Despite the handful of trailers and screenshots of Elden Ring that have come out over the years, fans still have yet to see the game truly in action. Fortunately, fans won't have to wait much longer as FromSoftware has announced a formal Elden Ring gameplay premiere.
In the past decade FromSoftware has become one of the most well-regarded game studios through its series of punishingly hard Souls games. From the very start with the original Demon's Souls, all the way through to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, FromSoftware has maintained its design core of rich worlds and complex gameplay, while also iterating and evolving its beloved Souls formula with every entry. Elden Ring was revealed a few years ago as a joint project between FromSoftware and George R. R. Martin, the author of Game of Thrones, immediately lifting expectations for the title's world and story. FromSoftware recently announced an Elden Ring closed network test for November which is now too late to register for.
Elden Ring is receiving an extended 15-minute gameplay premiere on November 4 at 7 AM PDT. The news comes from a new post from the Elden Ring Twitter account, FromSoftware asking fans to "join us for a 15-minute glimpse of Elden Ring gameplay." In previous trailers, brief snippets of gameplay have been shown off, though many of them were edited to appear more cinematic, and few actually showing what the game looks like with a controller in hand. An Elden Ring leak from a few weeks ago gave the best look yet at the game in action, even if it is just the player-character running around on a cliff.
This gameplay premiere makes sense as Elden Ring's closed network test is a little over a week away. While FromSoftware described what players would be testing—an area from early in the game—it has been difficult nonetheless to picture what this might entail as no unedited gameplay has been officially released yet. Elden Ring is being built up as one of the largest Souls-likes ever, and FromSoftware's most ambitious title, with mounted combat, large levels, and a dedicated jump button. It is safe to assume that some if not all of these gameplay elements will be seen tomorrow ahead of the closed network test.
Since the reappearance of Elden Ring at Summer Game Fest, this gameplay premiere will undoubtedly be one of the game's most important days as its launch grows closer. The anticipation for Elden Ring has been insurmountable, with the trailers so far effectively generating fan interest and desire for more information. With tomorrow's showcase, fans will finally be able to see if their anticipation has been well-placed—if FromSoftware's marketing for Elden Ring is reinforced by its gameplay. Elden Ring is prioritizing accessibility for more players, and tomorrow will determine for many whether they will actually want to try it out.
Elden Ring is releasing for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on February 25, 2022.