⚔️ Elden Ring DLC 2 Speculation & New Weapons Tier List: What's Next After Erdtree?
Dive into the hottest rumors regarding a potential second Elden Ring expansion alongside a comprehensive post-patch weapon tier list for PC players. From Godwyn lore loose ends to S-tier Light Greatsword setups, here is the complete breakdown.
⚡ Quick Intel Breakdown
- DLC 2 Status: FromSoftware maintains Shadow of the Erdtree is the only planned expansion, but unresolved lore hooks leave room for standalone follow-ups or unexpected expansions.
- Meta Shakeup: Recent balance patches squashed game-breaking glitches, crowning Milady and Euphoria as the undisputed meta kings.
- PC Performance: Modded stutter fixes and Seamless Coop integration remain the premier way to play without shader compilation hitches.
Hidetaka Miyazaki's Cryptic Words: Is Elden Ring Really Finished?
Two hundred hours in. You beat Promised Consort Radahn, watched the faded recollection, and stood in the silent, flower-speckled arena. Then came the lingering realization: is that actually it? For millions of Tarnished across the globe, the conclusion of Shadow of the Erdtree felt equal parts monumental and tantalizingly incomplete. Naturally, the community started asking the obvious question: where is Elden Ring DLC 2?
Officially, FromSoftware President Hidetaka Miyazaki stated in multiple interviews leading up to the expansion's release that there were no current plans for a second DLC. He pointed out that jamming the Lands of Shadow into a single massive release was the team's primary focus. But let's be real for a second. This is FromSoftware we are talking about. The studio has a long, glorious history of playing their cards notoriously close to their chest.
Remember when Sekiro was supposedly getting DLC? That never happened. But remember when Dark Souls 3 wrapped up, only for Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City to radically alter the lore trajectory? The proof is in the pudding. While an official 'Elden Ring DLC 2' expansion pass might not be on Steam's coming soon page right now, rumors of a standalone spin-off or a spiritual successor built on the same engine iterate rapidly in gaming forums.
Unresolved Lore Hooks That Demand Answers 📜
If you've dug into item descriptions or spent hours watching lore breakdowns on YouTube, you know FromSoft left several colossal narrative threads dangling in the wind. We didn't get answers for everything. Far from it.
- Godwyn the Prince of Death: Many players expected Godwyn to play a central role in the Shadow Realm. Instead, we got Miquella's obsession with Radahn. Godwyn's corpse continues to spread beneath the Capital, completely unpurified. What happens when the Deathroot reaches terminal mass?
- The Gloam-Eyed Queen and the Godskins: The origin of the Black Flame and the mysterious figure who led the Apostles before Maliketh defeated her remains shrouded in mystery. Was she an Empyrean tied to Melina? The game drops crumbs, but never bakes the bread.
- The Outer Gods Beyond the Lands Between: We caught glimpses of the Formless Mother, the God of Rot, and the Frenzied Flame. Yet, the cosmic entities pulling the strings remain distant, eldritch threats.
If you're looking to refine your character for current end-game content while we wait for news, check out our ultimate Shadow of the Erdtree build strategy guide to dominate high-NG+ cycles.
Definitive PC Meta: Weapon Tier List (Post-Patch Edition) ⚔️
FromSoftware dropped heavy balance patches following the expansion release. Broken rolling sparks setups were hit with the hammer, Bloodfiend's Arm arc scaling got dialed back, and stance damage got rebalanced across the board. If you're hopping back onto PC for PvP Duels or Colosseum fights, here is how the weapon hierarchy looks today.
S-Tier: The Undisputed Meta Kings 👑
These weapons possess absurd frame data, stupidly high poise damage, or skill sets that trivialize boss mechanics entirely.
- Milady (Light Greatsword): The moveset fluidly chains light attacks into heavy stabs without missing a beat. Infuse this with Heavy, Keen, or Flame Art, stick Wing Stance on it, and you've got the most versatile weapon in the entire game. The frame pacing on its heavy follow-up is ridiculously crisp.
