Ever since its initial reveal at E3 in 2019, Elden Ring has been highly anticipated by the gaming community and especially by long-time fans of From Software's Souls and Souls-like games. Ever since then, there has been almost no information released other than leaks and rumors, which has seemingly only added to the game's mystique. Many fans have been left wondering when there will be more news released about Elden Ring, since it has been in development for quite some time. Early leaks about its release date were rapidly debunked, and all there is to do now is wait and speculate on all of the promising potential of the game.
One of the biggest Elden Ring leaks surrounded the way that "kingdoms" would work, stating that they would be different starting areas that would drastically change gameplay and story elements depending on which was selected. Since then, kingdoms have been the center of almost all Elden Ring speculation, fueled by the involvement of George RR Martin, famous for the intrigues of Game of Thrones, and a precedent for environmental storytelling set by previous From Software games. However, there may be a lot more to the rumored kingdoms of Elden Ring than even rumors would suggest, especially since previous From Software games have already featured vying factions and kingdoms of their own.
Kingdoms in Elden Ring
Even before the most recent leaks, it was common knowledge that Elden Ring would take a different approach to setting, scale, and politics than previous From Software games. The biggest indicator of the new approach is the involvement of George RR Martin, who collaborated in writing a mythos for Elden Ring's setting to build off of. Martin is well known for his ability to write dark fantasy settings and complex political machinations, and his contributions combined with Elden Ring's new open field world design and multiple large regions make it clear that the setting of Elden Ring will be more of a character than any NPC.
The most recent leaks and rumors for Elden Ring have suggested an even more important role for kingdoms than anyone expected, though. While the un-sourced kingdoms leak should be taken with a massive grain of salt, it does have a high level of detail and falls in line with what is already known about the game. The leak suggests that there will be eight seperate kingdoms, and that each will be a starting area for a different class. Even if this leak isn't entirely accurate, it still portends a complex interplay of different kingdoms in the story and gameplay of Elden Ring, perhaps to a degree that hasn't been seen before in From Software games.
Kingdoms in Other Souls Games
While kingdoms will likely be extremely important to Elden Ring, this is definitely not the first time that From Software has concocted a tale of vying factions and courtly intrigue. For those who are willing to read item descriptions, explore, and dig into the elusive lore of From Software's games, there is a wealth of material that precedes Elden Ring's kingdoms. Even in the earliest version of the Dark Souls formula, Demon's Souls, there were multiple kingdoms and conflicts at play- Boletaria, Latria, the demons, and the church's hatred of non-holy magic were only the beginnings of From Software's tendency towards writing stories that get the player wrapped up in the consequences of the actions of kings.
In Dark Souls 1 there was plenty of evidence for knights from Baldur attempting to invade Anor Londo, the city of the gods, only to be stopped at Sen's Fortress. Meanwhile, Seeth the Scaleless, the only dragon who betrayed his kind, was awarded a dukedom by Gwyn and allowed to carry out experiments on immortality from his tower. The relationship between the demons of Lost Izaleth and the gods can be guessed at from scraps of lore and hints in the environment, while small details like Havel's betrayal of the gods, the duplicitous nature of the church of Thorolund, and the fate of Oolacile are all open to discovery.
Dark Souls 2 featured the invasion of Drangleic by the giants alongside the scheming of queen Nashandra and her sisters, while Bloodborne had conflict between the Cainhurst vampires and the church, not to mention all the internal politics of Yharnam itself. Clearly, Elden Ring will not be the first From Software game to feature a multitude of regions tied to various kingdoms, but it might be the first to make kingdoms so integral to gameplay that they become more than just discover-able story elements and sources of lore. The factions and politics in Souls games has only become more and more complex, so for Elden Ring to surpass the interwoven narratives of the likes of Dark Souls 3 and Sekiro will be an impressive feat.
Dark Souls 3 may have had the most complex politics in any Souls-like game ever, and while the politics of Elden Ring might be more obvious, surpassing the intricacy of DS3 will be a challenge. Dark Souls 3 had the twin princess of Lothric abandoning their duty causing internal strife in Lothric between winged knights and Lothric knights, the strange relationship between the Cathedral of the Deep and Pontiff Sulyvahn in Irithyll, plus the tragic fates of Carthas and the Profaned Capital, just to name a few. Dark Souls 3 may have even been an early form of Elden Ring's kingdoms, considering that much of the game centers around the converging lands of various lords and all of the conflict that arose from it.
Sekiro also included the Interior Ministry's plotting against Ashina, which itself was created through Isshin Ashina's conquest of various other groups that pop up here and there throughout the game. Senpou Temple, Mibu Village, and the Fountainhead Palace are all involved in a struggle over the power of immortality as well, while the Shinobi Owl schemes in the darkness. Elden Ring may be totally opposite to Sekiro in its mechanics, but if it takes a similar approach to storytelling and applies it to gameplay, it will be a great thing for fans of all fo From Software's titles. However important kingdoms end up being in Elden Ring, From Software at least has a very strong precedent for crafting compelling narratives around that type of material.
Elden Ring is currently in development for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.