Elden Ring's Weirdest Fan Theory Involves Taylor Swift
"Elden Ring" fans and Swifties have one important thing in common: They love to theorize. "Elden Ring" devotees have done deep dives into every last bit of flavor text in the Lands Between to try and suss out the game's hidden stories and overarching plot. In much the same way, Taylor Swift fans will go through the singer-songwriter's lyrics line-by-line to find hidden meanings and references that make them feel closer to Swift and her music (and to get themselves ready to see her on a mega-successful tour, of course). Unbelievably, those two worlds have collided in spectacular fashion, thanks to a dedicated Redditor who has put together a fan theory connecting Taylor Swift's lyrics and the unannounced release date for the next "Elden Ring" DLC, "Shadow of the Erdtree."
Fans have known to expect "Shadow of the Erdtree" for a while now, but developer FromSoftware has been reluctant to share a specific release date. Not worry, though: According to Reddit user Jiatao24, the lyrics to the song "Ivy" — the tenth track off of Taylor Swift's ninth studio album, "evermore" — contain hints pointing fans toward the DLC's launch window. This theory posits that not only is Taylor Swift a secret Soulslike fan, but she's somehow gotten the inside scoop from Bandai Namco and FromSoftware.
Taylor Swift's secret Elden Ring message revealed (sort of)
In this compelling post, Jiatao24 breaks down the lyrics to "Ivy" and pointed to specific lines that appear to reference characters and events in "Elden Ring." "After hours of detailed analysis, I have concluded that 'Ivy' by Taylor Swift is a song of lament from Ranni towards her previous tarnished lover, Vyke," writes Jiatao24. "In typical Taylor Swift fashion, it contains clues that allow us to conclusively determine the release date of the 'Shadows of the Erdtree' DLC."
Jiatao24 points to the word "tarnished" as a clear reference to the protagonist of "Elden Ring," while the line "Your touch brought forth an incandescent glow" is interpreted as a description of the Site of Grace where the player first meets Ranni/Renna. Likewise, Jiatao24 finds parallels between the lyrics and in-game locations such as the Deeproot Depths and the Mountaintops of the Giants, as well as lines that seem to describe the doomed relationship between Ranni and Vyke. The real smoking gun, however, is the line "Spring breaks loose, the time is near," which Jiatao24 says is a sure sign that the new chapter of "Elden Ring" arrives in early spring.
In perhaps the silliest leap, Jiatao24 also notes that "Ivy" is similar to the Roman numeral "IV." Jiatao24 writes, "This without any conceivable doubt indicates both that the release will be in the 4th month (April), and it is a 2024 release." The Redditor also notes that 13 is Taylor Swift's favorite number. With these final clues in hand, Jiatao24 concludes, "it is obvious to me that 'Shadows of the Erdtree' will release on April 13, 2024 and will explore Vyke's story more thoroughly through Ranni's previous relationship."
Reddit reacts to Taylor Swift/Elden Ring theory
Of course, a few things would have to have occurred for this theory to hold any kind of water. Either Taylor Swift is a time traveler who returned to the past just to give listeners a heads up about the next helping of "Elden Ring" (since "evermore" came out in 2020 and "Elden Ring" followed the next year), or she was somehow told by FromSoftware employees to hide these breadcrumbs for fans to find. While the jury is still out on whether or not Swift is a prophet/time traveler, the second is highly unlikely, considering how secretive FromSoftware was in the lead-up to the game's initial release. The conclusion of Jiatao24's post makes it pretty clear that they're being facetious in posting this theory, but the effort that went into crafting it is nonetheless impressive.
Jiatao24's fellow Redditor's seem to concur, as most of the replies to the thread communicate a mix of bewilderment and amusement. "What no DLC does to a mfer," quipped one commenter, while another added, "I cant tell if this is unhinged or genius." Some fans simply had to give Jiatao24 their well-deserved kudos. "Okay but why do so many of these points line up. I know it's a s*** post but damn if it isn't a good one," replied u/southpaw85.
So pump the brakes before you bust out your cork board and copy of "evermore" on vinyl. As much fun as it is to ponder, there's zero chance that this theory is correct. Hopefully that won't stop other fans from trying to concoct wild "Elden Ring" theories based around their favorite songs, though. The crossover between "Elden Ring" and Rush fans must be vast, right?