Elden Ring's success will be tough to follow up, but if there's ever been a talented team to rise to the challenge, it's FromSoftware, and studio head Hidetaka Miyazaki has already confirmed the next game to be in its final stages of development.Miyazaki's "almost ideal" game,Elden Ring, has certainly earnedits spot amongst the best games of the decade, but it's already apparent that FromSoftware is looking to the future. New projects are in development, but it's still unclear what they might be.
FromSoftware, a company originally started in Tokyo, Japan for the creation of business application software, released its first game,King's Field,in 1994. Since the studio's first video game launch, it has released a titleevery year (sometime multiple), at least until the relesae of Elden Ring, it's latest.Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice launched in March of 2019, butElden Ringdidn't come until February of 2022 - about three years later.FromSoftwareconfirmed multiple new projectsare in the worksthat are going to be released within the coming years. If the studio follows a consistent release schedule as it has in the past, the gaming communitycould see a new release next year. If it's anywhere near as big a project asElden Ring, early 2024might be a more accurate estimate, but either way, the next game is in its final stages of development despite itsnamehaving remained a mystery until now.
Related:Elden Ring's Success Keeps Inspiring New Indie RPGs
With the information currently available in the mainstream, it'sdifficult to pinpoint an exact title or sequel that might followElden Ring. However, there are certain releases that can, given the information provided by Miyazaki and other leaks, be ruled out for the next upcoming FromSoftware launch.Recently, rumors have begun surfacing from alleged insiders, and if they're accurate, they provide a reasonable case for a classic franchise to follow the company's hitElden Ring.
Dark Souls & Bloodborne Sequels Are Unlikely To Follow Elden Ring
Dark Souls, FromSoftware'sbest-knowngame series, is out of the question for the next release. This should come as no surprise either because Hidetaka Miyazaki already stated in 2017 thatDark Souls 3 wrapped up the trilogy, and, at least for the near future, the series was over. Also,observing what the studio has done inthe past,it hasn't typically picked back up on series that've reached the climax; usually there is a period of waiting before a continuation is confirmed. However, this doesn't necessarily mean there won't ever be anotherDark Souls game, as there's still a lot of potential for story development. Even so, it's unlikely it would be the next release, or even that it would be coming anytime soon. FromSoftware could use this waiting period to continue remastering olderDark Souls games, just asin 2018, or the studio could continue working on new content while focusing on bringing new life to older projects.
Bloodborne is also another dearly beloved FromSoftware game that doesn't look like it'll be followingElden Ring. The standalone game released in 2015 as a PlayStation exclusive has indeed been a highly anticipated and requested title to receive a sequel.Bloodborne's bossesmay beFromSoftware's best combat creations, so it's understandable that a sequel seems like a natural progression. Unfortunately, allegedinsiderOnipotenthas stated they've not heard of any information about aBloodborne sequel - or even a PC port of the original. If these claims have any truth to them, it not only looks like a Bloodborne titlewon't be the next release, but the series might be done for good while Miyazaki is president of FromSoftware. There's always still a chance, as insider leaks are often far from reliable, which could leave the door open for future development, but it remains unlikely it would be the game to followElden Ring.
FromSoftware's Next Game After Elden Ring May Be Armored Core 6
Giventhe current readily available information, speculation and prediction has it that the nextArmored Coregameis in lineto be FromSoftware's next release. While neither Miyazaki or any other studio developer has officially confirmed this, recent 2022 leaks showArmored Core 6 is the game that's in the final stages of development at FromSoftware. Red Liquoriceclaimed, on January 8, to have done a consumer survey regarding a newArmored Core game. The individual didn't mention a title name, so there's no indication of whether it would pick the series back up fromArmored Core 5(2012) or - if the leaksare true - continue to expand on thebrand in a different fashion, such as a standalone title or the beginning to a brand-new narrative and thematic thread for the series. Regardless,a newArmored Core game seems believable because it'sbeen nearly a decadesince the last one was published.
Related:Elden Ring: New Game Plus Or New Character?
Relying on the alleged ResetEra leaks, the consumer survey screenshots highlightedground-breaking details about thesupposedArmored Core game in development. In the past, FromSoftware'sArmored Core games weren't Soulslike because it was an entirely separate franchisethat predatedDark Souls, which means a new one wouldgive players a much-needed break from the more recent titles such asSekiro andElden Ring.AlthoughArmored Core hasn't traditionally been Soulslike in nature, it could even take inspiration from FromSoftware's later releases, possiblynot venturing too far from the studio's formula of painstakingly difficult bosses and enemiesas evidenced by the survey's supposed text, "challenging battles with tough enemies." In addition to the short- and long-range combat, information about the name of the world and the main story conflict is provided. Until further confirmation, however,these claims should be taken lightly. Currently,Red Liquorice's post is the best lead to predict what's coming nextafterElden Ring.
To recap, the FromSoftwaretitlethat will follow the most anticipated game of 2022,Elden Ring, is still shrouded in mystery, but the best prediction is a newArmored Corethat could launchas early as 2023 - following the studio's yearly release schedule.FromSoftware is putting a hold or theDark Souls series, as stated by Miyazaki himself, andit also looks like it's notworking on anything related toBloodborne, which includesthe anticipatedPC port too. However, time may tell a different story, and the gaming community could see aBloodborne sequel oreven something as wild as a newMetal Wolf Chaos to follow the masterpiece that isElden Ring.
Next:Elden Ring: Why The Capital Has A Roundtable Hold
Sources: Onipotent/ResetEra,Red Liquorice/ResetEra
