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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsTo make an Elden Ring save eligible for Shadow of the Erdtree, defeat Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood on that same save. FromSoftware’s stated access conditions do not require finishing an ending or starting a new journey. You also need the base game and the expansion installed or owned on the same platform entitlement.
New Game Plus does not automatically disqualify a character. However, the official material does not establish a universal NG+ damage multiplier, recommended journey, or ideal character level for the expansion. Prepare the correct save, verify ownership, and choose your journey for the challenge and replay time you want—not because the DLC requires a particular NG+ state.
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The official access gate: two bosses on the intended save
FromSoftware’s developer FAQ identifies two defeated bosses as the conditions for entering the Shadow of the Erdtree area:
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- Starscourge Radahn
- Mohg, Lord of Blood
Those conditions apply to the character and save you plan to use for the expansion. Beating either boss on a different character does not prepare the current one. If you have several profiles, confirm the character name and platform before you begin any final preparation.
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The FAQ does not add a requirement to complete the base-game ending, choose an ending, or begin a new journey. Do not delay the expansion simply to finish a finale or trigger NG+. Those activities may be part of your personal plan, but they are not listed as access gates in the cited developer guidance.
What the two-boss rule does and does not mean
The requirement is a readiness check for the save, not a recommendation about your build, level, or route. It also does not say that the bosses must be defeated in a particular order beyond having both victories recorded on the character. If Radahn is complete but Mohg remains alive, Mohg is the concrete missing condition; if both are complete, repeating the fights on another character is unnecessary for this save.
Keep the distinction between an access condition and optional preparation clear. An ending, an optional quest, a collectible route, or a particular weapon can matter to your own goals, but none is identified by the FAQ as an additional DLC gate.
Ownership and edition checks before you launch
Shadow of the Erdtree is additional content, not a standalone game. Bandai Namco’s official expansion page states: “Shadow Of The Erdtree requires ELDEN RING base game to play.” The account or console profile launching the save therefore needs access to both components.
Verify the base game
Make sure the base game is installed, playable, and associated with the account you will use. A disc, digital license, subscription entitlement, or family-sharing arrangement can have different platform rules. The product page establishes the requirement for the base game; it does not guarantee that every sharing or subscription arrangement will grant expansion access.
If you own a disc version, use the disc or the account that owns the corresponding digital license as required by your platform. If the base game came through a subscription, check that the subscription is still active and that the expansion is licensed to the same account. These checks prevent confusing a launchable base game with a profile that can actually use the add-on.
Verify the expansion
Check your platform store or game-management screen for Shadow of the Erdtree ownership and installation. If the expansion is a pre-order, bundle, or code, confirm that the code was redeemed on the profile that launches Elden Ring. A downloaded artbook or soundtrack is not evidence that the playable add-on is installed.
Store regions and console accounts can also matter. Confirm that the edition and add-on match the game version you launch, rather than assuming that an account holding a similarly named product on another region will activate this installation.
Check the edition contents
Bandai Namco lists Shadow of the Erdtree Edition as including the base game and expansion. A Deluxe Edition includes those components plus digital artbooks and soundtracks. If you already own one component, compare the exact edition contents in your regional platform store before buying another package. The official listing establishes what each edition contains, not a current price, stock status, or retailer compatibility.
In other words, there is no need to purchase a second base game if your account already owns it, but the store must show the expansion entitlement for that same account and platform. Retail listings and bundle names can vary by region, so read the platform’s included-products panel instead of relying on a headline alone.
Step-by-step preparation procedure
- Start the correct platform version. Launch the version on which the character was created and on which the expansion entitlement exists. Do not assume that a save visible in cloud storage is automatically usable across console generations.
- Load the intended character. From the title screen, select the profile and character you actually want to take into the expansion. If you have several similar names, inspect the latest playtime or progress information rather than relying on memory.
- Confirm both boss defeats on that character. The access gate is satisfied by defeating Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood in the same save. If one is still alive in that journey, complete that fight before troubleshooting the expansion.
- Check the expansion entitlement. With the game closed or from the platform’s add-on screen, verify that Shadow of the Erdtree is owned by the active account and installed for the correct edition and region.
- Keep a backup copy where your platform permits it. Use the platform’s normal cloud-save or external-backup feature, and avoid overwriting the only copy while changing journey state. A backup is a recovery measure, not a substitute for meeting the two boss conditions.
- Return to the same character after installation. Launch the game, load the prepared save, and confirm that your equipment, runes, map progress, and character level look familiar. This simple identity check catches many “wrong save” problems before you enter the add-on.
The game may not present a separate checklist saying “ready for DLC.” Treat the defeated bosses, ownership check, and correct save selection as the practical readiness test. If you intend to start another journey, make the backup and identity check before accepting the irreversible journey transition.
Should you enter on the current journey or start another NG+?
