One online rumor, which has managed to gain a wee bit of traction, claims FromSoftware's next Souls project is called Project Abyss and has a huge focus on corrupted water. Now, it should be noted that the company previously claimed its next game was in the final stages of development, with many fans believing FromSoftware is working on Armored Core 6. Beyond that is currently unknown to any degree.
However, before getting into this rumor, it's worth noting that it's likely fake. The original source comes from 4chan, and that's the first big indicator. That's not to say everything from that site is fake, but it's definitely points against any rumor. Furthermore, a couple of things about the rumor come off as unlikely, but as a whole, the concept would make for an interesting FromSoftware Soulsborne game or a Soulslike.
What the Soulslike 'Project Abyss' Rumors Claim
The rumor claims the game plays much like "Dark Souls 3.5," but with a smaller scope and budget than past games, indicating something similar to a spin-off of the franchise. It is said to take place in the "Dark Souls universe," but so far removed that it may as well be something else entirely, especially given its supposed setting. The leaker claims it may or may not make it into the final version of the game, but that the game is set during the Age of the Deep Sea foreseen by Dark Souls 3's Aldrich, Devourer of Gods and Saint of the Deep. He foresaw a world where human souls fall to the depths of The Deep and become shackles, binding the world. Whatever this vision foretold, if anything, it enabled Aldrich to reach a level of corruption and darkness that set him apart from his peers.
The game is set in a coastal region alongside a vast ocean, where players spend a lot of time in fishing villages and seaside temples, fighting dark shadowy sea creatures that seemingly crawl out of the ocean. Of course, it includes mentions of new weapons and a very Souls-oriented combat style, though its magic system is said to be something new entirely because the Miracles and Pyromancies of Dark Souls have been forgotten.
Interestingly enough, it should be noted that most FromSoftware games place a special emphasis on fire, and so to see it potentially go in the opposite direction (water) would be very interesting. It sounds like a game where the fishing hamlet and Orphan of Kos area of Bloodborne's DLC was basically its entirety, if expanded. The "gimmick" or unique approach of the game would be a dual-level design, where each map was explorable on land and the other on the seafloor, the Deep, and that in and of itself has a ton of promise for a Souls title.
Why FromSoftware's Project Abyss Rumor is Likely False
Dark Souls 2 has its ardent defenders and its absolute haters. There's a lot to be said about its development and the extent of involvement by Hidetaka Miyazaki, but that's all in the past. FromSoftware has moved on and released a number of great games since then, including Bloodborne, Dark Souls 3, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and of course, Elden Ring. But a huge chunk of this rumor hinges on "drama" supposedly stirred up during Dark Souls 2.
The Project Abyss rumor claims it is led solely by Yui Tanimura, co-director of Elden Ring, who received a lot of negative attention because of Dark Souls 2, he and Tomohiro Shibuya that is. The narrative has changed a lot since then, and many believe that Tanimura has a bright future at FromSoftware. That may be. However, this rumor claims Project Abyss is led by Tanimura to give him a game that detaches him from Dark Souls 2's stigma and as a test to see if FromSoftware can manage a game without Miyazaki, which just sounds iffy. Dark Souls 2 was 8 years ago, Tanimura and FromSoftware as a whole have proven themselves since then, and it's an odd basis for a game.
As a result, this entire Project Abyss rumor sounds false. Stranger things have happened than a 4chan rumor proving legit though, and there's no denying how interesting this game sounds. It's one fans may want to believe and, detached from the odd anti-Dark Souls 2 sentiment of it, it could make for a great game. Fans will just have to wait and see what comes next for FromSoftware, especially as it is likely focusing its current work on Elden Ring DLC.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Source: Reddit