⚔️ Elden Ring DLC 2 Speculation & Shadow Weapon Tier List: What's Next for FromSoftware?
Is FromSoftware secretly prepping a second Elden Ring DLC? We dive into the latest leaks, Godwyn lore breadcrumbs, and rank every new weapon type from Shadow of the Erdtree.
⚡ Quick Hits: DLC 2 & Meta Breakdown
- Expansion Reality Check: Hidetaka Miyazaki insists Shadow of the Erdtree is the sole expansion, yet cut content files and unaddressed lore hint at potential future spin-offs or surprise mini-expansions.
- S-Tier Weapons Dominating: Light Greatswords and Backhand Blades reign supreme for fast-paced stance breaks and flawless i-frame dodging.
- Post-Patch Reality: Rolling Sparks Perfume builds were nerfed into oblivion, opening up room for Great Katanas and Martial Arts to shine.
- PC Optimization Matters: Eliminating shader compilation stutter on PC is mandatory if you want to survive late-game boss combos without dropping frames.
Let's address the giant Erdtree in the room. When FromSoftware dropped Shadow of the Erdtree, it hit the gaming community like a fully charged Radahn meteor. We got breathtaking vistas, aggressive boss design that tested even veteran Souls veterans, and a arsenal of fresh weapon archetypes. But now that the dust has settled and players have min-maxed their Scadutree Blessings, one lingering question keeps popping up in Reddit threads and Twitch chats: Are we actually done with Elden Ring?
Official statements say yes. Hidetaka Miyazaki bluntly noted in interviews that there are no immediate plans for a second expansion. But if you've followed FromSoftware for the past decade, you know they love subverting expectations. Cut dialogue, unexplained map voids, and unresolved Prince of Death lore suggest there's still fuel left in the tank. Below, we breakdown the wildest DLC 2 speculation while delivering a definitive tier list for the newest weapon classes dominating the PC meta right now.
🔮 Elden Ring DLC 2 Speculation: Truth vs. Copium
Do we really think FromSoftware will walk away from a game that sold over 25 million copies? It's a double-edged sword. On one hand, Miyazaki prefers moving on to fresh intellectual properties before a franchise gets stale. On the other hand, the lore surrounding the Lands Between is far too vast to wrap up in a single DLC.
1. The Prince of Death & Godwyn's Missing Arc
If you felt like Shadow of the Erdtree left a massive narrative hole, you aren't alone. Godwyn the Golden was the catalyst for the entire Shattering. Yet, outside of a few item descriptions and Death Knight minibosses in the Realm of Shadow, his story was largely sidelined in favor of Miquella and Promised Consort Radahn. Lore hunters are practically begging for a trip into the deep underworld or an alternate timeline where we confront Godwyn's true corrupted form.
2. The Badlands & Uncharted Continents
Remember Hoarah Loux? Godfrey's origin story traces back to the mysterious Badlands outside the fog. Elden Ring's world map has massive blank spots across the surrounding ocean. A second expansion—or perhaps a standalone sequel in the spirit of Dark Souls 2—could easily send the Tarnished sailing beyond the Lands Between to fight warrior tribes and forgotten outer gods.
Truth be told, we wouldn't hold our breath for a massive $40 expansion anytime soon. But a smaller, content-focused content drop or a boss rush mode? That is completely within FromSoftware's wheelhouse.
⚔️ New DLC Weapons Tier List (Post-Patch Meta)
Whether DLC 2 happens or not, the current weapon meta in Elden Ring is in a fascinating spot. FromSoftware rolled out multiple rebalance patches to tone down game-breaking exploits (looking at you, Lightning Perfume Bottle carpet bombing). Here is how the fresh weapon categories rank for high-level PvE and PvP on PC.
🏆 S-Tier: The Overpowered Royalty
- Light Greatswords (e.g., Milady): Absolute perfection. Milady blends the lightning-fast attack speed of a straight sword with the stance damage and range of a traditional greatsword. Equip it with Wing Stance, infuse it with Flame Art or Bleed, and you have the smoothest move-set in Souls history. Minimal recovery frames make i-frame dodging a breeze.
