One of the Elden Ring DLC’s new weapons is a Monster Hunter Easter egg

One of Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree’s new weapons is secretly an Easter egg that celebrates the Monster Hunter franchise.

Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC has gripped gamers everywhere but its punishing difficulty is grinding some gears. Filtering even Asmongold, the challenge on offer was strangely unexpected.

If you’re willing to rise to the occasion, Shadow of the Erdtree has a lot to offer fans of the base game. The eight new weapon types that have blown open build crafting to new heights are a particular stand-out.

The best part is, one of these new weapons in Shadow of the Erdtree is a nod to another loveable but difficult franchise. The new Great Katana is a direct homage to Monster Hunter’s iconic Longsword.

Initially discovered by X user AsagiKurosagi, Shadow of the Erdtree’s Great Katana’s light combo mirrors a staple string of moves from Monster Hunter’s Longsword. They posted a clip of the two side-by-side and it’s a near-perfect recreation.

If that wasn’t enough to convince you, the Great Katana also has its own version of the Longsword’s Fade Slash, a move used to attack and dodge at the same time. Using a Great Katana heavy attack while pressing the dodge input in Elden Ring will trigger the Fade Slash.

This is the exact same input as the Fade Slash in Monster Hunter making the connection between the Great Katana and the Longsword that much stronger. Users are even joking about the perceived favoritism of the Longsword in Monster Hunter. “Longsword players get everything,” one player said in reference. “They even got their weapon in a whole different game.”

This sneaky Easter egg has us wondering whether any other Monster Hunter references may have crept into Shadow of the Erddtree. Time to take a second look at those Backhand Blades.