Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree vs Path of Exile 2
Elden Ring's DLC rewards base-game veterans; PoE2 welcomes ARPG fans willing to endure Early Access growing pains.
Best-in-class single-player DLC if you finished base Elden Ring — Land of Shadow rivals a full game, and patch 1.14 tamed Consort Radahn's combos.
Punches above its Early Access tag if you want Diablo combat with PoE1's depth — wait for 1.0 if you hate league build wipes.
Steam popularity
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
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Path of Exile 2
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Key differences
Progression style
Scadutree Fragments tied to exploration gate boss difficulty in the Land of Shadow.
PoE2's new skill gems and ascendancy classes let you customize builds from act 1.
Combat feel
Deliberate dodge-roll and stamina management against steep bosses define the Souls combat.
PoE2 introduces a dodge roll, shifting ARPG combat from passive to active evasion.
Post-launch state
The DLC is a static expansion balanced by a single patch, with no further updates.
PoE2's Early Access wipes progress between leagues and patches, keeping the meta in flux.
Which one is for you?
Pick Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree if
- You completed Elden Ring and want 35-40 more hours in its world.
- You enjoy exploration-based progression with Scadutree Fragments.
- You accept opaque difficulty and punishing boss fights.
Pick Path of Exile 2 if
- You loved PoE1 and want better controls and boss design.
- You want Diablo 4's feel with PoE1's endgame depth.
- You don't mind meta resets and rebuilding characters each league.
Bottom line
Pick Elden Ring DLC if you beat the base game; choose PoE2 if you want a deep ARPG and can accept its Early Access state.