at Miquella’s cocoon in Mohg’s boss arena. This is not a Grace menu option, a prompt at Roundtable Hold, or an NPC interaction.
Walk up to the cocoon itself and interact. If the prompt does not appear, reset the area by resting, fast traveling, or reloading the game.
Stabilize Your World State Before Interacting
Make sure you are not invaded, summoning, or mid-multiplayer activity. Active co-op, lingering invasion flags, or nearby hostile states can suppress interaction prompts.
Enter the arena solo, clear any aggro, and approach the cocoon with no systems competing for control. Shadow of the Erdtree expects a clean, neutral world state.
Double-Check DLC Installation and Game Version
The DLC must be installed and recognized by your platform. If you are offline, using a secondary account, or swapping between consoles, the game may not detect ownership.
If Shadow of the Erdtree is not installed, the cocoon will do nothing, even if every in-game requirement is met. This is a real-world gate, not a design mystery.
Optional but Strongly Recommended: Endgame Readiness
While not required, you should be comfortably handling late-game enemies before entering. Expect aggressive AI, delayed attack strings, and punishing hitboxes tuned for veterans.
Upgrade your primary weapon, finalize your build, and stock key consumables. The DLC does not ease you in, and respeccing mid-crisis is a fast way to burn runes and patience.
The Final Mental Check
Shadow of the Erdtree is not a post-credits epilogue. It is a parallel endgame path designed to challenge players who understand Elden Ring’s systems at a deep level.
If the cocoon responds, you are ready. Step forward with confidence, because FromSoftware is about to test everything you think you’ve mastered in the Lands Between.