It’s nearly the end of 2020 and as the Halloween decorations go up and Christmas lists get filled, we’re stuck here wondering: where are you, Elden Ring?
Elden Ring is the next huge blockbuster created by FromSoftware, the team behind the likes of Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. It’s been a long, long time since we last heard anything official from the game, but already it’s one of the most anticipated titles we know of.
While we wait for news, here’s everything we know (and everything you may have forgotten) about Elden Ring.
Elden Ring’s Announcement
Announced at E3 2019, the game was revealed to not only have the pro developers at From working on it, but also the one and only George R. R. Martin, creator of the A Song of Ice and Fire book series. Whether you’ve read the novels or not, there’s no way you haven’t seen at least one episode of the Game of Thrones HBO show adapted from Martin’s source material.
Despite what you might now think about Game of Thrones, it can’t be denied that Martin is a genius when it comes to creating mythical and magical worlds steeped in lore and ruin. Combine that with the masterful hands of game devs like Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki, and it’s no wonder that Elden Ring is a game everyone wants to hear more about.
Memes
Reddit has become a hotbed of Elden Ring activity in the many months it’s been since we last heard news of the game. If it’s not memes joking about when we’ll ever see its release, it’s leaks and rumours of its launch (usually with little to no substance). At the time of writing, a number of leaks have suggested we might see Elden Ring at The Game Awards 2020, which could be very possible. Sadly, we won’t know until we know.
It has to drop someday!….. right? from r/Eldenring
Story And Gameplay
We do have some understanding of the plot though thanks to the game’s E3 2019 trailer. According to Sony, Elden Ring is the development studio’s “largest game to-date” and “is set in a sprawling realm steeped in a rich and bloody history crafted by Hidetaka Miyazaki.”
Following the game’s reveal, Miyazaki told Xbox that From “wanted to create a new dark fantasy action RPG full of things that we weren’t able to do in the Dark Souls series.”
He also confirmed the game is a third-person RPG. He told the publication: “Unlike Sekiro, which has a heavy focus on action, Elden Ring puts more focus on RPG elements.
“Of course, we are not shying away from the fun of responsive melee-based combat, and these elements will be present as well.”
In the same interview, the director also teased the inclusion of “a wide variety of weapons, magic, and ways to engage enemies, that make it possible to provide users with a style of gameplay and strategy that suits them.”
As for the title, it apparently will relate to the game’s story in some way. Miyazaki said: “Elden Ring is the name given to a mysterious concept that defines the world itself.
“As the trailer at the conference implied, this ‘Elden Ring’ has been shattered. The significance of this will be one of the important themes of the game.”
Development
Miyazaki will be helming the project as game director, and in the same interview with Xbox, he confirmed that development on Elden Ring began “just after development for the Dark Souls 3 DLC had ended,” which is a long time ago now.
Already with a few years of development under its belt, it seems possible that Elden Ring is further along in life than we might have first thought. Let’s hope this is the case, as it could mean we’ll be getting more details soon.
Release Date
It’s clear now that Elden Ring is next-gen bound, whenever it might be coming (though it’s still listed as coming to current-gen consoles).
At this point, with little to no confirmation of how the game’s development is progressing and with a global pandemic on, it’s probably safe to say that we won’t be playing the game until at least 2022.
In that respect, it’s up there on the list of games like The Elder Scrolls 6 and the as-of-yet unannounced GTA 6 in terms of how much people want it and how little is known. Hopefully one day soon we’ll find the answer, but for now we ask: where is Elden Ring?
Want to see more from GameByte?
- Alan Wake 2 is in final stages of production
- PlayStation Plus Essential free games for May possibly leaked
- Star Wars Jedi Survivor accessibility options
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree may arrive soon
- Microsoft Acquisition of Activision Blizzard blocked by UK authority
Featured Image Credit: Sony/FromSoftware