Fans of Elden Ring can look forward to more content in the future, as FromSoftware has confirmed that it is expanding its successful RPG world beyond the realm of video games. Created with the help of legendary Game Of Thrones author George R. R. Martin, Elden Ring puts players in the role of the Tarnished in yet another tough and challenging release from the renowned developer of games including Dark Souls and Bloodborne. Modders have already uncovered clues to suggest that FromSoftware could be planning Elden Ring DLC, including a PvP mode that will allow players to pit their Tarnished against one another in special coliseum-like arenas.
It didn’t take long for Elden Ring to become a success after it launched in late February, as it quickly surpassed other blockbuster open-world titles like Horizon Forbidden West and Pokémon Legends: Arceus to become the highest-selling video game of 2022 in the US so far. Mere days after Elden Ring‘s release, a Twitch stream highlighting the game’s punishing gameplay became one of Twitch’s highest-rated feeds of all time, and the internet has been subsequently flooded with memes, gameplay videos, and even custom Elden Ring characters modeled after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Ciri from The Witcher 3.
In a press release, FromSoftware and Bandai Namco celebrated Elden Ring selling over 12 million units worldwide, while confirming there’s more content to come from the game, hinting at a full franchise for the IP. FromSoftware President/CEO and Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki expressed how “astonishing” it is to see so many players enjoying his latest AAA game, thanking them on behalf of his development team. Meanwhile, Bandai Namco President/CEO Yasuo Miyakawa noted the work that went into creating Elden Ring, and promised the game’s newfound fanbase that his company will be looking into “expanding the [Elden Ring] brand beyond the game itself, and into everyone’s daily life.” Sure enough, the press release tells players to “look forward to more of ‘ELDEN RING’ as an IP (characters and other intellectual property) in hopes of expanding beyond the realm of games,” confirming there’s more than video game content to come from the Lands Between.
Even as FromSoftware and Bandai Namco look to the future of Elden Ring, players are still digging into the massively long base game to uncover its many hidden secrets, amusing glitches, and even come up with a few creative ways to make the journey to become the Elden Lord a little easier. Modders have added in useful features like a pause function and the ability to summon some of Elden Ring’s most formidable bosses to assist in battle. Other players have used strange alternative controllers to play Elden Ring, and talented speedrunners have managed to clear through the main quest in less than a half-hour. Players can spend hundreds of hours in the game’s huge open-world, but the promise of more is tantalizing for many.
FromSoftware and Bandai Namco’s promises of more Elden Ring content aside from the game itself could mean pretty much anything, and the world crafted by George R. R. Martin and the developers is rich and ripe for a large expanded universe. It’s possible that these plans could include some kind of Elden Ring television series, given the success of recent video game-based fantasy shows like The Witcher and Arcane. In any case, it looks like Elden Ring fans will have many more opportunities to explore the Lands Beyond in the coming years.
