The Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree trailer and 2024 release date is here

Who is Messmer? We’ll find out later in 2024.

We finally got a glimpse of the long-anticipated DLC for Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree, as the trailer was released by From Software in February.

Players will be traveling to the Land of the Shadow, where they will finally meet a character that has long been speculated to be the centerpiece of the DLC, Miquella. The brother of the ultra-hard boss from the base game, Malenia, Miquella, was only briefly seen in Elden Ring as his arm hangs out of an egg in the background of the Mohg fight. The slumbering empyrean will most likely feature as a boss, but one can hope that he will be an ally in this strange new land.

The trailer — see it below! — features a host of new weapons and bosses to test your skills against, including the introduction of Messmer the Impaler. During my first watch of the trailer, I assumed this menacing character was Miquella, but if you wait to see the info for the Collector’s edition, it shows this character’s name. Who is Messmer, and why are they trying to stop the tarnished? Players will be able to find out on June 21st!

The all-time best FromSoftware games, including Dark Souls and Elden Ring

The best FromSoftware games of all time.

Today, we are going to be taking a look at my favorite game genre of all time! We are going to be focusing on the Souls-like games made by FromSoftware.

Below, you will see my top five games that have been made by FromSoftware. Keep in mind, that this is my list. Any of these games could be number one on another person’s list and I would be completely fine with that.

If you are wondering, no, I am not a Dark Souls 2 enjoyer. I would rather act as if that game never existed. These games have given me a roller coaster of emotions throughout my life and hold a special place in my heart.

The best Steam Winter Sale deals you have to check out

We’ve rounded up some of the best Steam Winter Sale deals, from Baldur’s Gate 3 and Elden Ring, to indie game gems, and more

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Steam Winter Sale deals have begun, with even more discounts than we saw during Black Friday. Discounts are everywhere, on major AAA games including Elden Ring and Baldur’s Gate 3, indie gems such as Case of the Golden Idol and Slay the Princess, and some modern classics in the mix as well. The Steam Winter Sale deals are live through Jan.4, 2024.

If you’re after other end-of-year sales, check out the Epic Games Store holiday sale and the PlayStation Store’s holiday sale.

The best Black Friday video game deals on Walmart

Walmart’s Black Friday video game deals are here, with discounts spread across games for PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch

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Walmart’s Black Friday video game deals are here, with discounts spread across PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. There’s a bit of something for everyone, whether you’re after some of the latest hits like Tears of the Kingdom and Assassin’s Creed or evergreen classics, from Far Cry to Lego Star Wars. Most of these deals are for physical games, unless we indicate otherwise, so if you have a digital PS5 or Xbox Series S, bear in mind that they won’t work for your system.

If you’re after more Black Friday deals, check out our roundups for GameStop, PS5 on Amazon, and Nintendo on Amazon.

Part of Elden Ring’s cut sword quest was hiding in plain sight

The cut sword in Elden Ring that stirred RPG fans up for months is actually not a piece of hidden lore, it turns out

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The cut sword in Elden Ring that stirred fans up for months is actually not  cut, and it was hiding in plain sight. Keen players and PC dataminers believed they had stumbled onto an in-depth questline that never made it to the final game, and Twitter user Ziostorm might have just confirmed it (thanks, GamesRadar).

Dataminers originally found a set of icons tied to unused swords in the game and assumed they were tied to a quest for swords that were no longer in the game – except one of them was. The large sword you can see adorning some of the graves in The Lands Between was part of that quest once upon a time, though now it’s just an ornament.

What that quest was is a bit unclear still, though Ziostorm suspects it centered on forging a powerful weapon. The icons for the grave sword are also present for two similar-looking swords, one with Haligtree designs and another with twisted metal that could point to the Frenzied Flame or maybe something associated with Volcano Manor. All three sword icons have the same hilt design, and while it’s just speculation, Ziostorm thinks they might have existed for you to forge together.

Those two never saw the light of day, but maybe that’ll change when Elden Ring’s DLC launches at some point in the future. And then again, maybe they won’t. FromSoftware’s games tend to have hefty pieces of content removed from the final product that stay lost, even when expansions release.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

The best PlayStation summer sale deals for PS4 and PS5 games

The Steam Summer Sale may be over, but Sony’s PlayStation Summer Sale is just getting underway with discounts on the best PS4 and PS5 games

The Steam Summer Sale may be over, but Sony’s PlayStation Summer Sale is just getting underway. The annual sale cuts prices on some of the best PS4 games and PS5 games, from Sony’s first-party favorites, including The Last of Us Part 1 and Horizon Forbidden West, to third-party stalwarts including Red Dead Redemption 2, and even a selection of new games that haven’t gone on sale much so far in 2023. If you’re itching for something new in the lead-up to Spider-Man 2, now’s a good time to get it.

The PlayStation Summer Sale runs through Aug. 16, 2023, and if you’re a PS Plus subscriber, you can get a few extra discounts as well.

 

This Elden Ring streamer beat the FromSoft RPG with brain waves

Twitch streamer Perrikaryal beat Elden Ring using a brain imaging headset to defeat the RPG’s toughest bosses

Twitch streamer Perrikaryal beat Elden Ring using a brain imaging headset to defeat the RPG’s toughest bosses. Unorthodox methods of completing FromSoftware’s open-world game have become increasingly more common, with dance pads, guitars, and even Bop-It toys taking the place of controllers, but this is the first almost hands-free run so far.

