Summary
As an open-world game,Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreeticks all the boxes. Not only does it have a large vault of new and exciting biomes for the players to explore, but many of them are so hidden that most players won’t even come across them during their first playthrough.
The mark of a great open-world gameis that even the unbeaten path is worth exploring, and that’s exactly whatElden Ringaccomplishes. It has plenty of hidden areas scattered everywhere you look, which is a boon for players who enjoy exploring the beautifully crafted world. It’s very easy to overlook these locations if you don’t look at the map carefully.
Updated on July 09, 2025, by Huzaifa Haq:Shadow of the Erdtree crafted a fresh new arena for players to explore. Similar to the base game, these areas are hidden from plain sight, and there isn’t an obvious way to reach them. The rewards in these areas aren’t necessarily the best, but they’re good enough for the players who enjoy exploration to feel a sense of satisfaction from a job well done.
12Lamenter’s Gaol
Hidden Goals in Hidden Locations
Located in the far reaches of Charo’s Hidden Grave, a location which is hidden both by virtue of its geography and its name,Lamenter’s Goal is an important tourist destinationfor players who make it to the southern border of the land of shadow.
This particular dungeon is of particular importance to players who need a boost to their Focus, as it contains theClarifying Horn +2 Charm. Additionally, the boss of the area drops theLamenter’s Mask, a unique item that transforms the player into an Omen. In this form, players get a boost to damage negation and the arcane stat.
11Fog Rift Catacombs
The Mist Obscures All
Found in the early section of the map,the Fog Rift Catacombsare surprisingly easy to miss if the player isn’t specifically looking for something in the confusing, fog-infested path leading from the Castle Front site of grace.
The catacombs aren’t particularly standout compared to other dungeons in the DLC, but they containone of three altars for the Stone-Sheathed Sword. This altar can be used to obtain the sword in question or to unlock theSword of LightorSword of Darkness.
10Eastern Nameless Mausoleum
Parkour Down the Waterfall
The Eastern Nameless Mausoleum islocated in the Ruins of Unte, far below the Shadow Keep which hosts Messmer’s invading army. This mausoleum has one of the best armors in the game,Rakshasa Set. Rakshasa’s set increases the damage dealt to enemies, while also increasing the damage taken by the player, by 8% when the full set is equipped.
To obtain it, players need to go head-to-head with thesurprisingly basic NPC boss, Rakshasa. Simple doesn’t mean easy by any means. She has high enough poise to ignore light attacks and a short enough punish window to disqualify heavy attacks. Fighting her requires a combination of parries, running attacks, and bold reads by the player.
9Rivermouth Cave
A Hidden Cubby At The Basin
The Rivermouth Caveis hidden away in a secret location that is very easy to miss. Players can reach it in two different ways, and the location contains a decent reward for the adventure-inclined Tarnished who reach it.
There is a fun little boss at the end of the dungeon, the Bloodfiend Chief. More importantly, the chamber right before the boss contains a large horde ofbloodfiends that can be farmed for runesvery easily with the right equipment.
8Manus Metyr’s Basement
The Mother of Fingers Awaits
One of the rewards forcompleting the Manus Metyr questis getting access to the ruins hidden beneath the manor where the sorcerer resides. When the player visits both finger ruins in the land of shadows, and defeats Ymir, they get the ability to visit this hidden location.
At the end of this arduous journey isthe Mother of Fingers, an extraterrestrial entity that was sent by the Greater Will to ensure its authority in the region quite a long time ago. Players will need to go against this alien boss to obtain its remembrance, which can be exchanged for a few powerful rewards.
7Church District
Gothic Worshipers of the Scadutree Avatar
Although it drops a remembrance,the Scadutree Avataris an optional boss who can be reached by going through a lot of hoops. It is a manifestation of the Land of the Shadow, and is a symbol of worship for the locals, with a dedicated Church.
Appropriately, this boss can be found at the end of the Church District region in the DLC. To reach it, players have to travel from Moorth Ruins, travel through a cave, and reach the Bonny Village. From there, they have to follow the path north, covering a large part of the map, to reach the Church District. After they finish the area and solve its water crisis,they can finally reach the Scadutree Avatar boss.
6Shadow Keep Back Gate
Messmer’s Hold Has a Backyard
The resting ground of yet another optional remembrance boss,getting to the Shadow Keep Back site of graceis relatively easy once you’ve unlocked the Church District. Instead of worrying about fixing the water problem in the church district, players need to use it as a jumping ground and use a series of ladders to get back to the Storehouse in Shadow Keep.
Following the path from there, they will eventually reach the back gate of Shadow Keep, where they will be able tofight Commander Gaius, a remembrance boss with a particularly difficult-to-dodge charge that has left many players frustrated.
5Scadutree Chalice
Scadutree Fragments Galore
Once you’ve killed Commander Gaius and claimed your spoils of war, don’t leave the arena. It might seem silly to anyone who’s explored the region, but it’s not surprising that a lot of people will miss the fact that they can continue exploring the fields behind Shadow Keep after the boss is gone.
Continue traveling north, and you will reach the Scadutree Chalice. Here, players will find a surprisinglylarge number of Scadutree Fragments, 5 to be exact. So defeating Commander Gaius is recommended because he doesn’t just give you a remembrance and some runes, but also the invaluable Scadutree Fragments that make your life that much easier in future fights.
4Abyssal Woods
Horror Games Deserve Love Too
The creepiest area of the game,the Abyssal Woods, is extremely hard to find. It is a completely optional region that most people will miss simply because it is so difficult to find without guidance. After you’ve defeatedthe Golden Hippopotamus, players need to explore the keep, find a secret ladder, go through a waterfall, discover the secret of a painting, and finally take the classic FromSoftware teleporting coffin to the Castle Watering Hole.
From there, they travel down that path, and clear the darklight catacombs, defeating a boss in the process, to reach the Abyssal Woods. There, they have to contend with a large stealth section without Torrent and untouchable enemies that have to be avoided just so they can reachMidra, Lord of Frenzied Flamehidden inside a castle.
3Hinterlands
Nature Never Looked This Beautiful
If getting to a secret area behind the Shadow Keep wasn’t exciting enough for you,Shadow of the Erdtreehas you covered. To the right of the Shadow Keep Back Gate site of grace, is a room with nothing but a giant statue and a message. If you performthe O, Mother gesturein front of the statue, it opens to reveala hidden passage leading to the Hinterlands.
One path from thereleads to Shaman village, a peaceful area shrouded in a timeless aura that has cool lore implications and a few goodies on top of that, while another path leads to creepy ruins with giant fingers jutting out from the ground that are a part of a larger quest involvingCount Ymir who can be found in Manus Metyr.
