Some players of Elden Ring‘s DLC have experienced a strange phenomenon in which their controllers seem to randomly vibrate as they’re exploring the Land of Shadow. This takes the form of two quick pulses- one small, one large. They usually, but not always, occur outside battle, when the player isn’t actively being hit by enemy swings that might normally cause such vibrations. The problem seems to be limited to PS5 DualSense controllers, whose advanced haptic feedback is known for creating subtle effects that increase immersion.

The random vibrations aren’t disruptive, as they last only briefly, and appear only sporadically. But much of Elden Ring‘s lore is hidden in subtle details that only the most observant players will notice. As a result, this apparent glitch has become subject to countless fan theories. Whether any of them actually hold water remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: these vibrations have gotten Shadow of the Erdtree players thinking.

Elden Ring DLC’s Random Vibrations May Be A Result Of The Bloodfiends’ Battle

A Random Encounter May Cause PS5 Controller Vibrations

The simplest explanation for PS5 controllers randomly vibrating in Elden Ring‘s DLC is that they’re triggered by the battle between Bloodfiends and Messmer’s knights, which eternally rages on at the foot of the Ellac Greatbridge. The player doesn’t have to do anything to trigger this fight: it just happens every time they load into the area. Both the knights and the Bloodfiends have several moves that could cause the effect – the Bloodfiends sometimes slam their clubs down on the ground, while the knights may stagger them, which often causes a similar vibrational pattern. However, the vibrations seem to extend too far for this to be the case. Players don’t even have to be within earshot of the Bloodfiends to feel them, but if they’re the true cause, that’s likely just a bug.

Elden Ring DLC’s Random Vibrations May Have A Deeper Lore Explanation

Could Shadow Of The Erdtree’s Random Vibrations Actually Mean Something?

But some players who have experienced these vibrations claim they may be related to something deeper. The most common theory is that they’re somehow related to the quest surrounding the dragon Bayle and his adversary

Igon

. The vibrations do feel like heartbeats, and when the player finally defeats the fearsome dragon, they’re rewarded with the

Heart of Bayle

. This does roughly track to the same location where most players experience them, near Ellac Greatbridge. Though Bayle’s perch on Jagged Peak is technically a different region, the entrance to it (through the optional Dragon’s Pit dungeon) is very nearby. The vibrations of Bayle’s telltale heart would then function as a lure, drawing the player to explore the region further until they find the hidden entrance.

It wouldn’t be the first time FromSoft has included a detail like this in one of their games. Think of Mergo’s distant cries in the later chapters of Bloodborne, or “The Beast Eye quivers” messages from base Elden Ring. These games are full of subtle details – armed only with the powers of observation and their repetitive nature, it’s up to the player to infer what they could mean. Even Shadow of the Erdtree drops significant lore details via cryptic on-screen messages like, “Somewhere a Great Rune has broken.” It’s not too farfetched to believe the random vibrations in Elden Ring‘s DLC have a deeper meaning. But if there is, players haven’t definitively discovered it yet.

The simplest explanation is often – but not always – correct. The random vibrations in Shadow of the Erdtree could be a glitch resulting from the Bloodfiends’ powerful swings, but there could be a much more complicated explanation. Whatever it is, players won’t know for certain until a bigger discovery is made, or the random vibrations are patched out of Elden Ring.