Elden Ringhas become synonymous with radio silence in game development lately. It’s gone so long without updates that the fan community has taken the game into their own hands, developing fake lore and even a model of the game. However,Elden Ring’s long, slow development and news cycle means further reaching implication than i alone. The more time From Software devotes to this project, the longer it is before the studio gets any work done on a theoreticalBloodborne 2.The first game was a huge success, and fans have been clamoring for another game like it in years. Unfortunately, fans have yet to be sated, andBloodborne’s future remains in doubt.
There is, however, another line of games with an even more dubious future. If it’s taken From Software this long to make any moves onBloodborne 2,odds are good thatDark Souls 4won’t be seen for a really long time, if ever. That seems ironic, sinceDark Soulsis arguably From Software’s most famousand impactful franchise, seeing tremendous sales and defining the genre of Soulslike games.Bloodborne’s gravitas might be getting in the way ofDark Soulsanyway, for even though From Software seems to be avoiding sequels in general lately,Dark Souls 4seems much farther away thanBloodborne 2.
RELATED:Elden Ring Should Just Shadow Drop at this Point
Keeping Fans on Their Toes
From Software has had a lot of lucrative opportunities to make sequels lately.AfterBloodborne’ssuccess in 2015,Dark Souls 3was a huge hit and indicated that From Software could either keep riding that franchise’s success or try forBloodborne 2. Instead, it took a turn and gave its fansSekiro: Shadows Die Twice.Sekirowas another tremendous hit, offering players the same level of difficulty thatDark Soulsis known for, but packaging it in a new kind of gameplay.Sekiroeven went so far as to win Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2019. However, instead of jumping on aSekiro 2or returning toDark Souls,From Software went after yet another original title:Elden Ring.
After spending several years dedicated to continuing theDark Soulsfranchise, this new habit of producing standalone games shows a very different side of From Software. The company is avoiding sequels, which is indubitably works, but if it even comes around, there seems to be a pecking order.Elden Ringwill see a release eventually, but From Software may not feel inclined to break its new habit at that point. Lots of fans wantBloodborne 2,but if From Software doesn’t want to do it, it may never happen. That also means that ifBloodborne 2isn’t happening,Dark Souls 4certainly isn’t.
RELATED:Elden Ring May Be More Like Dark Souls Than Bloodborne or Sekiro, and That’s a Good Thing
A Self-Contained Saga
What setsDark Soulsapartfrom From Software’s other sequel opportunities is that it’s already a trilogy. The developers may have decided that its story has already been wrapped up and that there just isn’t any need for another game. That stands in stark difference toBloodborne,a game with high demand for a sequel that still has lots of room to be expanded upon.Bloodborne’s Gothic setting is really unique, and From Software could get a lot of mileage on revisiting it in a sequel.
Ultimately, though,Elden Ringremains “responsible” for delaying all of these theoretical sequels. As long as it keeps up its remarkable streak of aloofness, it’s hard to speculate about any timeline forBloodborne 2orDark Souls 4.It’s hard to say for now ifElden Ringwill enter contention for a sequel as well. It might be a special, temporary project with George R. R. Martin, or it could become something much bigger. If From Software does decideto makeElden Ringmorethan a standalone game, hopefully it remembers what got it where it is today and revisitsBloodborneandDark Soulsbefore too long. The demand for these games is there, whichever direction From Software decides to go.
Elden Ringis in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
