On July 3, 2022, Bandai Namco Entertainment, the Japan-based game publishing company responsible for fan-favorite games including Elden Ring, announced that it had been hacked by a third party using ransomware software with the intent to hold the company hostage. Bandai Namco reportedly did not give in to the hackers, leading to the public leaking of secret material that included the company's planned game releases for 2023. While it's unfortunate that the company experienced such trouble, it did give hope to the fans of many games, including Elden Ring, for which it listed DLC entitled Barbarians of the Badlands, said to be releasing in 2023.
Bandai Namco has neither confirmed nor denied the authenticity of the leaks. Nonetheless, given FromSoftware's previous release schedules with Dark Souls DLC following a pattern of coming anywhere from a couple of months to one year following the games' initial releases, fans are hopeful that the Barbarians of the Badlands DLC really is coming next year. So far, several fan theories and hopes have begun to circulate on the internet. Here are some of the prominent ones that have fans excited.
Unused Coliseums and Multiplayer PVP
All across The Lands Between are what appear to be giant coliseums that have no function. Players are unable to get inside, so they appear to be more for show than anything, adding character to the brilliant landscape that makes up the game. But what if there was a plan for these structures?
Some fans are hopeful that FromSoftware plans to fix the issues found in the PVP multiplayer gameplay. Many players find the PVP difficult to use and buggy, causing enough frustration for some fans to consolidate their reviews into their own site on the subject. The negative reviews are separated into three categories: multiplayer accessibility, balance suggestions, and bugs, each of which is swarming with articles on issues that need to be fixed. These issues touch on everything from crouched attacks to using Ashes of War that end up glitching or crashing the game.
Some fans speculate that Barbarians of the Badlands plans to mass-patch these issues along with making multiplayer PVP more interactive using the vacant coliseums. Twitter user and YouTuber Lance McDonald claimed to have hacked into the game's camera and was able to explore the inside of one of these structures. His efforts revealed detailed architecture, elevators, and tunnels, all of which are empty of players but full of potential. His findings were recorded and publicized, leaving fans to hope for a coliseum-based PVP system in the DLC, which would both help to right the wrongs of the original game's system and utilize unused but already laid-out space in the game.
The Rise of Miquella
Though there are dozens of NPCs and deities that could make for interesting DLC material, multitudes of Elden Ring players have settled on wanting to see more from one of the most tragic yet impactful storylines in the game's lore, that of Malenia and Miquella. According to Elden Ring's lore, Malenia and Miquella were twins and children of the great Marika and Radagon. However, they were born cursed, Malenia with the curse of unending Scarlet Rot and Miquella stuck forever in the body of a child.
After the Shattering of the Elden Ring, the shards of which were collected by Shardbearers such as Malenia, war broke out among demigods and Shardbearers alike. This resulted in the infamous standoff between Malenia and Radahn, which ended with Malenia cursing all of Caelid with the Scarlet Rot that thereafter drove Radahn mad. Afflicted but alive, Malenia retreated to where her brother had entombed himself in the Haligtree to try and reverse his youth and her Scarlet Rot, only to find him gone, stolen by Mohg, Lord of Blood.
When the Tarnished comes across Malenia at the Haligtree, she is still waiting hopefully for her brother's return. However, footage gathered by YouTube user BonfireVN reveals a more tragic, darker fate than what she is hoping for. Corrupted by the blood of Mohg, Miquella has failed to reverse his curse and is stuck as a seemingly lifeless husk within a giant egg. The only sign of his presence is a long, spindly arm that emerges from a crack, motionless. Somehow making the story more tragic is Malenia's title when the Tarnished finally battles her: Malenia, Blade of Miquella. She is the protector of the childhood-bound brother whose only wish upon his capture was to cure himself and his sister forever.
One of the bigger clues that points to Miquella possibly being involved in the DLC is his appearance in Mohg's arena. His arm is reaching through the crack in the egg, and the body within, if desiccated, is fleshed out by the game's creators. The breaching of the egg could easily be a form of foreshadowing on FromSoftware's part, hinting that Malenia's brother is on the cusp of breaking free. Perhaps with the slaying of Mohg by the Tarnished, his curse will eventually be lifted, and he will roam The Lands Between once more.
But that theory begs another question: if Miquella were to break free, what would his reaction be to the Tarnished slaying his sister, the one person he longed to cure upon waking from his slumber? A storyline featuring the cumulation of all of this backstory is just begging to be utilized by FromSoftware. Such branches of the story could go anywhere from a bitter battle between Miquella and the Tarnished to Miquella's healing. If healed, he could take comfort in knowing that his sister is finally at rest and potentially even cure the Scarlet Rot-cursed Caelid. Only time will tell if this theory will hold up, but since it has been confirmed that Elden Ring content in some form is coming, fans of Miquella and Malenia's story remain optimistic.
The Potential of Uncharted Territory
Another widespread theory regarding future Elden Ring content is also one of the more vague ones. In the center of the map of The Lands Between is an area covered with what appears to be a cloud. Players have reported hacking into the game's camera and exploring the area, only to find a wide, dark landmass with no real discernable features, which has only sprouted theories in their imaginations. This mysterious landmass could potentially be used for multiplayer PVP, with some speculating that the DLC will reveal something akin to the aforementioned coliseums.
The theory is only strengthened by the revelation that the Divine Towers of each of the game's regions seem to align around the mass, which stands where the intersection would be if lines were drawn connecting each of the Towers. However, this theory could be circumstantial due to the circular shape of The Lands Between. But if it is to be believed, what of the clouded areas bordering the map? If the center area can be utilized in the DLC, those mysterious clouds also hold much potential.
While there has yet to be any real confirmation of the rumored DLC's existence, the concept has sparked interest in players worldwide. Whether the DLC improves existing mistakes, uses mysterious territory, or expands upon the story surrounding the world's history, players can be comforted in knowing that any upcoming DLC will only make Elden Ring a richer and more rewarding experience.