clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Even Torrent is scared of the new Elden Ring DLC

Poor baby!

An image of Torrent disappearing in the Abyssal Woods in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon
Ana Diaz (she/her) is a culture writer at Polygon, covering internet culture, fandom, and video games. Her work has previously appeared at NPR, Wired, and The Verge.

There is nothing better than a trusty steed. Every adventurer needs a creature who can ride into the depths of hell and back and serve as a constant source of support throughout the trials and tribulations of becoming a hero. But as the new Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC reminds us, every creature has its limits. And now even Torrent — the ride-or-die horsey of the Tarnished — can’t take it anymore, and he won’t be summoned in a particular region of the game.

FromSoftware released Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree on June 21. The extensive expansion adds loads of new super-tough boss fights, enemies, and new regions to explore. One of such spots includes the Abyssal Woods, a hazy forrest imbued with darkness at every turn. It turns the creepy dial way up and apparently, it’s too much for poor old Torrent. If you walk into the woods while riding the mount, your ghost horse will disappear and the game flashes the following text: “The spectral steed is frightened and cannot be summoned.” In other words, Torrent won’t let you ride him in the ominous woods.

The moment took many players by surprise. Just a single clip of Torrent disappearing got more than 211,000 views on TikTok. The is the same summon who was willing to face all the evils of the base game with you — there’s a literal lord of blood who looks like a beast from hell. The most-liked reply the viral video above said, “how is the horse scared of this but bro looks at elden beast with 0 fears.”

Look, I don’t get it, but I won’t judge. Maybe Torrent wanted to leave before, but he just didn’t work up the guts. The entire woods is basically like the horror section of Erdtree, and it would be a lot easier if Torrent were there to race players past the creepy, skulking Aged Ones. Regardless, it looks like the Tarnished will have to figure out this challenge on their own.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is available to play on PlayStation 5 and Windows PC.

The next level of puzzles.

Take a break from your day by playing a puzzle or two! We’ve got SpellTower, Typeshift, crosswords, and more.