It feels sometimes as though the more time passes, the less we know about From Software's hugely-anticipated Elden Ring. Hopes were high last month when it was reported that the game might be showcased at an event in March, but those hopes appear to have been dashed amid a wider crackdown and investigation by Bandai Namco into the leaked information finding its way into the news.
Both the initial rumor and the recent backpedal come from GamesBeat's Jeff Grubb, an industry insider and usually reliable source, who included the initial planned March showcase in his "Summer Game Mess" timeline of industry events and announcements running into the summer. His list has so far been pretty dependable, including such points as Microsoft's upcoming presentation on its official acquisition of ZeniMax Media.
Unfortunately for Elden Ring fans, in the inaugural episode of The Game Mess Show Live yesterday, Grubb was moved to take the game's entry off his timeline. He was unwilling to state categorically that the March reveal would not happen, but seemed to be of the opinion that the recent leaks of Elden Ring information have made it much less likely as Bandai Namco seeks to "figure out how to adjust the messaging [and] make sure they fully understand how the leak happened" before moving on with officially announcing the game.
Grubb was quick to reassure viewers that progress was still being made, though, and that there would be opportunities in the near future for the company to make an announcement about the game even if it didn't happen in March. While he didn't officially add another date to his list, the expectation appears to be that news will emerge no later than this year's online E3 event. As a final note on the subject, he warned that even after announcements were made the chance remained that Elden Ring might miss its projected 2021 release date, moving into an early 2022 window.
It's unclear exactly what consequences Bandai Namco's crackdown on the Elden Ring leaks will have, but at the very least it seems to have pushed them to re-evaluate their messaging strategy in the short term. As well as investigating the origin of the leaks, the proposed delay will likely give the dust time to settle before the company moves forward with its marketing. Theories are also floating around that there never was a planned March reveal, or even that the development team might be running into trouble and is using the leaks as a scapegoat.
In any case, it appears fans may have to wait a little longer than anticipated for more Elden Ring news. In the meantime, many patient players are taking on challenges in other From Software games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice to keep themselves amused. Hopefully they won't have to keep it up for too long.
Elden Ring is in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.