Unlocking Forsaken Hollows in Elden Ring Nightreign

The Forsaken Hollows is the first paid expansion for Elden Ring Nightreign, adding new Nightfarers, bosses, and a substantial Shifting Earth encounter. Accessing it is not as simple as clicking a menu option: you must meet specific in-game requirements, talk to certain NPCs in the Roundtable Hold, and ensure the DLC is correctly installed on your platform.

This guide walks you through every step, from confirming that The Forsaken Hollows is active on your system to unlocking new characters and the Balancers boss expedition. It is written to avoid story spoilers beyond what is strictly needed to start the DLC.

Overview: What The Forsaken Hollows DLC Adds

Before diving into unlock conditions, it helps to understand what you are working toward. The Forsaken Hollows DLC does not create a completely separate campaign; instead, it integrates into Nightreign’s existing structure with new targets and playable options.

• Two new playable Nightfarers: the Scholar and the Undertaker, each with unique abilities and playstyles.
• New boss expedition: the Balancers, a powerful new Nightlord target added to the expeditions list once requirements are met.
• New Shifting Earth event: a large encounter known as The Great Hollows, accessed from a new location within the Roundtable Hold.
• Additional loot and story elements: gear and narrative that expand Nightreign’s world and endgame options.

According to the official DLC page from Bandai Namco, The Forsaken Hollows specifically focuses on adding new Nightfarers, bosses, and a Shifting Earth scenario that extends the main game rather than replacing it.¹

Core Requirements to Start The Forsaken Hollows

The DLC has both technical and in-game progression requirements. Missing either category can prevent the new content from appearing.

Technical: Owning and Installing the DLC

First, make sure you actually own and have installed The Forsaken Hollows DLC. How this works depends on your platform and whether you bought the DLC separately or as part of a deluxe edition.

On all platforms, you should see the DLC listed as installed. If you cannot find it, your purchase may not have completed or you may be on a different account than the one that owns the content.

In-Game: Boss Progression Requirements

Once technical installation is confirmed, the game checks your progression. The Forsaken Hollows is designed for players who have cleared early Nightreign content, so it expects you to have defeated a minimum number of bosses.

The key requirements are:

• Defeat at least two main bosses in the base game.
• One of those bosses must be the early Nightlord encounter often treated as the first major expedition milestone (commonly referred to as Tricephalos/Triceos in various guides).

If you are unsure whether you meet these conditions, check your expeditions list in the Roundtable Hold. If you have already cleared at least two major Nightlord targets and progressed beyond the starting expeditions, you are likely eligible. This gating style mirrors the approach Elden Ring’s original DLC used, where players were required to defeat specific bosses before accessing expansion content.²

Step-by-Step: How to Trigger the Forsaken Hollows Questline

With the DLC installed and the progression requirement met, the game quietly unlocks an event chain in the Roundtable Hold. You will not receive a loud popup; instead, new NPC interactions become available.

1. Return to Roundtable Hold After Meeting Requirements

Load your character and return to the Roundtable Hold. If you boot directly into the Hold after updating, you are already in the correct place. The new DLC path is centered here, rather than in a remote open-world region.

2. Talk to the Iron Menial

Look for the Iron Menial NPC. He is found in a room connected to the main hub area—check your in-game map if you have trouble locating him. After you meet the boss requirements, he gains new dialogue.

When you speak with the Iron Menial:

• He mentions a message relating to the Small Jar Merchant.
• He hints that something unusual is happening near the merchant’s location.

This conversation is the formal trigger that sends you toward the area where the DLC content starts to unfold.

3. Visit the Small Jar Merchant’s Bazaar

From the Iron Menial, head toward the Small Jar Merchant, who runs a bazaar-like stall in the Hold. After the DLC conditions are met, an important visual change appears here:

• The previously blocked doorway behind or near the merchant is now clear or partially open.
• The merchant’s comments and gestures draw your attention toward this doorway.

Approach the door and interact with it. This is your entry into the DLC’s first key encounter.

4. Enter the Doorway and Face the Dreg Lord

Opening the door pulls you into a new boss battle. In this fight:

• You encounter the Dreg Lord, a powerful enemy linked to the Forsaken Hollows storyline.
• Two unfamiliar allies—the Scholar and the Undertaker—are already present in the battle.

Importantly, you do not need to defeat this boss to continue unlocking the DLC. The fight is intentionally challenging and can be completed or failed; either outcome moves the quest forward as long as you participate in it at least once.

5. Watch the Post-Battle Cutscene

Once the encounter ends (especially if you are defeated), you will see a new cutscene related to the Forsaken Hollows narrative. This short cinematic formally introduces the new storyline and sets up your future involvement in the new Shifting Earth event and Balancers expedition.

After the cutscene, you are returned to the Roundtable Hold with new NPCs and options available.

Unlocking the New Nightfarers: Scholar and Undertaker

Participating in the doorway battle unlocks the next phase of the DLC: gaining access to the two new playable Nightfarers.

6. Re-enter the Doorway to Reach the Chapel

Return to the door behind the Small Jar Merchant. Instead of taking you directly into combat, the area now leads to a small chapel-like room.

Within this chapel:

• You will find the Scholar and the Undertaker standing inside.
• The room acts as a small hub space tied to the Forsaken Hollows content.

7. Speak With Both New NPCs

Walk up to each character and exhaust their dialogue. You typically must:

• Talk to the Scholar until their dialogue repeats or concludes.
• Then talk to the Undertaker in the same way.

