While you were out here trying to beat Elden Ring DLC with no summons, this player beat it on a dance mat — oh, and whilst playing two versions simultaneously

What you need to know

• The same streamer who beat Elden Ring and the DLC on a dance mat has just completed an even harder challenge.
• Miss Mikkaa has just beat the final boss of Shadow of the Erdtree on a dance mat AND whilst playing with a controller on a PS5. 
• It took her 4 days, 239 tries and 14 hours total to complete the challenge.

The Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC that launched recently might just be the hardest content ever made by FromSoftware, and boy, did the fanbase really let them know about it. The game launched to mixed reviews on Steam as players left comments bemoaning the difficulty and balancing of the bosses.

Not everyone finds the game difficult, though. Some players go out of their way to add extra challenge to their runs through the Lands Between, including this streamer, Miss Mikkaa, who originally completed the entire game using not a controller but a dance mat. 

To fight the final boss on her first challenge, it took her 53 tries and 7 hours of dancing, but alas that turned out to not be enough of an accomplishment. MissMikkaa started a new run on the dance pad, but whilst also playing another copy of the game on her PS5. She's just completed her challenge run playing TWO copies of the game at the same time, one on the dance mat and the other on her PS5. Check out the incredible final boss defeat below.

I wonder if she had her full Scadutree Fragment upgrades? Or do players this good not even concern themselves with the likes of our mere mortal attempts at making ourselves more sturdy against the Elden Ring bosses? Seriously, this might be the most impressive challenge run I've every seen, and we've even reported on the masochist who beat the DLC final boss hitless without levels, upgrades, or status effects.

Not everyone tries to avoid the more helpful gameplay mechanics though, in fact one player took buffing to the extreme and stacked 18 of them to hit the final boss so hard he didn't even make it to phase 2.

MissMikkaa's build

I'm sure even using this players build wouldn't help me beat the game on a dance pad, but if you're curious, Miss Mikkaa has confirmed her final build in a later tweet. She was level 194 with a stat split of:

• 60 Vigor
• 54 Endurance
• 54 Strength
• 40 Faith
• 33 Mind

Using the Giant Crusher and Prayerful Strike. Talismans used were Crimson Seed Talisman +1, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman, Shard of Alexander and Golden Braid. In her Wonderous Physick, she used the Holy Shrouded Cracked Tear and Opaline Hardtear. 

Miss Mikkaa is the dancing definition of 'getting good'

MissMikkaa has completed multiple challenge runs of Elden Ring, from beating the whole game with one hand and no leveling — to a no-death run on the dance mat. Meanwhile, I'm still salty that the 1.12.3 balance patch nerfed the Perfume Bottle exploit, and I had to complete the game like an honorable Tarnished. (Spoiler: I didn't; I exploited Impenetrable Thorns instead.)

If, like me, you need a little more assistance when it comes to completing Shadow of the Erdtree, here's a list of 10 best new Elden Ring builds that have been tested by us, but no not with a dance mat. You may not become the next Let Me Solo Her but you'll be able to complete the game more easily than say, using Elon Musk's infamous Elden Ring build to try and get through the aggressive bosses in the DLC. Don't be a hero; use your summons if you need to, and preferably one of the best Spirit Ashes from the top of the tier list.

Whether you do use all of the assistance the game makes available to you, or whether you complete Shadow of the Erdtree on a dance mat while doing cartwheels and holding your breath, the fact remains that the initial outcry of the game being too difficult is quite laughable now in retrospect. It really is just a case of getting good or getting smart with your gameplay and adapting to the new environment of the Land of Shadow. The game is only as difficult as we make it for ourselves, to the extent that some streamers like MissMikkaa are making it even more of a challenge, and I love to see it!

The Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is finally here, and it makes one of the best Xbox games and best PC games of all time even better. It's out now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and Windows PC for $39.99.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree | $34.89 at CDKeys (Xbox)

Shadow of the Erdtree is Elden Ring at its most refined, with the base game's overly formulaic elements cut away and some of FromSoftware's best boss fights. The result is a 40-hour-long masterpiece of a DLC that's an absolute must-play for any Soulsborne fan.

Also see: Shadow of the Erdtree (PC, $37.09) | Deluxe Edition (PC, $90.89)

Collector's Edition: Bandai Namco Store (€249.99)