Summary
Elden Ring’sShadow of the ErdtreeDLC releases on the day of Summer Solstice for many players across the world, and fans think it is a reference to the iconicDark Souls"Praise The Sun" meme. Depending on where players are, they will be able to accessElden Ring’sShadow of the ErdtreeDLC on June 20th or June 21st, and the former happens to be the longest day in a calendar year.
TheShadow of the ErdtreeDLC 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 dissectElden Ring’sintricate lore.
In a new post on theElden Ringsubreddit, user Writer_On_a_Perch highlights an interesting observation related to the game’s release date.Elden Ringreleases 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 aDark Soulsreference.
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 ofDark Souls,tied to the iconic character Solaire of Astor.Dark Soulsis 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 theShadow of the ErdtreeDLC is based. While there is a possibility that this is just nothing more than classic Soulsborne apophenia, it might be one of thebrilliant outside referencesElden Ringis 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.
Elden Ring
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ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