Once you have spoken to both, they become available as playable Nightfarers in your loadout options, dramatically broadening your tactical choices for expeditions and Shifting Earth events. Bandai Namco’s official description of the DLC notes that these two Nightfarers are central additions, and they are required for one of the new boss fights.¹

8. Observe the Light From the Ceiling

After you have completed the conversations, a beam of light will emanate from the chapel ceiling. This visual cue signals that new content has been unlocked:

• The Shifting Earth event The Great Hollows becomes available.
• A new boss expedition target, the Balancers, is now accessible from the expeditions menu, provided other conditions are met.

How to Unlock the Balancers Boss Expedition

Although the chapel event unlocks the basic DLC structure, the Balancers themselves have additional requirements. They are designed as a more advanced target, so the game ensures you are reasonably prepared.

Boss and Progress Requirements

To access the Balancers as a target in the expeditions list, you typically need:

• At least two main bosses defeated in the base game, including the early Nightlord milestone.
• Both Scholar and Undertaker unlocked as playable Nightfarers through the chapel interactions.

If you have met these requirements and still do not see the Balancers, try the following:

• Rest or reset at your usual hub point.
• Revisit the Iron Menial and the chapel room to ensure all dialogue has been seen.
• Open the expeditions list from the center of the Roundtable Hold and scroll through all targets.

Starting The Great Hollows Shifting Earth

The beam of light in the chapel effectively unlocks The Great Hollows as a Shifting Earth event. Interacting with the relevant menu entry (often integrated with your Shifting Earth options) will allow you to tackle this new large-scale encounter.

Completion is not strictly required to access every piece of DLC content, but The Great Hollows and the Balancers are narratively and mechanically tied together. They offer new rewards and challenges appropriate for late-game Nightreign builds, similar to how Elden Ring’s larger DLC encounters are positioned as high-difficulty endgame content.³

Multiplayer and Matchmaking Considerations

The Forsaken Hollows integrates with Nightreign’s multiplayer systems. Bandai Namco has described post-launch updates that allow DLC content to appear in Deep of Night matchmaking when all players in a group own the add-on.¹

Key points for co-op or online play:

• All players must own and have installed The Forsaken Hollows to see its bosses and Shifting Earth events in shared matchmaking.
• New DLC content is typically matched with players at comparable progression levels, especially for high-end boss targets.
• Future updates may adjust availability rules, but the requirement that each player own the DLC is unlikely to change, based on how other Bandai Namco/FromSoftware titles handle expansions.⁴

Troubleshooting: When the DLC Won’t Start

If you have followed the steps above and still cannot access The Forsaken Hollows, work through this checklist.

1. Verify Installation Again

• Ensure the DLC is installed under the same account you are using to play.
• On consoles, double-check that the add-on appears under Manage game content or Add-ons and is not stuck in a queued or paused state.

2. Confirm Boss Progress

• Review your expedition history to verify that at least two main bosses have been defeated.
• If you recently beat them before installing the DLC, try restarting the game to force the new conditions to register.

3. Revisit the Iron Menial and Jar Merchant

• Return to the Iron Menial and speak with him again to ensure you have seen all new dialogue.
• Check the Small Jar Merchant’s area and inspect the door behind him; interact with it from multiple angles if needed.

4. Check for Game Updates

Occasionally, DLC unlock problems can be caused by missing patches. Make sure the base game is updated to the latest version. On most platforms, enabling automatic updates or manually selecting “Check for Update” on the game tile resolves such issues.

Quick Reference Summary

Use this condensed checklist if you want a fast reminder for a new character or second playthrough.

• Step 1: Install and verify The Forsaken Hollows DLC on your platform.
• Step 2: Defeat at least two major base-game bosses, including the early Nightlord milestone.
• Step 3: Return to the Roundtable Hold and talk to the Iron Menial.
• Step 4: Visit the Small Jar Merchant; interact with the newly opened door behind him.
• Step 5: Enter the door and participate in the Dreg Lord fight (winning is optional).
• Step 6: After the cutscene, re-enter the door to access the chapel.
• Step 7: Speak to both the Scholar and the Undertaker to unlock them as Nightfarers.
• Step 8: Use the now-activated options (light from the ceiling) to access The Great Hollows and the Balancers expedition once conditions are met.

FAQ: Forsaken Hollows DLC

Do I have to beat the new Dreg Lord boss to unlock the DLC?

No. Merely entering the fight after opening the door behind the Small Jar Merchant is enough to advance the storyline. Even if you lose, the subsequent cutscene and chapel access will still unlock.

Can I start The Forsaken Hollows on a new save?

You must clear a few base-game bosses first. The DLC is balanced for characters with some progression, echoing how FromSoftware’s other expansions generally expect mid- to late-game power levels, as noted in press coverage of prior Elden Ring DLC.³

How do I know if the Scholar and Undertaker are unlocked?

After speaking with them in the chapel, check your Nightfarer or character selection interface. They should appear alongside your existing options, each with their own stats and abilities.

Is The Forsaken Hollows separate from the main game?

No. The DLC is woven into existing systems: Roundtable Hold, expeditions, Shifting Earth, and the Deep of Night matchmaking framework. You still use your current character and progression.

Why can my friends see DLC content in matchmaking but I can’t?

Most likely you either don’t own the DLC, it isn’t installed, or you haven’t met the in-game boss requirements. Each player must independently satisfy technical and progression conditions before shared DLC content becomes visible to them.