Perrikaryal used a brain imaging set from Emotiv to register button inputs for attacks and other actions, but used a traditional controller for movement. The streamer told GamesRadar that the device uses sensors and a saline solution to turn brain activity into action. Perrikaryal used the set for a while and taught it to interpret certain brain patterns as attack commands in Elden Ring

They first made news for defeating Malenia with brain waves and then just a day later, they defeated Radagon and the Elden Beast using the set after multiple attempts. The winning build was a combination of Rock Sling and Ranni’s Dark Moon, with some help from the Black Knife Tische summon.

Perrikaryal said they’re already working on their next project.

“Hang tight for what’s next: completely hands-free Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros., and the new Elden Ring DLC,” they said on Twitter. “No controller needed; all mind control. I’m also soon launching a psychological isolation experiment live on Twitch.”

Their goal is raising awareness for accessibility in gaming. Currently, most mainstream accessibility devices still require inputs from hands or fingers, even Sony’s recently-announced PS5 accessibility controller kit.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

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Elden Ring and Pokemon lead the Summer Games Done Quick 2023 lineup

The Summer Games Done Quick 2023 schedule includes heavy hitters like Elden Ring, Pokemon, and The Legend of Zelda

The Summer Games Done Quick 2023 schedule includes a star-studded lineup, with heavy hitters such as Elden Ring, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and The Legend of Zelda. Games Done Quick is hosting its summer marathon from May 28, 2023, through June 4, 2023, and will donate funds raised during the event to Doctors Without Borders.

In 2022, Summer Games Done Quick raised $3 million for the charity.

The event will take place in Minneapolis, though Games Done Quick will stream all speedruns on its YouTube and Twitch channels as well.

Twitch streamer Mitchriz, known for setting speedrunning records for FromSoftware games, will carry out a glitchless any percent run of Elden Ring, while Pokemon devotee eddaket will speedrun Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Victory Road challenge.

Other notable runs include the return of the Super Mario Maker 2 relay race, where teams of streamers take turns attempting some of the Mario game’s most challenging courses, and a full run of the main Elder Scrolls games in the Elder Scrolls Anthology collection.

The fan-favorite “silly block” will also return, featuring Hobo Cat Adventures and Give Me Toilet Paper!, and several Zelda runs are planned as a celebration of the series following Tears of the Kingdom’s release a few weeks earlier on May 12, 2023.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

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Elden Ring patch accidentally added a helpful new Malenia bug

The latest Elden Ring patch inadvertently makes it easier to defeat one of the RPG’s most difficult bosses, if you have the right gear

The latest Elden Ring patch inadvertently makes it easier to defeat one of the RPG’s most difficult bosses, if you have the right gear. Reddit user jdyhrberg discovered that if you use Morgott’s Cursed Sword, you can end Malenia’s ages-long vigil in under a minute (thanks, TheGamer).

The patch, which also added a bug that lets you infinitely stack the Jellyfish Shield’s strength buff, seems to introduce a bug that lets you cancel some of Malenia’s attacks with Morgott’s sword and even stagger her where normally, you couldn’t – not without great difficulty, at least.

What really impressed Reddit, though, was how jdyhrberg ended the fight. After canceling attacks left and right and barely taking a scratch themselves, they finish the battle with a leaping jump, right as Malenia prepares to unleash her devastating Waterfowl Dance.

Morgott’s Cursed Sword absolutely deletes Malenia in Patch 1.09 (60 Second Kill)
by u/jdyhrberg in Eldenring

Honestly couldn’t have asked for a more Epic final blow,” one Redditer said.

“That little bit at the end was superb,” another said. What do we say in the face of Waterfowl? Not today.

So if you’ve struggled with Malenia until now, it might be worth delaying the fight just a bit longer while you defeat Morgott and claim his sword. Aside from the new bug, it’s a strong sword that has the added bonus of increasing bloodloss, one of the few status ailments Malenia is weak to.

FromSoftware usually addresses weapon imbalances in new patches, which the team works on in conjunction with the upcoming Elden Ring DLC, so this happy accident might not last for long.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

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Elden Ring update 1.09 patch notes: Ray Tracing coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X

Elden Ring 1.09 patch notes have been released for all platforms, but the current-gen consoles are getting an extra treat – Ray Tracing.

Another major update has come to Elden Ring a little more than a year after it was released. This update is coming to all platforms including PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, but the current-gen consoles have got a little something extra – Ray Tracing. If you’re unfamiliar, Ray Tracing is a lighting technique that can make even the most graphically basic of games look extremely realistic, and a high-quality game like Elden Ring is sure to look amazing with it.

Aside from that, there is a bunch of PvP balance adjustments and general balance changes. Bug fixes are always par for the course in a patch like this, and the Ashes of War is getting some finetuning for good measure.

You can find the full patch notes for Elden Ring 1.09 below, as well as the PC system requirements for Ray Tracing.

If you’re hyped for more Elden Ring, then check out all the currently known details on the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.

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