Elden Ring is sure to be back on the gaming industry’s radar with Shadow of the Erdtree less than a couple of months away from release. It can be a good idea to dive back into the Lands Between and begin to prepare for a DLC expansion that has very large shoes to fill.

As with most From Software titles, there’s a lot more to Elden Ring than its main story. Indeed, it is taken to new heights in the Lands Between, with gear, weapons, and unique rewards tucked away in every nook and cranny. And, as always, every new boss you discover is its own reward.

5 Things To Do After Beating Elden Ring

With the Elden Beast slain, your Tarnished can finally take the Elden Throne and become the Elden Lord. But there’s a lot more to the Lands Between, and so much to do before taking on Shadow of the Erdtree.

If our experience with previous From Software titles is any indicator, it can be worth getting as powerful as you can before you set foot in the Land of Shadow, the expansion’s brand-new location.

5. Acquire All Bell-Bearings

Bell-Bearings in Elden Ring allows you to conveniently purchase upgrade materials in increasing levels of rarity from the Twin Maiden Husks back at the Roundtable Hold. Scattered throughout the world, they can be very useful in Shadow of the Erdtree.

With a host of new weapon types to try out and the near certainty of brand-new weapons for your current build, it can be a good idea to have all upgrade materials conveniently available for purchase.

And the Sacred Relic Sword should be great in farming the runes necessary to buy them. Just take it to the Palace Approach Ledge Grounds, if you haven’t already.

4. Collect Sacred Tears and Golden Seeds

Like your weapons, your healing flasks can change the course of difficult fights in the Shadow of the Erdtree. It can be a good idea to max them out before taking on the DLC. That would mean finding Golden Seeds to upgrade the number of flask uses and Sacred Tears to improve their healing efficacy.

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Both items are fairly easy to find in the open world and this could also take you to previously unexplored corners of the Lands Between as a bonus.

3. Experiment With New Builds

With every Bell-Bearing, Golden Seed, and Sacred Tear in your possession, it could be a good idea to chase down the Larval Tears and look at new ways to play the game.

With several meta builds for players to try out, and a whole load of armor, weapons, spells, talismans and so much more to find for each one, a new build could be a great idea.

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Just be aware of how many Larval Tears you have and perhaps record your current build’s stats and equipment if you ever want to go back to it. But switching between Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith and Arcane is a lot of fun – and lets Elden Ring feel different every single time.

2. Seek Out Dragons

Each of the Dragon Bosses in Elden Ring simply showcases what the game does best. It’s going to be hard for Shadow of the Erdtree to top these unique fights.

From Crumbling Farum Azula to the Deeproot Depths, there are hidden dragon bosses for you to discover and take on. And they are among the most memorable in the game. For any trophy hunters out there, a couple of these bosses are linked to individual trophies, and seeking them out can be a good idea.

Just be prepared for a tough fight ahead.

1. The Haligtree and Malenia

While Malenia gets a lot of publicity for being the toughest boss in the game, Miquella’s Haligtree is a challenge to overcome all on its own. Navigating its winding roots and perilous pathways is only shadowed by its hard-hitting enemies. The Haligtree has some of the best gear in the game, you earn a significant amount of runes for exploring it, and Malenia is simply the best boss fight in a From Software game.

Bringing the best of Lady Maria and Sister Friede to the arena, she adds a few unique twists of her own. She heals from every blow she lands on you, while the scarlet rot can eviscerate your health bar in seconds. But this area and the boss are more than that. With deep connections to Miquella, Shadow of the Erdtree’s Messmer may have a lot of history with the twin prodigies and their Haligtree. All the more reason to give it a visit.

While diving into New Game+ can be tempting, we would recommend holding off on it until you have played Shadow of the Erdtree. FromSoftware DLC is known for spikes in difficulty in comparison to the base game, and it may be a good idea to head into the expansion with any advantages you can muster.

There’s a lot of adventure to be found in the Lands Between. We can only imagine what the Land of Shadow has in store for us this June.