Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree trailer has players preparing for “Malenia 2.0”

Elden Ring fans think they’ll be battling “Malenia 2.0” based on Messmer the Impaler’s appearance in the Shadow of the Erdtree trailer.

Malenia counts among the most difficult bosses in FromSoftware’s open-world epic. This particular Elden Ring character boasts a devastating flurry attack that can even strike down the toughest Tarnished if not properly dodged.

Interestingly enough, dataminers have found evidence suggesting Malenia provided a much bigger challenge in pre-launch builds.

Now there’s reason to believe that FromSoftware has created yet another boss fight that will keep players on the edge of their seats. Such a battle will appear in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.

Elden Ring fans think Messmer the Impaler is “Malenia 2.0”

Elden Ring’s announcement trailer for Shadow of the Erdree spends a decent chunk of time focusing on the Tarnished’s battle against a brand-new foe – Messmer the Impaler.

Presumably the DLC’s big bad, Messmer strikes at the Tarnished with unforgiving fire-based attacks. At one point, it looks like the character’s fire abilities deal area-of-effect damage that could prove grueling if players aren’t especially careful.

It’s no surprise, then, that Elden Ring faithful are already preparing themselves for another Malenia-level boss fight. While sharing a screenshot of Messmer on the Elden Ring subreddit, one user wrote, “I can already tell this guy’s gonna be Melania [sic] 2.0.”

Replies to the Reddit post show that many players agree – Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree may very well unleash a Malenia-like threat on the new Land of Shadow setting.

One user shared this sentiment in a popular comment that reads, “The trailer really went out of its way to hype Messmer up. I bet that fight is disgusting.”

Another eager fan wrote, “I’m gonna get so frustrated, I’ll need to eat a cookie and take a nap afterwards. I can’t f***ing wait.”

Of course, attempts at making a Malenia and Messmer gameplay connection have led to some thinking the two may share a bond in the lore, as well.

One such theory posits, “Every other set of demigods… is a trio except for Miquella and Malenia. I’ve always assumed that Melina was the third child of Marika and Radagon, but maybe this ‘Messmer’ is.”

Players will be able to uncover Shadow of the Erdtree‘s many mysteries when the DLC arrives this summer on June 21.