Summary
Elden Ringis “the limit” of whatFromSoftwarecan currently achieve in terms of content scope, according to the game’s director, Hidetaka Miyazaki. The industry veteran offered this perspective as part of a recent interview that also saw him hint at what kind of projectsFromSoftwaremight tackle next.
Althoughplenty of video games dwarf the size ofElden Ring’s world, the Lands Between are still a gigantic place, measuring approximately 30.5 square miles (79km²) in size. The 2022 hit is hence by far the biggest game FromSoftware ever made, and that’s without even accounting for its massiveShadow of the Erdtreeexpansion.
FromSoftware Boss Has ‘Concerns’ About Making a Bigger Game Than Elden Ring
And while the Japanese studio reached new heights of content volume with its latest Soulsborne title,Elden Ringis likely as big asFromSoftware gamesare going to get for the foreseeable future. That’s according to Hidetaka Miyazaki, the company’s president andElden Ringdirector, who said as much in a recentinterviewwith The Guardian. “Where FromSoftware is right now, in terms of scale, I would sayElden Ringis really the limit,” the studio official said, adding that he would have “concerns” if the company were to attempt a project that surpasses the scale of its 2022 game anytime soon. Reading between the lines, that statement suggests no such gigantic game is currently in the works at FromSoftware.
Elden Ring Developer Might Tackle Multiple Smaller Games Next
Given that state of affairs, theElden Ringdirector said that tackling multiple smaller projects might be the next logical step for the company. That possibility would match Miyazaki’s long-standingambition to offer other FromSoftware creatives a chance to direct their own games. The industry veteran has already been handing out such opportunities for a while now, as underlined by the fact that Tomohiro Shibuya and Yui Tanimura directed the 2014Dark Souls 2, while the 2023Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubiconwas helmed by Masaru Yamamura. Likewise,Sekiro: Shadows Die Twicewas only co-directed by Miyazaki, who collaborated with Kazuhiro Hamatani on the 2019 game.
Where FromSoftware is right now, in terms of scale, I would say Elden Ring is really the limit.
Miyazaki Is Not Opposed to an Elden Ring Movie Idea
The same interview saw Miyazaki confirm thatShadow of the Erdtreewas the lastElden Ring-related project that the Japanese company had in the pipeline. However, the executive said he is not opposed to licensing the IP. “I don’t see any reason to deny another interpretation or adaptation ofElden Ring; a movie, for example,” he explained. That notwithstanding, Miyazaki opined that FromSoftware likely lacks the expertise to tackle different mediums. Coincidentally, this remark was given mere weeks afterGeorge R.R. Martin fueled rumors of anElden Ringfilm or TV adaptation.
In any case, it sounds like FromSoftware’s next title will not be bigger thanElden Ring, and might actually be notably smaller. While some recent reports suggested that the Japanese studio is currently working on multiple projects, it has yet to reveal what’s next on its plate afterShadow of the Erdtree.
Elden Ring
WHERE TO PLAY
ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