- Backhand Blades: The ultimate mobility tool. The default Ash of War, Blind Spot, gives you built-in invincibility frames that bypass enemy shields while landing massive counter-damage. It completely breaks boss tracking if timed correctly.
⚔️ A-Tier: Devastatingly Effective
- Great Katanas (e.g., Rakshasa's Great Katana): Longer reach than standard katanas with superior poise damage. Rakshasa's Ash of War allows you to trade hits endlessly while out-damaging almost any boss in the game. It's a min-maxer's dream.
- Dryleaf Arts / Hand-to-Hand Combat: Kicking Consort Radahn directly in the face never gets old. While short on range, the attack speed, stagger buildup, and sheer fashion points push Martial Arts high into A-tier. Slap on Frost or Bleed status effects for maximum output.
- Beast Claws: Hyper-aggressive, leap-heavy tracking that catches invaders off-guard. Excellent status buildup, though vulnerable to heavy hyper-armor trades.
🛡️ B-Tier: Niche & Situationally Strong
- Thrusting Shields: These were undisputed S-Tier upon release due to an unintended blocking glitch. Now that the bug is fixed, they remain solid turtle options for safety-first players, but lack the explosive burst damage needed for top rank.
- Perfume Bottles: Nerfed into oblivion? Not quite, but the famous Rolling Sparks ground-shot bug was completely erased. They are still decent for wide-area elemental passive damage, but no longer melt Remembrance bosses in two seconds.
🗡️ C-Tier: Fun, But Mechanically Lacking
- Throwing Daggers (e.g., Smithscript Dagger): Unlimited throwing knives sound amazing on paper, but low base scaling, poor poise damage, and terrible range keep these relegated to pull tools rather than main-hand powerhouses.
💻 PC Port Optimization & Frame Pacing Matters
You can equip the best S-tier Milady build in the world, but if your PC rig drops down to 42 FPS the second Bayle the Dread breathes fire, you're heading back to the Sites of Grace. Elden Ring's engine suffers from occasional shader compilation stutter, particularly when loading dense particle effects in DLC zones like the Shadow Keep.
To guarantee peak combat performance:
- Lock Frame Rate via Driver Controls: Use Nvidia Control Panel or AMD Software to set a strict 60 FPS cap to smooth out frame pacing jitter.
- Disable Ray Tracing: Ray tracing in Elden Ring introduces massive performance drops without offering visual upgrades worthy of the framerate sacrifice.
- Consider Seamless Co-op Mods: If you're running through NG+ with friends, community mods fix several netcode input lag issues present in the vanilla game.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Is Elden Ring officially getting a DLC 2?
As of right now, FromSoftware has stated that Shadow of the Erdtree is the only planned expansion for Elden Ring. However, they have not ruled out future spin-offs, sequels, or standalone titles set within the same universe.
Q2: What is the best new weapon in Shadow of the Erdtree?
The Milady Light Greatsword paired with the Wing Stance Ash of War is widely considered the best overall weapon due to its speed, low stamina consumption, elegant move-set, and high poise damage capability.
Q3: Were Perfume Bottles permanently ruined by recent patches?
No. While the bug allowing Rolling Sparks to hit the floor for 10,000+ damage was fixed, Perfume Bottles remain viable secondary weapons for applying elemental status effects across groups of enemies.
Q4: How do I fix stuttering on the PC version of Elden Ring?
Turn off Ray Tracing in graphics options, update graphics drivers to compile shaders cleanly, set your Borderless Windowed mode, and disable anti-cheat overlays if running offline mods.
Disclaimer: Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree are trademarks and intellectual property of FromSoftware and Bandai Namco Entertainment. Article gameplay analysis, screenshots references, and commentary are published under editorial fair use guidelines.