- Euphoria (Twinblade): After the buff in Patch 1.13, Euphoria went from situational novelty to absolute blend-o-matic. Stacking holy damage by striking enemies transforms its unique skill, Lustrous Guard, into a melt machine that shreds boss health bars in seconds.
- Backhand Blades: The inherent mobility here is unreal. Blind Spot bypasses shields, offers generous i-frame dodging, and punishes aggressive invaders effortlessly. It's a double-edged sword for opponents who don't know how to spacing-punish.
A-Tier: Heavy Hitters & Top Contenders 🔨
Slightly less brain-dead than S-tier, but monstrous when built around properly.
- Greatsword of Solitude: High physical block stats, massive poise damage, and a fast-projectiling Ash of War make this weapon a staple for strength builds. It feels heavy, hits like a freight train, and looks incredible in 4K.
- Dragon-Hunter's Great Katana: If you hate ancient dragons, this is your best friend. The weapon art launches you into the air with projectile dragon-slaying energy, bypassing hitboxes that usually ground-pound melee players into dust.
- Dryleaf Arts / Dane's Footwork: Unarmed hand-to-hand combat turned out to be far better than expected. While the range is stumpy, stacking Palm Blast with poise-boosting armor lets you hyper-armor through boss hits and deliver instant stance breaks.
B-Tier: Niche & Stat-Heavy Picks 🧪
- Carian Thrusting Shield: Nerfed slightly from its initial un-killable turtling state, but still potent in skilled hands. Allows simultaneous attacking and blocking, throwing a wrench in aggressive PvP strategies.
- Spear of the Impaler: Fantastic AoE crowd control and impressive fire damage scaling, though the long animation lock during the full skill combo can get you slapped during aggressive boss phases.
C-Tier: Nerfed or Disappointing Gimmicks 📉
- Lightning Perfume Bottle: Once capable of deleting Bayle the Dread in two seconds flat due to a rolling hit-box glitch. Now that the bug is fixed, its damage output is mediocre at best.
- Gazing Finger: Amusing lore visual, but slow recovery frames and awkward hitboxes leave it far behind other Colossal weapons in practical usage.
PC Port Optimization & Mods: Fixing Frame Drops in 2026 🖥️
Let's talk hardware for a minute. Elden Ring's PC port has always had a complicated relationship with frame pacing. Shader compilation stuttering still rears its ugly head in large open-world zones like the Gravesite Plain or Atlus Plateau, even on high-end RTX 4080 test rigs.
If you're playing on PC, running the game unlocked via community mods (like Flawless Widescreen) makes a night-and-day difference for 21:9 monitors. Just remember: always run off-line mode when launching custom scripts to avoid getting banned by Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC). For multiplayer lovers, the Seamless Coop mod remains the ultimate way to experience the Lands Between without arbitrary fog gate barriers or invasion cooldown timers.
The Verdict: What Should Tarnished Do Now?
Don't hold your breath for an Elden Ring DLC 2 reveal at the next Summer Game Fest. FromSoftware is likely funneling their primary dev resources into their next major flagship project—whether that's Armored Core 7 or a fresh dark-fantasy IP. However, with the current meta in a surprisingly healthy state, there has never been a better time to re-spec your character, grab Milady, and conquer NG+7.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Will Elden Ring get a second DLC expansion?
FromSoftware has stated that Shadow of the Erdtree is the only planned expansion for Elden Ring. However, given the game's massive commercial success, future spin-offs or a direct sequel remain distinct possibilities down the line.
What is the best overall weapon in Elden Ring right now?
Milady (Light Greatsword) paired with the Wing Stance Ash of War is widely considered the top weapon for versatility, speed, stance damage, and weapon infusion flexibility on the current patch.
How do I fix stuttering on the PC version of Elden Ring?
Ensure your graphics drivers are up to date, set Windows Graphics Settings to High Performance for Elden Ring, disable Shader Cache limits in Nvidia Control Panel, and consider using community performance mods for ultrawide support and framerate smoothing in offline mode.
Editorial Disclaimer: All game names, trademarks, and logos belong to FromSoftware and Bandai Namco Entertainment. This commentary is based on hands-on gameplay testing, community patch analysis, and independent research for informational purposes.