All the Tarnished out there are getting punished on a minute-by-minute basis and loving it. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree launched on June 21, 2024, and the official accounts are already reporting five million copies sold around the world.
According to Bandai Namco Entertainment’s original press release, these numbers come after just three days of the DLC’s release. The X (formerly Twitter) account for Elden Ring thanked “the many who tread the path left by Kindly Miquella.”
A new accolades trailer also dropped along with the news:
Much has been said about the difficulty of Shadow of the Erdtree in the days since its arrival. At first it was too brutal even for seasoned vets of Elden Ring and other FromSoftware titles. Then its unique leveling system got patched and players were split on the adjustments. Regardless of where folks fall on the usual “too hard/not hard enough” scale, it’s clear plenty were eagerly anticipating the long-awaited expansion.
Now, how many of those five million (and counting, presumably) Tarnished were able to access the DLC as soon as it launched? Show us the hard numbers, Bandai Namco! I’d love to know how many had progressed far enough through optional areas and encounters to enter the Realm of Shadow.
Hopefully everyone will get there eventually, because Shadow of the Erdtree is a hell of a send-off for Elden Ring as a whole.