There is no official comparison that declares one journey level the correct way to play Shadow of the Erdtree. The decision is therefore about your preferred challenge and how much base-game repetition you accept.
| Choice | What it means for preparation | Best fit | Important caution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enter on the current journey | Use the save after the two required bosses are defeated and the add-on is installed. | Players who want to preserve their current route, equipment, and unfinished base-game activities. | Official material reviewed here does not quantify how this journey affects DLC damage or enemy durability. |
| Begin another journey first | Finish your own preparations, trigger NG+, and then progress far enough to defeat the two named bosses again on that new journey. | Players who deliberately want another full playthrough before the expansion. | Starting NG+ is not listed as an access requirement. It also creates additional progression work before the DLC. |
In practical terms, starting a new journey only because you believe it unlocks the expansion adds work without satisfying a documented requirement. Conversely, remaining on the current journey does not make the save ineligible if the two bosses are defeated and the content is owned.
Questions to ask before choosing
- Do you still have unfinished base-game objectives? Staying on the current journey preserves the state in which those objectives are available.
- Do you want a complete replay? Starting NG+ is reasonable when repeating the base game is part of the fun, not when it is treated as a DLC key.
- Are both bosses defeated in the journey you will actually use? If you start NG+, do not assume victories from the prior journey satisfy the new save; the safe reading of the requirement is to defeat both on the intended character and journey.
- Can you accept extra preparation time? A new journey means progressing through the base game again before the two named bosses are available and defeated.
What is known—and not known—about NG+ difficulty
The cited official FAQ describes access conditions, not a recommended journey, character level, or NG+-specific damage multiplier. Do not treat an internet rule such as “always enter on Journey 2” or a universal level threshold as an official standard.
FromSoftware’s patch notes provide a different kind of information. Version 1.12 added Shadow of the Erdtree support and noted that active Summoning Pools carry over to NG+. Version 1.12.2 revised the attack and damage-negation curve granted by Scadutree Blessing: the first half of blessing levels became more effective, while the later half followed a more gradual progression. These are game-balance and multiplayer-progression notes, not a comparison of DLC difficulty across NG+ journeys.
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That distinction matters. Scadutree Blessing is an expansion-specific progression system, while NG+ is a journey state. The patch notes do not provide enough information to convert one into a recommended starting journey or to calculate how much harder a particular save will be.
Consequently, avoid promising a numeric increase in enemy health, attack power, or damage for a particular journey unless a future official source states it. Your own experience can guide your choice, but it should be presented as personal preference rather than a universal rule.
Using the Scadutree Blessing information correctly
The 1.12.2 change means you should expect the blessing system’s attack and damage-negation curve to differ from its original 1.12 behavior. It does not mean that a blessing level cancels every effect of NG+, nor does it establish a target number of blessings before entering a specific area.
- Do not skip the expansion’s blessing progression because you are in NG+.
- Do not promise that a particular blessing level makes every journey equally difficult.
- Do not use the patch note as evidence for a universal character-level recommendation.
Use the system as the expansion presents it, and adjust your build, equipment, summons, and exploration choices based on how your own character performs. If the opening encounters feel too demanding, exploration for blessing upgrades is a gameplay decision, not proof that your save was prepared incorrectly.
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Save files, profiles, and console-generation details
Save handling is platform-specific. The official PlayStation 5 manual includes a menu option for converting a PS4 save to PS5. That is a specific conversion workflow, not proof that every save, trophy state, or entitlement transfers freely between all versions.
The Xbox manual describes automatic saves occurring at specific times. Automatic saving can reduce the chance of losing recent progress, but it does not select the right character for you or validate DLC ownership. Before changing journey state, switching console versions, or deleting local data, confirm which copy is current.
A safe identity check
- Read the active console profile or account name.
- Check the game edition and platform generation shown by the launcher.
- Load the character and inspect a few recognizable details, such as equipment, level, and location.
- Only then continue with boss completion, NG+ selection, or expansion entry.
If you moved from PS4 to PS5, follow the conversion option described in the PS5 manual rather than assuming the newer version will discover the old file automatically. For Xbox, allow the normal save process to finish before closing the game or changing devices. The manuals do not establish a universal cross-platform transfer guarantee, so do not extrapolate these procedures to another console.
What carries over to NG+, and what you should not assume
The 1.12 patch notes specifically state that active Summoning Pools carry over to NG+. This is a narrow multiplayer feature. It does not establish that every inventory item, quest flag, map state, boss condition, or DLC access condition carries over unchanged.
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Do not use optional objectives as hidden requirements
Optional quests, endings, collectible routes, and side bosses may be valuable for your build or story goals. They are not included in the stated DLC access conditions. Complete them because you want their rewards or narrative outcomes, not because the developer FAQ says they unlock the expansion.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A practical decision framework for an NG+ save
Use these questions in order:
- Are both named bosses defeated on this character? If not, that is the first concrete blocker.
- Do the account and platform own the base game and expansion? If not, resolve the entitlement before changing the save.
- Do you want another base-game playthrough? If yes, NG+ can be a deliberate choice; if no, there is no documented access reason to add it.
- Is your build ready for unfamiliar encounters? Consider your preferred weapons, upgrade materials, spells, consumables, and summon setup without claiming that any one level is officially required.
