Even “high-level” Elden Ring veterans will have a tough time in the DLC thanks to unique Sekiro-like difficulty scaling

You can’t just grind your way out of Shadow of the Erdtree

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

The newElden Ring DLCwill boast a leveling system similar to that of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, so you won’t be able to grind your way through Shadow of the Erdtree.

Speaking toFamitsuin a new interview (translated viaReddit), Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki was asked whether there were any elements unique to the DLC. He said that there are, and pointed to the brand new leveling system in Shadow of the Erdtree, which he compared to the attack power system in Sekiro.

FromSoftware’s 2019 shinobi action game didn’t actually have a traditional ‘leveling up’ system like an RPG, but instead let the player periodically enhance their attack power and health whenever they either collected four special Prayer Beads or managed to beat a powerful story boss.

Miyazaki says a system like this will be present in Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, but only with regard to the player’s attack power. It’s basically been designed to make sure players can experience a fresh challenge in the DLC no matter the level they’re entering at from the base game, which sounds like an excellent approach for the RPG.

It seems there will also be ways to bolster our DLC attack power outside of the traditional leveling system in Elden Ring, with Miyazaki again presenting exploration as a way to power up for difficult fights. We can only guess as to what this method is right now, but if you were thinking about grinding out levels for your character before Shadow of the Erdtree releases later this year on June 21, you might want to cut those plans short and save your time.

Miyazaki recently said thatElden Ring wouldn’t be the same without Dark Souls 2, putting the black sheep of FromSoftware’s modern game on a lovely pedestal.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.

Monster Hunter Wilds players use the beta character creator to recreate their hunters from Monster Hunter World, aged for good measure, and also their real cats

After 500 hours in Monster Hunter World, the Monster Hunter Wilds beta feels like a new pair of shoes: fresh and stylish, but a little uncomfortable

“At least one” Game of Thrones movie is reportedly in early development at Warner Bros.