Regardless of how fans feel about the Dark Souls franchise, it is undeniable that its legacy lives on. Between sequels like Dark Souls 2 and 3, Bloodborne, and now Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, FromSoftware is keen on continuing this immaculate legacy while making just enough changes to make each new game feel fresh. With Elden Ring's development supposedly well under way, fans are left to wonder about the future of highly anticipated sequels such as a Dark Souls 4 or Bloodborne 2. Digging deeper into the facts, it still isn't possible to come up with a definitive answer, but an educated guess can be made.
As a brief history, Demon's Souls kicked off FromSoftware's "SoulsBorne" franchise back in 2009, but it wasn't very widely known and didn't get much traction. After a soft reboot of sorts, Dark Souls came as a spiritual successor to this title, grasping the masses with its fabled difficulty and mysterious world. Since then, Dark Souls fans were treated to two sequels in the forms of Dark Souls 2 and Dark Souls 3, and two spin off games that are essentially brand-new IPs, Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. FromSoftware is keeping busy, however, and is already working on a new IP to add to its extensive list, the elusive Elden Ring.
Hidetaka Miyazaki on Dark Souls 4
When evaluating whether there's any possibility of a Dark Souls 4 being released at some point, the best place to start is to look at series creator Hidetaka Miyazaki's words on the matter. In a 2015 interview, Miyazaki was quoted saying this: "I’m considering Dark Souls 3 to be the big closure on the series." At first glance, this seems to instantly rule out the creation of Dark Souls 4, but theoretically anything is possible. At least back then, Miyazaki made it clear that there were no plans for another sequel; the intent was for Dark Souls 3 to be the finale.
Miyazaki also mentions that Dark Souls 3 is the last game that FromSoftware will make that was conceived before he was president of the company. He continues to say that the next game, which fans now know to be Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, would be the first to be completely conceived and created during his presidency. Continuing, Miyazaki makes it clear that Dark Souls 3 is still important to FromSoftware, saying "Dark Souls 3 is an important marker in the evolution of From Software… I just believe that [moving on] is necessary in order for players to continue enjoying our games."
Hidetaka Miyazaki on Bloodborne 2
In that same interview, Miyazaki also references a Bloodborne sequel, but keep in mind that this was just one year after the game's release. While discussing the popular title, Miyazaki says "I don’t think it’d be the right choice to continue indefinitely creating Souls and Bloodborne games." While this certainly makes sense for Dark Souls given that the franchise has already had three entries, each with multiple DLCs, Bloodborne fans may decry it. There has only ever been one Bloodborne, and fans would love to see this amazing game made into a franchise.
Still, Miyazaki does have solid reasoning for this, stating "I believe that From Software has to create new things... We have to keep creating quality games and be aggressive about doing new things." Looking back on this interview from over five years ago, it's clear that this is exactly what FromSoftware has done. Between Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and the upcoming Elden Ring, it has gone full sail towards a host of new games and novel ideas. At this point it would almost seem out of character for the company to go back and make Bloodborne 2, but unlike Dark Souls, it hasn't been outright shot down yet.
Elden Ring's Effect on Dark Souls 4 and Bloodborne 2
For those fans that want nothing more than to see a sequel to either Dark Souls or Bloodborne, Elden Ring likely weighs heavily on their minds. While FromSoftware is certainly a well-known developer, it isn't a large one by any standards, having under 400 employees according to Owler. Compare that to a titan in video game development like Ubisoft that has over 18,000 employees according to Owler, and something becomes very clear. Although it's not impossible, FromSoftware is likely to focus on one game at a time, using its limited manpower to create polished products that are beloved by fans.
Given that there's still no solid release date for Elden Ring, there's no telling when development on it will finally finish. Hopeful fans expect to see Elden Ring at E3 2021, but even if it is shown there, it still may not release until 2022 or beyond. After Elden Ring is released, FromSoftware would then be faced with a difficult choice: create an entirely new IP and continue aggressively creating new content or make a sequel to an existing IP. Even if it decides to create a sequel, there's no guarantee that Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice or even Demon's Souls would get that treatment before Dark Souls or Bloodborne.
Will FromSoftware Make Dark Souls 4 or Bloodborne 2?
Ultimately, it's impossible to give a definitive answer about either of these potential sequels, but it would be safer to err on the side of caution and assume that it won't happen. In the case of Dark Souls 4, Miyazaki has been quoted saying he wants to move on to new things, and it seems unlikely at best that he would go back on this decision.
For Bloodborne 2, the odds are slightly higher. There's definitely more demand for this sequel as opposed to a Dark Souls sequel, and it has the supporting factor of not yet having any sequels. Even if this were to happen, though, it would likely be years before the project was even announced much less released. Instead, fans should look forward to seeing an official 60 FPS patch for Bloodborne to allow it to run more smoothly on the PS5, or perhaps even a fully remastered version of it for the new console.