Bandai Namco and From Software reportedly scrapped an Elden Ring season pass in favor of a larger expansion.
Well-known enthusiast of From Software titles Lance McDonald shared on Discord that, based on their sources, Elden Ring was meant to launch with a season pass for 2 DLCs, but the idea was scrapped in favor of the larger expansion titled Shadow of the Erdtree.
McDonald further stated that he had no idea why the original plans were scrapped. He suggested that the arrival of the free Colosseum DLC may have led to the restructuring of post-launch content. He added that this ended up being a situation similar to that of Bloodborne’s post-launch content, which had apparently also been planned as 2 separate DLCs prior to being one big expansion in the form of The Old Hunters. According to McDonald, offering a larger expansion in the form Shadow of the Erdtree is a much better approach than doing 2 smaller, separate DLCs.
Previously, it was revealed that Kadokawa plans to extend the lifespan of the Elden Ring IP, and it is looking to maximize profits by pursuing these long-term goals.
In its financial forecast for the Fiscal year ending March, 31, 2024, the From Software parent company revealed plans to maximize profits by prolonging the lifespan of the Elden Ring IP. Kadokawa noted in its report that it expected a reactionary decline in sales and profit in the Fiscal Year ending in March, 31, 2024 due to the profit involved in the shipment of Elden Ring to overseas in the Fiscal Year that ended on March 31, 2023.
The company is now developing DLC that will contribute to the enhancement of the Elden Ring franchise. It is, therefore, pursuing the maximization of profit by prolonging the life of its successful IP. This suggests that there may be more expansions planned for Elden Ring after the release of the first expansion, titled Shadow of the Erdtree.
