It’s not surprising that a big game like Elden Ring harbors significant cut content, and a modder has just restored a previously deleted questline for a key NPC.
YouTuber Sekiro Dubi is a well-known figure in Elden Ring circles. Having previously discovered removed dialogue for Miriel, a removed questline for Vyke, and more, his latest discovery centers on Merchant Kalé. One of the first NPCs encountered in the game, he was seen in Elleh’s Church, but now we find that he’s already played a much bigger role.
Appearing in a questline cut at the end of the game, we would have seen the nomad Merchant Kalé moving around the map after you fight Godrick. He makes some intriguing suggestions about the Elden Ring lore. You can watch this quest in action by yourself.
Be aware that this video contains significant endgame spoilers for Elden Ring:
Kalé’s quest focuses on finding the Great Caravan, a land linked to the origins of these nomadic merchants. After finding it in several locations, we arrive at the Subterranean Shunning Grounds, which is littered with dead bodies. This would have revealed that this is Kalé’s own people, cruelly hit by the Three Fingers, which leaves him in a furious rage. It’s a depressing tale, one that would have confirmed a previously suggested connection between the two mysterious groups.
A treasure trove of cut content
It’s no secret that content is often cut during video game development. Sometimes this is necessary to reign in scope, or maybe a feature just doesn’t fit the mold anymore. Over the years, dataminers have discovered endless Dark Souls content, so it’s no surprise that it’s happening again with Elden Ring.
In April, modder Lance McDonald researched Elden Ring’s November 2021 network test build, finding that you could originally get NPCs drunk. Once drunk, NPCs would share secrets with you. Also, last month, Twitter user JesterPatches discovered scrapped plans for a potential weapon and armor durability system.
As for what’s to come, FromSoftware has yet to officially confirm any plans for post-launch content. While it’s been secretly changing the Elden Ring map between updates, dataminers may have discovered the first Elden Ring DLC back in March, which appears to provide a coliseum for PvP battles. I hope it doesn’t take too long for us to learn more.