Let me tell you, fellow Tarnished, as we sit around a Site of Grace in 2026, the whispers about the upcoming Elden Ring DLC are getting wilder by the day. We all have our theories, don't we? Miquella's slumbering dreamworld, the harsh Badlands, or the mysterious Land of Reeds... they're all on the table. But what if I told you the most mind-bending journey might not take us somewhere new, but somewhen old? Yeah, you heard that right. The DLC could pluck us right out of the present and throw us into the swirling, chaotic past of The Lands Between itself. It's a trip we're already kinda sorta prepared for, thanks to a curious bit of magic the game barely even uses.

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The Time-Travel Ticket We Already Have

Think about it for a second. We've already done it! Remember that epic, heart-pounding trek to face the Dragonlord Placidusax? That wasn't just a hidden boss arena; that was a one-way ticket to a bygone era. The game doesn't spell it out with a neon sign, but the magic is there, whispering of forgotten ages. FromSoftware, those masters of cryptic storytelling, have a history with this stuff. They love making us walk through time.

  • Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss: We went back to witness the birth of a legend... and its tragic fall.

  • Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City: That whole journey was a confusing, beautiful trek to the end of time itself.

So, using time travel for Elden Ring's DLC? It's not just possible; it's practically in their DNA. It's the perfect tool to show us the same breathtaking landscapes we know, but painted with the brush of a completely different, turbulent history. Talk about getting more bang for your buck!

What Could We Actually Do in the Past?

Okay, so we get zapped back in time. Big deal. What's the point? Well, my friend, the point is everything. The Lands Between are ancient, and the era we play in is just the messy aftermath. The real story happened before.

The Obvious Choice: The Shattering War. Imagine being dropped right into the meat grinder of the demigod war. Sounds cool, right? But... let's be real. Do we really want to fight Godrick, Radahn, and Rykard all over again, just in slightly different armor? The game already recycles enemies a bit much for some folks' taste. FromSoftware would be smart to avoid that pitfall.

The Intriguing Choice: The Era Before The Shattering. Now this is where my eyes light up. This is the golden age, the calm before the storm. This is where we could meet the legends we've only heard about in item descriptions and ghostly dialogues.

Who We Could Meet Why It Would Be Awesome
Godwyn the Golden The beloved prince, in the flesh, before his... unfortunate fate. What was he really like?
Ranni (in her original body) To see the Empyrean princess as she was meant to be, before the Night of the Black Knives changed everything.
Queen Marika Herself This is the big one. To stand before the Radagon-Marika enigma at the peak of her power, to witness her defiance against the Greater Will firsthand. That's the stuff lore dreams are made of!

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The Real Magic: Echoes That Change the Present

Here's the kicker, the thing that gives me chills. FromSoft has done this before, and it was beautiful. In Artorias of the Abyss, if you completed the DLC before fighting the Great Grey Wolf Sif in the main game, something special happened. Sif remembered you. That moment of recognition in the cutscene... it changes everything about that fight. It's no longer just a boss; it's a tragic farewell to a friend.

Now, imagine that potential in Elden Ring. The possibilities are, frankly, endless.

  • What if we befriend a young Blaidd before he becomes Ranni's shadow?

  • What if we learn the true story from Morgott before his hatred for the Tarnished fully crystallizes?

  • Could our actions in the past leave subtle, almost imperceptible marks on the world we return to? A different piece of dialogue, a new item where there wasn't one, a ghost that now nods in recognition...

That's the true promise of a time-travel DLC. It's not just about seeing cool old stuff. It's about making our original journey through The Lands Between feel deeper, more connected, and more personal. The past wouldn't just be a backdrop; it would be a foundation we helped shape. And honestly? After all this time, that's an adventure worth waiting for. The Grace is still guiding us, and the next chapter might be the oldest one yet.