Following the release of Elden Ring earlier this year, fans and developers alike are now left to wonder what lies ahead for FromSoftware in the wake of its most successful title to date. With an impressive catalog of critically acclaimed titles like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, where the studio may go next isn’t exactly clear, though the studio's next game will likely be impacted in some key ways by the hugely profitable Elden Ring.
On the one hand, FromSoftware could return to its more linear action-RPG roots with interconnected level design and challenging boss fights. On the other hand, it could move forward with expansive open worlds in the style of Elden Ring that allows players freedom to explore and tackle challenges as they see fit. Although both options would surely see FromSoftware adding amazing new titles to its collection, the most exciting path forward is perhaps the possibility of something entirely new.
FromSoftware Likely Has Upcoming Elden Ring Content to Focus On
FromSoftware is no doubt eager to ride the massive success of Elden Ring for as long as possible. Tencent and Sony’s acquisition of greater stakes in FromSoftware is also likely to cause increased expectations for the studio to develop titles at least, if not more, commercially viable than Elden Ring. And with an international fan base at an all-time high for the Tokyo-based studio, the potential returns on forthcoming games offer a compelling reason to capitalize on the aspects that make Elden Ring so popular.
Elden Ring’s much-anticipated DLC is sure to keep fans engrossed in The Lands Between for a while longer and could easily provide greater evidence supporting the view that the future of FromSoftware lies in its commercially successful development of sprawling open-world games. However, in a recent interview with 4Gamer, Hidetaka Miyazaki explicitly denied this notion that the studio will follow profit when designing future titles. Describing the bottom line as “impurities in our game production,” Miyazaki fears that following the money would lead to a “conservative” production model that abandons the studio’s history of successful risk-taking. Bloodborne, Sekiro, and most recently Elden Ring all switched up the Souls formula and demonstrate Miyazaki’s philosophy that the “decisive factor [in game development]…is whether we want to make it."
Miyazaki, however, doesn't intend to be at the mast forever. He revealed that the organization of the studio is going through structural changes that will affect the ways decisions are made and games are produced. In fact, Elden Ring’s success can primarily be attributed to these changes, as “the development of human resources within the company” gave FromSoftware the resources to produce such a massive game. As the development staff grows, Miyazaki hopes to “entrust more projects to them.”
Where FromSoftware Could Go With Future Games
With Tencent and Sony’s recent investment strengthening the studio’s development resources, already evident in the litany of new positions posted to FromSoftware’s recruitment site, the “next chapter” of the studio is certainly one of considerable growth. In fact, Miyazaki revealed there are already upcoming titles in at least the early stages of pre-production directed by individuals other than himself. With sizable manpower and new directors at the helm of titles in the early stages of development, there is potential for more games to be released more frequently. But with Elden Ring changing up the traditional design model, questions remain over what form these new games are likely to take.
The safest option would of course be a sequel to Elden Ring. Miyazaki’s expressed distaste for market-driven development does not diminish the critical achievement of the game, and should the studio want to expand upon the lore at its disposal, it has plenty of room to do so. Certainly, anyone in possession of lore crafted by George R. R. Martin would of course want to explore it to its fullest potential.
A sequel to the Playstation-exclusive Bloodborne has also been desired by fans ever since the game’s 2015 release, in addition to calls to release the universally-acclaimed game on PC or potentially to release a Bloodborne remaster. Despite the fact that FromSoftware has had no problem with sequels in the past (Dark Souls itself is a trilogy), Miyazaki does maintain that making sequels is “case by case.”
Venturing beyond the “Soulsborne” catalog, though, the studio still has additional existing content at its disposal. Development of a new Armored Core game has long been rumored, and reported leaks about said game have rekindled the fires of speculation. It is possible new directors could be taking the lead on the newest installment in the series in order to allow new minds the chance to direct a team developing on an existing title.
Hidetaka Miyazaki's Role at FromSoftware Is Definitely Changing
As for where this all leaves Miyazaki, it’s pretty clear that he has plans to spend more time in game development than as the sacrosanct leader of the company. Miyazaki himself has stated that he’s “aiming for a situation in which the titles that support the company will be handled by new young directors,” and he’ll be able to “quietly create titles.” It seems the development of large, resource-heavy games like Elden Ring could no longer be in Miyazaki’s focus or interests. Instead, he seems to be shifting his attention to titles that explore newer themes with more complex tones. He specifically describes his desire to “work on fantasy games with a higher degree of abstraction than [his] previous works.”
Miyazaki clearly intends to allow the company to grow beyond himself. This transition of leadership will allow the company to venture into exciting new territory and foster new creative leaders to develop unique and interesting games. It seems then that when Miyazaki is asked how he could possibly top Elden Ring, his answer is that he won’t - someone else will. Ultimately, time will tell which route (or more likely, routes) the company will decide to go down. But as Miyazaki has kindly requested, he “would appreciate it if you could give me a little more time.”
Elden Ring is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: 4Gamer