George R.R. Martin, the renowned author behind the A Song of Ice and Fire books and an executive producer on House of the Dragon, played a significant role in shaping the universe of Elden Ring. His collaboration with FromSoftware provided a rich foundation of lore and world-building that contributed to the game’s success.
As the release date for Elden Ring‘s expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, draws near, many wondered about Martin’s involvement in this latest installment, especially as fans grew weary about the lack of progress on The Winds of Winter, which Martin has been writing since 2010.
Hidetaka Miyazaki, the director of Elden Ring, clarified in an interview with Eurogamer that while Martin didn’t write new material for Shadow of the Erdtree as his original contributions continue to serve as the foundation for the expansion.
Miyazaki detailed that Shadow of the Erdtree is based on unused portions of the original mythos that Martin specifically created for Elden Ring. This approach allows the DLC to remain rooted in the established universe without additional contributions.
Nevertheless, Miyazaki expressed his gratitude for Martin, noting that the author’s work has inspired the team and enriched the game’s narrative complexity.
Shadow of the Erdtree promises to be FromSoftware’s largest expansion to date, with an expanded development cycle that helped ensure that it meets the high standards set by the base game, with Miyazaki emphasizing the team’s dedication to delivering a compelling and immersive experience.
In the same interview, Miyazaki confirmed that Shadow of the Erdtree will feature bosses reminiscent of Malenia.
Bandai Namco officially confirmed the release of Shadow of the Erdtree on June 21. If you’re interested, you can pre-order the game right now. Finally, for $249.99, you can have the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Collector’s Edition, which comes with additional freebies on top of the expansion.
