It’s not an overstatement to say developer FromSoftware’s Elden Ring has swept the gaming industry, as many fans already consider it Game of the Year. For just as many, the only real competition it has is God of War Ragnarok, which releases in November. FromSoftware doesn’t seem to be slowing down either, if recent developments are any indication.
Alongside a message that the developer was hiring, it was also confirmed that another FromSoftware game was in the final stages of development. Now, this doesn’t mean it will release this year or even next, as the final stages could still amount to years of work, but many fans are hopeful. After all, the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne, and Sekiro all released within close spans of each other. Recent teases, however, may suggest that the mentioned FromSoftware game isn’t a Soulsborne experience, but Armored Core 6.
Following the final-stages-of-development announcement, many fans have looked for evidence of what it could be, and it seems there are some suggestions it could be Armored Core 6. For one, a new entry in the franchise was mentioned by Miyazaki as far back as 2017, putting it into a good time frame to be nearing the end goal now. It was also mentioned in a survey as recently as January 2022.
When you google “fromsoftware”, the main page for their site has “armored core” as the placeholder description… from fromsoftware
All evidence is circumstantial at best, but it’s also worth noting that the FromSoftware website placeholder when googling it says Armored Core, instead of something more relevant like FromSoftware or Elden Ring. Of course, just because fans think it’s Armored Core 6 doesn’t mean it is, but it could be revealed in the coming months.
There are a ton of events FromSoftware could appear at to showcase Armored Core 6, but some think it could be even sooner than Gamescom. The franchise is celebrating its 10th anniversary on July 10, which, while potentially really early, would be a fitting reveal. At the very least, a tease could happen, but fans will just have to wait and see.
For those unfamiliar with FromSoftware’s line of Armored Core games, they are third-person shooter mecha games. Players take on the role of mercenary pilots who operate large mechs known as Armored Cores for corporate, private, and government clients—for credit, fame, and so on. It should be noted that the mainline last game, Armored Core 5, was released a decade ago, likely because of how niche the mecha genre is. However, if any company knows how to make a niche become super popular, it’s FromSoftware with its initially-niche Dark Souls series inspiring tons of Soulslikes over the years.
Armored Core 6 is not known to be in development.