Shadow of the Erdtree drew a mix of praise and complaints at launch, with the most prominent criticism aimed at demanding boss fights and a smaller share of reports focused on PC stuttering and frame drops. The widely cited Steam “Mixed” rating was a June 22, 2024 snapshot—not a current score—and Bandai Namco later adjusted Scadutree Blessing progression and published platform-specific troubleshooting guidance.
What “Mixed” meant at launch
On June 22, 2024, PC Gamer reported that 61% of more than 14,000 Steam user reviews were positive, placing Shadow of the Erdtree in Steam’s “Mixed” category at that time. That figure describes an early launch-period snapshot; it should not be read as the expansion’s current Steam rating or as a measure of why players left negative reviews. PC Gamer’s June 22, 2024 report said difficulty was the leading source of frustration and characterized performance complaints as a distinct minority, without assigning them a percentage.
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Windows Central’s June 22 coverage also described early “Mixed” reviews, citing reports of high enemy damage, long or aggressive boss attacks, frame drops, and stuttering. Its reviewer disagreed with the claim that the expansion was unfairly difficult, arguing that players needed to learn the encounters and engage bosses more actively. That was the reviewer’s interpretation, not a resolution of the disagreement among players. Windows Central’s launch coverage presents both the complaints and that contrasting view.
Why some players called the bosses unfair
The complaints reported at launch were about combat rhythm as much as raw difficulty: players described enemies dealing substantial damage, bosses extending combos with few perceived openings, and encounters that seemed to demand trading hits or relying on particular tools. Some user reviews called the boss design “unfair” or “unbalanced,” but those are individual judgments, not evidence that every boss was objectively unbalanced or that all players experienced the fights the same way. Metacritic’s user reviews provide examples of individual reactions, not representative polling.
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Scadutree Fragments added a separate progression layer
The expansion uses Scadutree Fragments to raise Scadutree Blessing, increasing the player’s damage dealt and damage negation within the expansion. PC Gamer suggested that some players might have struggled because they had not collected enough fragments or engaged sufficiently with this progression system. That is a plausible explanation offered in the coverage, not proof that insufficient exploration caused all negative reviews or that it removes the difficulty complaints.
What players reported about performance
Launch coverage documented player reports of frame-rate drops and stuttering, with the discussion particularly focused on PC. Those reports establish that some players encountered problems; they do not establish that every PC player—or players on every platform—had the same issue. Bandai Namco’s later guidance identifies several possible settings or system-specific causes rather than promising a universal fix.
PC: check ray tracing and mouse-control software
In its June 24, 2024 Calibration Update 1.12.2, Bandai Namco said ray tracing could become enabled unintentionally after loading save data from earlier game versions. For an unstable frame rate, it advised checking Ray Tracing Quality and turning ray tracing off if it was enabled unintentionally. The official 1.12.2 notes describe a possible cause and a setting to check, not a diagnosis for every performance problem.
Bandai Namco’s October 2, 2024 Version 1.15 patch notes again mention that PC ray tracing may be unintentionally enabled. They also say third-party applications that control mouse behavior may cause unstable frame rates on PC. If performance changes after disabling ray tracing but remains unstable, the mouse-control software note is another specific troubleshooting lead; the publisher does not say either step will fix every case.
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The Version 1.15 notes also say PS5 players may be able to improve unstable frame rates by using the console’s Rebuild Database option. This is platform-specific guidance from Bandai Namco, not a claim that PS5 and PC complaints had the same cause or that database rebuilding guarantees a remedy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What Bandai Namco changed about progression
Calibration Update 1.12.2, dated June 24, 2024, revised how Scadutree Blessing scales attack power and damage negation. Both effects were increased across the first half of the maximum blessing enhancements; gains in the second half became more gradual, while the final level’s effects increased slightly. The official change addressed the expansion’s progression curve. Its notes do not describe a comprehensive rebalance of every boss or say that the adjustment settled all criticism of boss difficulty.
What the expansion includes—and what you need to play it
Shadow of the Erdtree is additional content for Elden Ring, not a standalone game. Bandai Namco lists its release date as June 21, 2024, and its platforms as PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. The publisher says players must progress through the base game to a certain point before they can start the expansion, and that Elden Ring is required. Its product information lists associated packages including the Shadow of the Erdtree Edition, Deluxe Edition, Premium Bundle, and Collector’s Edition; availability and exact contents can vary by platform and listing. See Bandai Namco’s product information for the publisher’s details.
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