Following our Elden Ring walkthrough can help you stay on track in its huge, often overwhelming world with many directions you can go.
While you can go almost anywhere and find something new, after selecting your starting class and Keepsake, there is a critical path you can follow to see the ending in Elden Ring.
Though you’ll be given hints of where to go, in typical FromSoftware fashion, this isn’t made all that clear to you, so knowing where you should be going – even if you want to take a dozen hour detour or two before you get there! – is well worth knowing, especially if you’re planning on playing Shadow of the Erdtree as well.
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How does this Elden Ring walkthrough work?Limgrave and Stormveil CastleWhere to go after Godrick and StormveilWhere to go after Raya Lucaria AcademyWhere to go after LeyndellRevisiting LeyndellHow does this Elden Ring walkthrough work?
Like previous FromSoftware games, Elden Ring has a critical path and a set number of required main bosses you must tackle before you can complete the game.
But unlike previous FromSoftware games, most areas are available right away. But even if you know where to go, it’s very easy to get side-tracked. This is actually the best way to play the game – at your own pace, and seeing what takes your interest. If you want to spend several hours tracking down all the Deathroot locations across the map to finish one of the game’s many sidequests, for example, you absolutely should! There’s no shame in deviating from the main path when it suits you. But the critical path also opens up new areas that contain useful items you’ll eventually want to visit.
19 Elden Ring Starting Tips for Beginners – ELDEN RING BEGINNER TIPS ps5 GAMEPLAY Watch on YouTube
This Elden Ring walkthrough explains how to follow the main path through the game. Though we will offer some additional suggestions for side content such as bonus bosses or optional quests, know this page itself isn’t an exhaustive, step-by-step walkthrough of how to find and beat everything.
Instead, to keep things focused, this page directs you along the critical path to completing Elden Ring. Even with this alone there is a lot to cover!
If you want a more spoiler-free list of requirements to finish the game, then visit our main bosses list which can help give you an overview of what be done to finish it. Beyond that, we also have a page on the additional things needed to see all endings.
Limgrave and Stormveil Castle
Before we jump into a guide of the first region of Limgrave, it’s important to note that you don’t actually start there.
Once you have decided on a starting class and Keepsake, you’ll begin at the Chapel of Anticipation. Don’t worry, you’re supposed to die at the first boss – this is a FromSoftware game after all – and once you do you’ll begin the game proper.
Once you respawn, you’ll be in the Stranded Graveyard – which actually has a missable tutorial – make your way out of the cave and you’ll finally come to the open world of The Lands Between.
Now the guidance of grace will appear on your map screen as yellow directional arrows, you can use these as vague indicators of the critical path.
Activate the Site of Grace in front of you and you’ll see a church just down the road, go to it. There will also be a huge knight riding a horse – this is the Tree Sentinel – and they’re going to be quite the challenge at this point. Our recommendation is to give them a wide berth and head to the church.
Now you’re at the Church of Ellah, where you can upgrade some weapons and purchase goods from the Merchant. They sell a Crafting Kit for 300 Runes – this is an essential item that allows you to craft consumables from ingredients in the wild – so make sure you collect the Runes by defeating nearby enemies or using a Rune item from your inventory (there’s one right outside the Church’s front entrance, in case you missed it).
It might also be worth picking up a Torch, too, as this will help you see in dark areas, such as caves and underground dungeons.
A streak of light should be emitting from the Site of Grace at the church, head in that direction and follow the road northwards.
Following the road over the hill will reveal an enemy encampment, circle around it to the left and you’ll see a massive stone structure and a Site of Grace, make sure you rest here.
Once you do, a cutscene will play, then accept Melina’s offering and she’ll allow you to level up at every Site of Grace and give you Torrent, your spectral steed for the duration of Elden Ring. We’ve marked the ‘Gatefront’ Site of Grace’s location on the below map.
While you are here in Gatefront Ruins, it’s also worth picking up the Whetstone Knife and the first Limgrave map fragment.
At this point we recommend you explore Limgrave for a while, obtain items and equipment, earn some Runes and mark tough locations so you can come back to them later.
Our what to do first in Elden Ring page goes into some specific locations you might want to consider, while we also have dedicated pages on the best early weapon and where to find a staff and sorcery teacher early. Otherwise, freely roam and see what you discover – the story can wait!