- Have you backed up or otherwise protected the intended save? Do this before irreversible journey changes where your platform supports it.
- Will you recognize the save after installation or conversion? Verify the character’s equipment, location, and progress before making another change.
This framework separates documented access from personal difficulty preferences. It also prevents a common mistake: beginning NG+ to satisfy an assumption that the official access checklist never makes.
Troubleshooting when the expansion does not appear
The required boss seems defeated, but access is unavailable
Confirm that both victories occurred on the currently loaded character, not on another profile or an earlier copy of the save. Reload the character, verify the platform version, and check that the expansion is installed under the active account.
The game opens, but the add-on is missing
Open the platform’s add-on or downloadable-content management screen. Check the edition, region, account, and installation status. Owning a bundle on one account while launching the game from another can produce an apparently complete base-game installation without playable expansion access.
A PS4 save is not visible on PS5
Use the PS5 manual’s documented PS4-to-PS5 save-conversion option. Do not delete the original PS4 copy until you have loaded and checked the converted character.
Progress appears to have rolled back
Stop making further changes, identify whether the console loaded local or cloud data, and compare timestamps before restoring anything. The Xbox manual’s automatic-save description explains when saves are written, but it does not resolve a conflict between two copies; choose the verified current copy deliberately.
You are unsure whether NG+ caused the problem
NG+ itself is not listed as an exclusion from the DLC. Recheck the two boss defeats and entitlement first. The available official information does not support diagnosing a missing expansion solely from the journey number.
You bought an edition but cannot tell what is included
Open the platform store’s full product description. Shadow of the Erdtree Edition contains the base game and expansion, while the Deluxe Edition adds digital artbooks and soundtracks. Those extras do not replace the playable expansion entitlement, so verify that the add-on itself is listed as owned or installed.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to finish Elden Ring’s ending first?
No. The stated access conditions name Radahn and Mohg, not completion of an ending.
Do I have to start New Game Plus?
No. Starting another journey is not listed as an unlock requirement. Enter on the current journey if that better suits your plans.
Can an NG+ save enter the expansion?
The official FAQ does not exclude NG+ saves. Ensure that the intended journey has both named boss victories and that the account owns the required content.
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Not in the cited official guidance. Do not present a universal level threshold or damage multiplier as an official rule.
Do Radahn and Mohg need to be defeated again after starting NG+?
Use the safe, save-specific approach: verify both victories on the character and journey you intend to take into the expansion. A prior journey’s victories should not be treated as proof for a newly reset save.
Does the base game come with the expansion?
Only when you purchase an edition that lists both components, such as Shadow of the Erdtree Edition. Check the exact regional store listing.
Will all my items and quests carry into NG+?
The cited patch note confirms active Summoning Pools carry over, but the official material here does not provide a complete retention-and-reset list. Verify item-specific claims separately.
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- Correct console profile and game edition are active.
- The intended character is loaded and recognizable.
- Starscourge Radahn is defeated on that save.
- Mohg, Lord of Blood is defeated on that save.
- The Elden Ring base game is available to the launching account.
- Shadow of the Erdtree is owned and installed for the same platform entitlement.
- Any PS4-to-PS5 conversion has been completed through the documented menu option.
- You understand that NG+ difficulty has no official universal multiplier or recommended journey in the cited material.
- You have protected the save before making an irreversible journey change.
Once those checks are complete, enter the expansion on the journey that matches your own tolerance for challenge and replaying the base game. The documented unlock is the pair of boss victories; the journey choice is yours.
Frequently Asked Questions
What bosses must be defeated to unlock Shadow of the Erdtree?
Defeat Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood on the character and save you intend to use.
Do I need to complete an ending or start NG+?
No. The stated access conditions list the two boss victories, not an ending or a new journey.
Does NG+ make my save ineligible?
The official FAQ does not exclude NG+ saves. Verify both required victories on the intended journey and confirm the expansion entitlement.
Is there an official NG+ level or difficulty recommendation?
The cited official guidance does not provide a universal character level, journey recommendation, or NG+-specific damage multiplier.
What if I own the base game but not the expansion?
Check your platform store for the expansion entitlement. Shadow of the Erdtree requires the Elden Ring base game, and an edition listing both components may be suitable for new owners.
Do PS4 saves automatically appear on PS5?
Use the PS5 manual’s documented PS4-to-PS5 save-conversion option. Do not assume every save or entitlement transfers automatically.
What progression is confirmed to carry into NG+?
Version 1.12 patch notes specifically mention active Summoning Pools carrying over. They do not establish a complete list for all inventory, quests, or map states.
The Bottom Line
For an Elden Ring save in New Game Plus, the documented Shadow of the Erdtree gate is simple: defeat Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood on that intended save. Confirm the base game and expansion belong to the same platform entitlement, verify the correct profile and console version, and protect the save before an NG+ transition. No cited official source requires an ending, a new journey, or a particular level, so choose your journey for the challenge and replay time you want.
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