A newly uncovered piece of cut content from Bandai Namco Entertainment and FromSoftware’s 2022 action role-playing game, Elden Ring, has revealed an intriguing plot thread that never made it into the final game.
In his new YouTube video, modder and content creator Lance McDonald has shared cut content from Elden Ring that was datamined from the game’s older data. Digging through the data revealed an unused map file and an associated cutscene featuring Miquella, the twin brother of Malenia and a central figure in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, planting the Haligtree.
In the game‘s final build, players encounter Malenia within a sealed arena where the roots of the massive Haligtree dominate the environment, “demonstrating this location as the origin of its growth.” However, the datamine revealed an earlier version of this same arena in a drastically different state. While the structure itself remains intact, the Haligtree is reduced to “a mere sapling,” suggesting a moment far earlier in its lifecycle. As per its metadata, the file was explicitly designated for cutscene use, indicating that it was never meant to be used for gameplay purposes. Instead, it served as a backdrop for a cinematic moment that appears to have been cut during development.
Further digging into Elden Ring’s files revealed how this scene was originally intended to trigger. During an earlier development phase, the cutscene would play after the player received the left half of the Dectus Medallion from Gideon. Returning to a Site of Grace would then activate an event tied to the Haligtree cutscene. However, due to the removal of an intermediate file earlier in development, “the associated video file would not actually play.”
Alongside the file are several unused voice lines, likely intended to accompany the scene. They include phrases such as: “Young seedling, grow larger, stronger,” and “My dear twin, accept this gift. A gift of abundance. My last drop of dew.” The dialogue continues with themes associated with Miquella’s character, including the idea of letting “all things flourish, whether graceful or malign.”