Elden Ring for dummies: Basics for EVERYTHING You Need to Know (But Were Afraid to Ask) PS5 GAMEPLAY Watch on YouTube
To get to Stormveil Castle from the ‘Gatefront’ Site of Grace, simply follow the road under the stone structure, and continue on that path for a short while. You’ll come across another glowing tree and Golden Seed, so be sure to pick that up, as it will let you get another use out of your HP and FP flasks (making them incredibly important items to keep an eye out for to improve your odds of survival).
The road then bends around to the left, at which point you should be met with a hoard of enemies guarding the entrance to Stormveil Castle. Behind the enemies there’s a long tunnel, head down it and activate the Site of Grace.
On the other end of the tunnel you’ll meet your first major boss, Margit The Fell Omen. You need to beat this boss to gain access to Stormveil Castle.
This is a huge challenge – so if you are struggling, then feel free to explore Limgrave a bit more first. You can also skip Stormveil Castle entirely if you’re finding it too difficult, as there’s a secret route into the next area, Liurnia of the Lakes. You can always go back to Stormveil Castle when you feel more prepared, especially since Liurnia has some better and more useful items that can help you out. These include some of the best early armor sets to improve your defences, and so if you fancy getting to Liurnia early, then you can see how to do this in the following video:
How to skip Stormveil Castle in Elden Ring Watch on YouTube
You must defeat Margit to complete Elden Ring, however, so come back when you’re ready, and good luck!
Once you’ve beaten Margit, you can access Castle Stormveil by heading up the stone steps and you’ll see a closed off gate. To your left is an opening, and there’s an NPC who can open up the gate for you. As they recommend though, it’s much easier if you go around the outside of Stormveil instead, through the big hole in the same room.
As the first major Legacy Dungeon in Elden Ring, Stormveil Castle is a huge labyrinth. Many paths will open up and loop back round to each other as you go, but keep exploring until you come to the Site of Grace ‘Secluded Cell’, shown on the map and in-game image below.
Honestly, there are multiple ways to get there, and none of them are wrong. So explore, find items, beat enemies and level up until you arrive.
Next to the Site of Grace is a fog gate, going through it will pit you against Godrick the Grafted, another essential boss along Elden Ring’s critical path.
Go through the door at the end of Godrick’s boss arena and make your way through the catacomb-esque area. This is incredibly short and only has one way to go. Emerge back outside and you’ll see the below vista.
You’ve reached Liurnia! Your next destination is the giant white building on the horizon – the Raya Lucaria Academy.
To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Where to go after Godrick and Stormveil Castle
Now you’re in Liurnia, you need to go to Raya Lucaria Academy, another Legacy Dungeon, to beat some required bosses.
Once you’ve headed down towards the lake, you first need to find a Glintstone Key, as this is the only way to get into the Academy itself.
With the Glintstone Key, you need to head to the Site of Grace ‘Academy Gate Town’ in the lake itself, which is marked in the map image below. From here, follow the dilapidated road in its northwest direction.
You’ll need to navigate some sunken buildings, but you should come across another glowing tree and Golden Seed, as pictured below.
Carry on northwest and you should see some barricades and steps. Head up the steps and you’ll come to a town square area. You need to follow it round to the right. There are a lot of enemies here, but if you sneak your way around the edge of either side of the square you should only need to fight a knight or two. Or – just get on Torrent and sprint past the mall!
Once you’ve made your way around to the right hand side of the square you should see a stone slope overgrown with greenery, with a blue light covering the gate at the end. This is the entrance to Raya Lucaria Academy. Head up toward the gate and examine the seal with a prompt and you’ll be teleported.
Activate the Site of Grace ‘Main Academy Gate’ and head left, using the elevator to go up to the Raya Lucaria Academy Legacy Dungeon.
Next up you’ll head into a church, turn left at the enemy standing in front of the altar, then make another left to find yet another Site of Grace, pictured below.
From here, the Academy is actually pretty straightforward, as you go through the graveyard, up some giant moving platforms and past a metric ton of sorcerers until you come to another fog gate.
Behind it is your third mandatory boss fight with the Red Wolf of Radagon. Defeat it and unlock the Site of Grace ‘Debate Parlour’. You can also find one of several Stonesword Keys nearby here, which let you access special teleporters around the map.