Elden Ring fans already have a convincing Shadow of the Erdtree DLC theory

Shadow of the Erdtree, the new DLC for Elden Ring, might be centred on one of the game's most mysterious demigods and fans are feverish offering theories to what could be shown in that gorgeous piece of art.

One year on from its launch, Elden Ring continues to be a cash cow for Bandai Namco, becoming the developer's best selling game by a massive margin. "We're very proud of the quality of the game, we're very happy with the relationship with FromSoftware. We worked with FromSoftware on the Dark Souls series, but Elden Ring is taking this genre to a new level... The open world, the accessibility of the game, the depth, it clearly has surpassed our expectations and also fans' expectations. It's a great success," said CEO Arnaud Muller.

Proud of yourself for finishing Elden Ring? Watch this guy do it with a dance mat:

Announced today, we know very little about the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. "Rise, Tarnished, and let us walk a new path together," read the press release alongside what looks like concept art for the expansion. "We hope you look forward to new adventures in the Lands Between." However, fans are focusing on the person riding Torrent in the right of the scene.

"Damn, was Miquella the master of Torrent before us? So Torrent's whistle also belonged to him and the spirit summon bell. This also explains that Malenia is related to Marika's family," said Reddit user degenshit23293. Another added that Miquella has white gold hair and so does that individual in the painting.

Miquella is the elder brother of Malenia, who is one of the most difficult combatants in the game. She's that difficult because she is the defender of her vulnerable brother, cursed to stay in the form of a young child forever. In his efforts to rid himself of his status, he watered a sapling with his own blood and the tree became the Haligtree.

Embedding himself inside the trunk, he thought this would enable him to become a true god. However, his half-brother Mohg cut him out of the tree, still dormant in a cocoon, and Miquella isn't awake in spite of Mohg's efforts. Interestingly, the Oracle Envoys still play their pipes even though the demigod is inactive, seemingly saying that Miquella can be awoken in some way in the future.

If Shadow of the Erdtree shows us more of Miquella's early life, then that key could be revealed for another Elden Ring DLC, or even the sequel. We'll have to hold out hope for now.