Everything we know about Elden Ring: the collaboration between George R.R. Martin and FromSoftware.
Elden Ring is upon us – and it’s not very far away, with only a handful of weeks until the Dark Souls successor comes to PC and consoles. It’s been a long time coming: Elden Ring was first unveiled at E3 2019, meaning it’s been over two years of waiting and wailing (and likely dying in other Soulslike games). Despite a brief delay, though, we now know that Elden Ring is coming on February 25, 2022. Elden Ring is an open-world, third-person action RPG, coming from the studio behind the Dark Souls franchise, FromSoftware, in collaboration with Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin. That’s a pretty exciting creative partnership and from the trailers and screenshots we’ve seen so far, we’re expecting a mix of Dark Souls, Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings, with influences from myths and legends all over the world. Below we’ve collected together everything we know about Elden Ring – from the expected file size on PS5 to the latest comments from game director Miyazaki on how the stunning visuals of the Demon’s Souls PS5 remake forced a rethink. We’ll be updating this guide as and when more details emerge, too, so keep checking back. Elden Ring releases on February 25, 2022, following a delay, for PS4, Xbox One (where the game reportedly could still look excellent), PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PC. Elden Ring pre-orders are live right now for PlayStation and Xbox consoles across generations. However, PC pre-orders aren’t currently live – we will update this page when these become available. Below, you’ll find links to Elden Ring pre-orders. Elden Ring story trailer A new Elden Ring story trailer was shown during The Game Awards 2021, which provided players with some more details of the game’s narrative, written by Game of Thrones author George R. Martin. Elden Ring Gameplay Preview On November 4,2021, we were treated to a new gameplay preview of Elden Ring, which gave us the biggest look yet at the fundamentals of the game. A lot was covered in the preview, including various mixes of horseback, on-foot and stealth-based combat. Alongside that was some light exploration of the open world, showing off how level design affords the player options in how they want to approach any given area. We also got a brief look at smaller and major dungeons that populate the world, which are loaded with loot, enemies, traps and of course, boss encounters. Reveal trailer The Elden Ring reveal trailer was shown during the Summer Game Fest: Kickoff Live showcase. The trailer gives us our best look yet at the world George R.R. Martin and FromSoftware have cooked up: and it’s pretty dark. The trailer features grotesquely unique mythical creatures, werewolves, moving pots, mounted combat and epic battles. Check it out below: Announcement trailer The announcement trailer for Elden Ring doesn’t give away anything in terms of gameplay, but with more than one sword shown, and a spear and hammer given screen time, it looks like it will be as melee-focused as FromSoftware’s past games. Check it out below: Want to see even more Elden Ring screenshots? We’ve included some below that are just too pretty not to show you: Elden Ring is set in the Lands Between, a name invented by George R.R. Martin. Miyazaki told IGN, that the name is meant “supposed to invoke this feeling of something that’s very mysterious and very ethereal”. But what’s Elden Ring’s story? Here’s Elden Ring’s story outline, according to a press release from Bandai Namco: “The Golden Order has been broken. Rise, Tarnished, and be guided by grace to brandish the power of the Elden Ring and become an Elden Lord in the Lands Between. “In the Lands Between ruled by Queen Marika the Eternal, the Elden Ring, the source of the Erdtree, has been shattered. Marika’s offspring, demigods all, claimed the shards of the Elden Ring known as the Great Runes, and the mad taint of their newfound strength triggered a war: The Shattering. A war that meant abandonment by the Greater Will. And now the guidance of grace will be brought to the Tarnished who were spurned by the grace of gold and exiled from the Lands Between. Ye dead who yet live, your grace long lost, follow the path to the Lands Between beyond the foggy sea to stand before the Elden Ring. “And become the Elden Lord.” But what does that all mean? Miyazaki has explained that the Lands Between were previously blessed by the Elden Ring, with the Erdtree symbolizing the presence of the Elden Ring. The presence of the Elden Ring gave a blessing to those living in the Lands Between, with those who were blessed being identifiable by a golden light that’s seen in their eyes. However, over time, there were those who lost this blessing and the light diminished from their eyes, resulting in them – and their ancestors – having being exiled from the land. But when the Elden Ring is shattered in a “historical event”, the land and its inhabitants lose the blessing, with the Tarnished being guided back to the Land Between. This is apparently where Elden Ring begins, with players taking on the role of a Tarnished. Bandai Namco has revealed that players will “encounter adversaries with profound backgrounds, characters with their own unique motivations for helping or hindering your progress, and fearsome creatures” and that “players will choose the fate of this cursed land by unraveling its secrets and myths.” Open-world action RPG Elden Ring is set to be FromSoftware’s biggest game yet, with clear Norse mythology influences and gameplay similar to Dark Souls. “However, that doesn’t mean that it plays out in the same way,” director Miyazaki told IGN. “With a more open and vast environment, the way combat plays out becomes fundamentally different.” A press release for Elden Ring states that the open-world RPG will feature “fantastical landscapes” and “shadowy complex dungeons that are connected seamlessly.” Players will cross “grassy plains, suffocating swamps and lush forests” as they explore the Lands Between. In addition, on your quest to become the Elden Lord, you will “ascend spiraling mountains, enter breathtaking castles, and witness other sites of grandeur on a scale never seen before in a FromSoftware title.” Speaking with IGN, following Elden Ring’s reveal, Hidetaka Miyazaki explained there are six distinct regions in the game, each ruled by a demigod that has “inherited the mad tainted power of the Elden Ring once it shattered”. And while there’s an “apparent” order to go through the regions, players aren’t technically required to do so. “We wanted to give a free level of progression and exploration through the Lands Between, so there’s a lot of different ways,” Miyazaki said. “You won’t be able to access everything from the start, but there are a lot of different ways you can approach each area. And there’s a lot of freedom as to which order you tackle different areas as well”. There’s going to be a “hub” connecting these six regions, similar to how Firelink Shrine in Dark Souls served as a central connecting point for the different interconnecting pathways. You’ll be able to traverse the Lands Between on foot or on horseback, with an option to play online with up to three other players. In addition, the world features natural weather cycles and time-of-day progression as well as fast-travel. Elden Ring will allow you to customize your character, rather than having a set protagonist. Miyazaki told Xbox Wire that Elden Ring “puts more focus on RPG elements” than FromSoftware’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which Miyazaki described as having “a heavy focus on action”. “Of course, we are not shying away from the fun of responsive melee-based combat, and these elements will be present as well,” Miyazaki said. Elden Ring will let players experiment with a variety of weapons, magic and other skills found throughout the world, with an aim to giving you more control over your playstyle. It’s up to players whether they want to go charging into battles or to take a more stealthy approach, with the option to call upon allies for aid also available – you can even summon the spirits of deceased enemies and use them as allies in battles. This choice also extends to exploration. “Along with this new vast world, we have created a number of new action systems and game systems to enhance this, and to go hand-in-hand with the vast new world,” Miyazaki told IGN.
