Elden Ring Fans Already Have Theories About This Newly Revealed Bloodborne-Like Monster

Elden Ring developer FromSoftware has unveiled a new Bloodborne-like enemy that is set to appear in next month’s Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, and fans are already talking about how it will terrorize fellow Tarnished.

The studio pulled back the curtain on its latest nightmare on X/Twitter today. An image of the currently unnamed creature reveals a cloaked, cane-wielding being with a glowing head. The Bloodborne comparisons come from its tentacle-like face, giving the enemy an almost Lovecraftian flair.

The abandoned and tragic who forage beneath the umbra pray for the embrace of a new master.​
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Pre-order #ELDENRING Shadow of the Ertree: https://t.co/ivdzDMJRKZ pic.twitter.com/VffO2K90Zq

— ELDEN RING (@ELDENRING) May 13, 2024

“The abandoned and tragic who forage beneath the umbra pray for the embrace of a new master,” FromSoftware’s post says.

Fans were quick to compare the creature to Bloodborne enemies like Winter Lanterns and Garden of Eyes, which both feature large, eye-covered heads and cloaked torsos. Even the image’s grim setting calls back to FromSoftware’s PlayStation 4 exclusive game, signaling to Elden Ring players that Shadow of the Erdtree will, of course, provide yet another challenging and gruesome experience.

Flashbacks… pic.twitter.com/ij9sJwMxQK

— Ziostorm (@Ziostorm1) May 13, 2024

I’d say they look more like the garden of eyes. pic.twitter.com/ozSQ9OraPd

— TBartels (@TBartels1) May 13, 2024

While it’s nice to see an enemy that calls back to Bloodborne, most fans are hoping this new nameless being isn’t quite as tough to deal with as something like the Winter Lanterns. Those enemies notoriously built up an annoying status effect known as Frenzy just by being near the player. There’s also the location that the new enemy resides in, which looks suspiciously swamp-like and may or may not be poisonous.

That thing will spam status effect, i just know it.

— MarzTheBanished (@martkillswitch2) May 13, 2024

Please don’t be a winter lantern Please don’t be a winter lantern Please don’t be a winter lantern
Please don’t be a winter lantern Please don’t be a winter lantern Please don’t be a winter lantern

— Karna (@karna2666) May 13, 2024

Hears humming* pic.twitter.com/dXapnkMg52

— TheColeBrew (@TheColeBrewTv) May 13, 2024

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree was announced in February and has a PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X | S release date of June 21, 2024. In typical FromSoftware fashion, we don’t know much about how the DLC will build upon Elden Rings already great foundation. However, you can read some of what we do know here.

For more on Elden Ring, you can read our 10/10 review. We called the open-world action RPG a “masterpiece” upon its release in 2022, saying, “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.”

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.