Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC expansion released; players submit 'sick notes' to skip work and play

Fans of the critically acclaimed video game Elden Ring got access to a new expansion of the game on Friday with the release of the Shadow of the Erdtree downloadable content (DLC). The DLC's release quickly caused the game to trend, and publishers Bandai Namco US even offered players a lore-friendly sick note so they could take the day off to play. Some players admitted to taking as much as a week off for the highly-anticipated addition to the base game, which is still one of the highest-selling titles of the year.

Elden Ring is an action role-playing game (RPG) that allows players to freely roam through an open world called the Lands Between from a third-person perspective. It's one of the best-selling video games of all-time, having crossed the 25 million copies sold threshold earlier this month, according to its developer.

The game was initially released in February 2022 and was developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco. It was directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, while fantasy writer George R.R. Martin of "Game of Thrones" fame helped to create the backstory and overall narrative of the game. 

The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is set in the Realm of Shadow and gives players the task of searching for Miquella the Empyrean. During that quest, their characters will face challenging bosses and can access numerous new weapons and armor while customizing their character freely.

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Players' characters can develop their attributes by learning new skills and spells as they explore dungeons and mountains, where they can discover secret areas in an expanded map.

Estimates of how much playing time it takes to complete the Erdtree range from about 15 hours to 30 hours, depending on whether players stick to the main plot or complete side quests.

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Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is available for purchase on several gaming platforms, including PC, XBox Series X/S and PS5 from Friday, June 21. The DLC costs users $40 to add the expansion to their base game.

The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is the first and only expansion of the Elden Ring game that has been developed to date. Development of the expansion was officially announced in February 2023.

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