Elden Ring’sShadow of the Erdtree DLC releases on the day of Summer Solstice for many players across the world, and fans think it is a reference to the iconic Dark Souls “Praise The Sun” meme. Depending on where players are, they will be able to access Elden Ring’sShadow of the Erdtree DLC on June 20th or June 21st, and the former happens to be the longest day in a calendar year.
The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is barely a few days away, and the surrounding hype has been skyrocketing. Fans have been trying their best to prepare for the challenge the DLC will bring by bolstering their builds, farming runes, and whatnot. On the other hand, some players are still coming up with new theories to dissect Elden Ring’s intricate lore.
Elden Ring’s upcoming Shadow of Erdtree DLC previews reveal that some much-requested quality-of-life features could be introduced to the game.
In a new post on the Elden Ring subreddit, user Writer_On_a_Perch highlights an interesting observation related to the game’s release date. Elden Ring releases on the evening of June 20th, or at midnight on June 21st depending on where players are. While that might seem like an innocuous date, it is actually the same date as the Summer Solstice. Summer Solstice is the longest day in a calendar year, and many in the community think this was actually planned all along. While the original poster makes a joke about Miyazaki deliberately releasing the game on a prolonged day, others highlighted that it could be a Dark Souls reference.
Where Did The Praise The Sun Meme Originate From?
The Praise the Sun phrase has been one of the longest-running jokes in the Soulsborne genre. Its origins date all the way back to the release of Dark Souls, tied to the iconic character Solaire of Astor. Dark Souls is an extremely unforgiving game and, just like the other Soulsborne games, has a pretty grim theme. However, Solaire serves as the ray of hope in the game, giving players a cheerful character to interact with. He is well known for his “Praise the Sun” gesture, which has become an integral part of the genre.
Others have also highlighted that that how poetic it is that the longest day of the year leads players into the Land of Shadows, the region where the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is based. While there is a possibility that this is just nothing more than classic Soulsborne apophenia, it might be one of the brilliant outside references Elden Ring is well-known for. Whatever the case, the fact the community found an Easter egg tied to the release date as well is nothing short of commendable.