Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree key art
Image via Bandai Namco

Here’s when you can start playing Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree in every region

New Zealanders will get to play it first.

We’re officially only one week away from the release of Elden Ring‘s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. As such, Bandai Namco has shared a full release schedule for every timezone, informing players when exactly they can jump into the expansion.

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Now, the release does vary slightly depending on whether you’re playing on consoles or PC. For anyone based in the U.S., Shadow of the Erdtree will launch on June 20, and the console version won’t be available until six hours after the PC version. Here’s a simple breakdown of all the major U.S. timezones:

  • Pacific Time (PT):
    • PC: June 20, 3 p.m.
    • Consoles: June 20, 9 p.m.
  • Central Daylight Time (CDT):
    • PC: June 20, 5 p.m.
    • Consoles: June 20, 11 p.m.
  • Eastern Time (ET):
    • PC: June 20, 6 p.m.
    • Consoles: June 21, 12 a.m.

As for U.K. players, the PC version drops at 11 p.m. BST on June 20, with the console version coming only an hour later at midnight on June 21. Ultimately, what this all means is that Shadow of the Erdtree isn’t seeing a simultaneous release. So, unless you’re in New Zealand, keep in mind that people are bound to start sharing screenshots and footage online before you can access the DLC. Although I’m sure the most fervent of Elden Ring fans can figure out how to trick their systems’ internal clocks so they can start playing early.

Bandai Namco has also confirmed pre-loads will be available 48 hours in advance, though only for the PlayStation version for some reason. Downloads for the Xbox and PC versions won’t be available until launch time. If you’re a PlayStation user, it’s recommended you take advantage of the pre-load so you can immediately jump in once the DLC launches.

Don’t forget as well that in order to start playing Shadow of the Erdtree, you will need to have defeated two specific bosses in the base game. You only have a week left to do so, otherwise you’ll be left behind, though it’s not as if the DLC is going anywhere. So, don’t feel pressured if you’re not fussed about experiencing Shadow of the Erdtree at launch.


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Author
Image of Michael Beckwith
Michael Beckwith
Staff writer covering all kinds of gaming news. A graduate in Computer Games Design and Creative Writing from Brunel University who's been writing about games since 2014. Nintendo fan and Sonic the Hedgehog apologist. Knows a worrying amount of Kingdom Hearts lore. Has previously written for Metro, TechRadar, and Game Rant.