Release OrderRecommended
0 / 3 playedBase game, then DLC, then spinoff.
- 1 Elden Ring Lands Between. Start here.
- 2 Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. Play before finale.
- 3 Elden Ring Nightreign Co-op spinoff. Separate loop.
About Elden Ring
Elden Ring launched in February 2022 from FromSoftware with George R. R. Martin's mythos around the shattered ring. The base game covers the Tarnished route to the Erdtree across Limgrave, Liurnia, Caelid and the capital. Shadow of the Erdtree (2024) adds the Land of Shadow around Miquella at Mohg's palace gate. Nightreign (2025) remixes bosses into three-player co-op runs in a parallel Limveld.
FromSoftware has not dated a sequel as of 2026, with Miyazaki saying the story closed while the studio moves to new projects. The Tarnished expansions need a late-game save, so the DLC assumes the base journey rather than standing apart.
Good to know
Play the base game first, then Shadow of the Erdtree before the final boss, since the DLC scales for endgame builds. Nightreign fits after everything as its own co-op loop with separate progression. The lore hides across item text in all three, so expect outside videos to connect Marika and Miquella rather than in-game answers.
