With millions of copies sold in a matter of weeks and plenty of top-scoring reviews, it's safe to say that FromSoftware and Bandai Namco's Elden Ring had a successful launch. Despite high fan expectations, Elden Ring has matched (or even exceeded) the levels of anticipation it faced prior to launch. For players who love Hidetaka Miyazaki's games, George R. R. Martin's books, or Souls-like titles in general, Elden Ring seems to be one of the biggest titles of the year. Now talk has naturally turned to a sequel.
Despite no confirmation of a follow-up, FromSoftware has already said Elden Ring is a “fantastic start for the new franchise” in a press conference with publisher Bandai Namco. This statement certainly hints at more Elden Ring content for years to come, but players have yet to see what shape that will take. Fans have begun speculating, especially regarding where a possible sequel will take place. The Lands Between are massive and dense with lore, but a potential sequel could open up the wider world of Elden Ring and explore new continents.
The Setting of Elden Ring
The giant continent of the Lands Between is filled to the brim with magic, mayhem, and meddlesome demigods. The Lands Between were once home to the Elden Ring - housed inside the golden glowing Erdtree - that grants inhabitants immortality and relative peace. The world that players encounter is very different, but this makes the Lands Between all the more intriguing as they search for Great Runes and end the stalemate between warring demigods. Elden Ring is FromSoftware's biggest game, and as players travel around the in-game world, there are many unique regions for to explore like the Academy of Raya Lucaria or the Mountaintops of the Giants.
The open world and diverse biomes on offer in Elden Ring were some aspects that helped the game review so highly. While the world and its NPCs can be difficult to keep track of, that was part of what players loved. The abandoned buildings that litter the landscape, FromSoftware's staple poison swamps, and the imposing fortresses with hidden secrets all serve to make Elden Ring a treasure trove of exploration. By the time players get to the end of Elden Ring, they have probably scoured the majority of the regions, and might be keen to adventure in new lands.
Possible Future Locations for Elden Ring Sequels
Throughout Elden Ring, other continents are alluded to. Like many FromSoftware games, the extensive lore is mostly conveyed through environmental storytelling and item descriptions, like the Land of Reeds Set that serves as the starting equipment for the Samurai class. In Japanese mythology, the "central land of reed plains" is the middle location between the "high heavenly plain" and the "Land of Yomi" underground, and later became synonymous with Japan. According to the item description, the Lands of Reeds is "locked in a miserable civil war" and has become isolated from the rest of the world. Apparently, the "entire nation has succumbed to blood-soaked madness," which would make for a similarly troubled continent to explore in a future Elden Ring with echoes of FromSoftware's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Another interesting region to explore would be the lands of the Numen. While not much is known about this mysterious race, they are believed to have come "from outside the Lands Between, and are of the same stock as Queen Marika herself." The assassins that carried out the Night of the Black Knives are also rumored to be Numen, which points to an intriguing cultural background. The homeland of Queen Marika would undoubtedly be an interesting place to explore in Elden Ring 2. Other areas that are equally mysterious are referenced in item descriptions, like the frigid uplands whose warriors wrap up warm to undertake the Long March led by a nameless Warrior King. While their equipment is scattered across the Lands Between, not much is known about the owners, and future games could feature these mysterious visitors and their homelands.
Many characters in Elden Ring have been banished, forcibly removed from their homes, or have chosen to leave their lands of origin and wander as nomads. While this is referenced in item descriptions and other storytelling techniques, it leaves lots of question marks around where some characters might have come from to find themselves in the Lands Between. A sequel to the hit title could also explore a mysterious new area not referenced in Elden Ring, even if connections exist between the two.
Connecting Future FromSoft Games
There is a fan theory detailing how Elden Ring could actually be a prequel to the other series in FromSoftware's back catalog. Redditor theodis09 explained that depending on the ending of Elden Ring (Age of Stars, Frenzied Flame, or Destined Death), one of three options could lead to the creation of the worlds in Bloodborne, Dark Souls, or Demon Souls. While this is unsubstantiated, there are established links between the FromSoftware games, like recurring character Patches. It could also be fun for the characters of the Elden Ring universe to explore older versions of Yharnam, Boletaria, or Lordran if FromSoftware did want to tie the IPs together.
Elden Ring is a typical FromSoftware game that features high levels of detail in every aspect of its design. From brief clues to other locations like the badlands in item descriptions, to veiled references to "the churches outside the Lands Between," Elden Ring often hints at the regions and continents outside the in-game area without providing many details or showing players what they might look like. Elden Ring 2 is an unknown quantity at this point, but there are already plenty of options if it wanted to navigate a new location.
Elden Ring is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.