on the Elden Ring subreddit states it plainly:"MARIKA MADE THE ERDTREE FROM A MOUNTAIN OF CORPSES …" The other half of the title is a Berserk spoiler and the reason the thread was taken down, but Reddit user ILBOI_X isn't alone in this theory. Everyone is pointing at the pillars of bodies in the new Elden Ring
The implication is that the trailer depicts the birth of the Erdtree as we know it in the game, towering above the Lands Between as a golden object of faith. The character standing in the center of the bodies is Marika, confirmed by the bangles they're wearing in the close-up shot. Marika, if you haven't thought about Elden Ring lore in the last three years, is the crucified woman in the intro cutscene that started this mess.
Tyler has covered games, games culture, and hardware for over a decade before joining PC Gamer as Associate Editor. He's done in-depth reporting on communities and games as well as criticism for sites like Polygon, Wired, and Waypoint. He's interested in the weird and the fascinating when it comes to games, spending time probing for stories and talking to the people involved.