Category: Video Games

Shadow of the Erdtree, Elden Ring’s ‘first and last’ DLC expansion, is a little over a month away. Whether you’re jumping back into the base game before release or starting from scratch altogether, the hype is slowly building. Shadow of the Erdtree will release on June 21 and is set to cost $39.99 — but if you’re on PC, there’s already a tantalizing saving on offer to you.

Fanatical, a trusted PC and Steam code seller, currently has the Elden Ring: Shadow of The Erdtree expansion listed for $35.19 / £30.79 in the UK, alongside the ‘Premium Bundle’ for $43.99 (down from $49.99). That’s at least $4.80 savings and 12% off one of the most anticipated DLCs ever. This feels like a no-brainer.

If playing Shadow of the Erdtree already seems like a done deal for you, this offer is like finding almost $5 in change stuffed into the back pocket of the jeans you wore last week. While this isn’t a Fire Giant-sized discount, it’s one of the best PC video game deals running.

Codes at this price aren’t unlimited either, so it could be worth securing ASAP to ensure you’re paying the best price possible. In case you missed some other finer details, this is a Steam code purchase and only for those on PC. For those on console, you can see our complete preorder guide for Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Edition right here on IGN as well.

While this may be the only expansion Elden Ring is getting, it may not be fans’ final taste of The Lands Between. FromSoftware boss Hidetaka Miyazaki hasn’t shut down the possibility of a full sequel, and when asked about the future of the franchise, he commented that FromSoftware deliberately leaves the end of its games open to potential sequels, and it seems Elden Ring will be no exception.

Miyazaki suggested in March 2024 that FromSoftware hadn’t made a decision on a sequel yet, but similarly spoke to the desire to keep its options open. “We don’t want to say this is the end of the Elden Ring saga for now,” he told IGN.

As part of the reveal of the hotly anticipated Shadow of the Erdtree this year, Bandai Namco also issued a sales update for the base game, which has now sold over 20 million copies after launch. If you’re excited for the upcoming expansion, it’s worth checking out 15 hidden details that we found in the Shadow of the Erdtree trailer as well.

The base version of Elden Ring returned a 10/10 in IGN’s review. “Elden Ring is a massive iteration on what FromSoftware began with the Souls series, bringing its relentlessly challenging combat to an incredible open world that gives us the freedom to choose our own path,” we said.

If you’re keen on saving a few extra dollars elsewhere, we also have a slew of other gaming deals roundups worth checking out, including the best Xbox deals, the best PlayStation deals, and the best Nintendo Switch deals. In each of those, you can find a wide variety of great discounts on games, hardware, accessories, and more.

Another great spot to look for the latest sales is in our Daily Deals roundup, where we highlight all the best deals on stuff you actually want to buy. Currently, we have some great video game deals listed alongside Nintendo Switch OLED and CRKD Nitro Deck discounts.

When is Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdree Available?

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree will release June 21 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and PC. The release date was announced earlier this year, alongside the release of a brand-new trailer, which includes glimpses of a host of new bosses, powers, and more.

What Level Should You Be for Shadow of the Erdtree?

We already have a handy guide on how you should prepare for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, but here’s a quick rundown. We recommend that characters should likely be at least Level 100 to Level 150 to properly prepare for the challenges of the DLC.

Most players who have reached the final boss of Elden Ring usually find themselves around Level 100 or higher depending on the challenges you face, so it’s likely that having that many points allocated in various stats will give you a good fighting chance.

But, it’s also worth noting that the DLC will introduce a new power scaling mechanic. Players will be able increase their power by seeking out minor bosses and defeating them, so this will be an additional factor to consider besides your level when entering the Land of Shadow.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

Helldivers 2’s ongoing meta-narrative took another twist this week after players failed the last Major Order and thus failed to unlock a promised new Stratagem.

The explosive PC and PlayStation 5 co-op shooter had set the community a stiff challenge: kill 2 billion Automatons in five days and the Anti-Tank Mines Stratagem would unlock.

But despite players’ best efforts, Helldivers came 78% towards the stated goal, and in an in-universe Galactic War update from Super Earth High Command posted to the Helldivers Discord, Arrowhead signaled it would hold the the Anti-Tank Mines Stratagem back — for now.

“After five days of intense decommissioning of Automatons into scrap metal for use in advanced anti-tank mines, the Helldivers came 78% towards the stated goal of 2 billion dead bots,” the message reads. “This means that the new stratagem will continue to elude the Helldiver arsenal for now…”

It’s perhaps no surprise to see this Major Order failed, given Arrowhead had warned it had fixed a bug that caused a previous Major Order to kill 2 billion bugs to be completed too quickly. The Anti-Tank Mines Stratagem will obviously be released in time, but what’s interesting is what comes next in the Galactic War.

Dungeon Master Joel, who pulls the meta-narrative strings from within the bowels of Arrowhead headquarters, appears to have a surprise up his sleeve. The rest of Super Earth’s statement says the war has now escalated into what’s called The Second Galactic War, and that all conflict leading up to this point “was merely an elaborate special operation.”

And here’s a very interesting line, already being picked apart by the Helldivers community: “New recruits are being trained to bolster the ranks of SEAF, and the Helldivers are tasked with guarding these training facilities so that each recruit can be given their rigorous 72 hour basic training.”

It could be nothing, but some players are speculating that this is a tease for the arrival of NPC squads. Perhaps an upcoming Stratagem will call in a four-person team who drop down onto the battlefield to help out until they, inevitably, bite the dust.

Here’s the rest of the statement in full:

“The war now escalates into what is officially called ‘The Second Galactic War.’ All conflict leading up to this was merely an elaborate special operation. New recruits are being trained to bolster the ranks of SEAF, and the Helldivers are tasked with guarding these training facilities so that each recruit can be given their rigorous 72 hour basic training.”

Helldivers 2 is the fastest-selling PlayStation game of all time, selling an astonishing 12 million copies in just 12 weeks. But it’s had a bumpy ride since coming out earlier this year, with Arrowhead butting heads with Sony over PSN account linking. This week, Arrowhead said it plans to roll back changes to patrols and spawn rates, admitting the PSN controversy had diverted its attention away from gameplay tweaks.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

It looks like Toys for Bob is beginning its next chapter, and it’s starting with a mysterious purple tiki mask.

The Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time and Spyro Reignited Trilogy developer published the strange picture in a new update on its website. Those who head to the site will notice that an image of a purple, teeth-clenching tiki head is now the only accessible page.