Elden Ring Map Tier List 2024: Best Area Ranking for DLC

Elden Ring continues to captivate players with its expansive and detailed world. As DLCs expand the universe further, it becomes essential to navigate through the myriad of maps each with its unique challenges and secrets. Here’s a tier list ranking of the best maps in Elden Ring as of 2024, focusing on the latest DLC expansion.

Elden Ring Best Area Map Tier List for DLC 2024

In Elden Ring, the world is vast and interconnected, offering players a seamless and immersive experience without loading screens. The game features a variety of locations, including landscapes, ruins, dungeons, and exploration hubs. While there are no towns or villagers due to the world's collapse, players can encounter NPCs and merchants scattered throughout the world. Here we break down the features of each area in Elden Ring, and rank all maps from the worst to best, which will help you achieve a good start running in the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree expansion!

19. Mohgwyn Palace

Mohgwyn Palace is described as extremely straightforward, almost to a fault. It's so direct that it seems only useful for those who struggle with navigation. The area lacks significant landmarks or challenges beyond the basic enemy encounters, making it feel underwhelming and unnecessary once the initial area is crossed.

18. Lake of Rot

Lake of Rot is depicted as an honest map, acknowledging its own emptiness. With minimal attractions and a simplistic layout, it serves more as a transitional space than a destination, hosting a single notable boss fight but little else of interest.

17. East Mountaintops

East Mountaintops features a frozen landscape with limited appeal. The area includes a few notable Elden Ring items and weak bosses, but is largely empty with vast spaces filled with nothing but aesthetic elements like a frozen lake, which adds to the visual appeal but not to the gameplay depth.

16. Deeproot Depths

Deeproot Depths offers a complex and detailed map, but much of it is inaccessible, leaving players feeling restricted. The presence of water significantly limits exploration, and while the scenery is appealing, the actual gameplay area feels confined and underutilized.

15. Consecrated Snowfield

Consecrated Snowfield is vast and open but suffers from visibility issues and a lack of engaging content. The map is large yet feels uneventful, with few reasons for players to explore beyond just traversing through to reach other areas.

14. East Liurnia

East Liurnia lacks distinctive landmarks and suffers from a confusing layout. The area feels disjointed and sparse, with minimal compelling content to keep players engaged or interested in exploring further.

13. Dragonbarrow

Dragonbarrow is characterized by repetitive and uninspiring boss fights, with a landscape that contributes little to the game's overall narrative or challenge. The map is noted for feeling like it could have been omitted without impacting the overall game experience.

12. North Liurnia

North Liurnia is described as an impoverished wasteland with little to offer. The area is mostly barren, with any points of interest being located in other parts of Liurnia, making this particular section forgettable.

11. Weeping Peninsula

Weeping Peninsula has potential for scenic exploration but ends up feeling like a chore due to repetitive encounters and a general sense of emptiness. While there are environmental details like poison lakes, they do not compensate for the overall lack of substantive content.

10. East Limgrave

East Limgrave is a basic, introductory area filled with simplistic challenges such as minor enemies and basic terrain. It serves as a starting point but lacks depth, offering little in the way of excitement or unique features.

9. Nokron

Nokron suffers from a lack of clear topography, making it difficult for players to appreciate its verticality or structural complexity. The map could benefit from being split to better define its areas and features.

8. West Mountaintops

West Mountaintops encourages exploration with its hidden items and challenges that require players to engage actively with the environment. This map rewards thorough exploration and offers a more dynamic gameplay experience compared to its eastern counterpart.

7. Altus

Altus impresses with its stunning audiovisual presentation and dramatic landscape reveal. The map offers a mix of challenging and repetitive enemy encounters but remains memorable for its initial visual impact and exploration opportunities.

6. Caelid

Caelid presents a desolate and eerie atmosphere that is both visually and thematically striking. The map is essential for navigation, with its challenging terrain and distinctive environmental storytelling elements.

5. Gelmir

Gelmir features a mix of high and low points, with the Volcano Manor area providing some of the best content in the game. While certain sections of the map can feel tedious, the highs, particularly in terms of boss fights and environmental storytelling, make it a noteworthy area.

4. West Liurnia

West Liurnia epitomizes the essence of Liurnia, offering the best in weapons, fights, and environments. It is a highlight of the game, providing a rich and engaging experience that showcases the best of what Liurnia has to offer.

3. West Limgrave

West Limgrave sets the stage for the game, serving as an excellent introductory area that combines diverse environments with memorable gameplay moments. It effectively introduces players to the world of Elden Ring and sets expectations for the rest of the game.

2. Ainsel

Ainsel is notable for its gradual and intriguing reveal, leaving players with a sense of discovery. The map's design and the way it slowly unveils its secrets make it a compelling area that enriches the game's narrative.

1. Leyndell

Leyndell stands out as the top map, offering a dense and richly detailed environment filled with narrative depth, varied gameplay, and intricate design. It is a microcosm of Elden Ring's world, providing a comprehensive experience that combines lore, combat, and exploration seamlessly.