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The big monster FromSoftware teased for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is a normal enemy gatekeeping the DLC, and it's kicking peoples' butts

FromSoftware surprised players by introducing the formidable Curseblade, initially teased as a boss, as a challenging normal enemy in the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, showcasing the expansion's heightened difficulty.

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FromSoftware teased foes of "unfathomable power" last month ahead of the launch of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, and players have been stunned to meet this creature as a normal enemy doing a heck of a job gatekeeping the DLC.

"Fearsome foes of unfathomable power await you in the Realm of Shadow," FromSoftware teased in a tweet back in May. The accompanying image showed a creature resembling the Omens from the base game, and the way it held its chakrams gave the silhouette a stunning resemblance to a set of reproductive organs. Theories about what this creature is went wild - at least one theory even suggested it was Godwyn - but pretty much everybody immediately assumed it would be a boss.

Turns out you'll meet this exact creature as a normal field enemy if you walk straight downhill from the first Site of Grace in the Lands of Shadow. I don't know if there's a canonical name for this enemy - I've seen a fair few players simply calling it a Curseblade - but in any case, it'll jump down from an unassuming bit of ruin and make your first steps into the DLC an absolute nightmare. The Curseblade is fast, unpredictable, and it hits hard, which really sets the tone for the expansion.

"I instantly got flashbacks to Sekiro's purple ninjas," as one player put it on Reddit. "Just a dude without a boss health bar that packs more aggression than most bosses." Another notes that "he was a surprisingly challenging fight. I guess it’s a gear check? Like turn back, yo. You’re not ready for this content yet."

I'm gonna go ahead and humble brag that this creature actually didn't kill me when I first encountered it - though in fairness I did have to quaff most of my Crimson Tears in a panic before I took it down. You can easily bypass the encounter altogether, but it's worth doing the fight a few times, as the Curseblade does drop several pieces of equipment you might want to take a look at.

If you're concerned about spoilers past the first 60 seconds of Shadow of the Erdtree, here's where I'm gonna drop the big ol' spoiler warning. While digging in for community reactions on this story, I learned that this creature design does, in fact, also show up as a boss later in the DLC, in the form of Curseblade Labirith. If you beat that boss, you'll get it as a summon, too. That's one heck of a way to turn the tables.

Want to know how to find Scadutree Fragments in Shadow of the Erdtree to stand a chance against these enemies? Just follow that link.