Summary
It’s currently unclear where FromSoftware might be going afterElden Ringand its Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, but the developer can certainly be expected to continue striving for bigger and better things after the critical success of its most recent games. The question is whetherFromSoftware’s post-Elden Ringroutewill indeed be bigger, smaller, or stay the same, and how in the world the developer might top such a memorable experience.
FromSoftware has proven its willingness to listen to fan feedback, and since there is likely a remnant out there crying for the developer to go back to its small-scale roots, it might feel inclined to respond in kind. However, going back to the level and world design of FromSoftware’sDark Soulsera might not be the best move for it to make, especially afterElden Ringand its Shadow of the Erdtree DLC have almost single-handedly increased the developer’s fanbase.
FromSoftware Scaling Back on Its Next Game Could Have Dire Consequences
Elden Ring Vastly Expanded FromSoftware’s Fanbase
The main reason FromSoftware may not want to scale things back for its next game is due to the massive success ofElden Ringand its Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. WhileElden Ring’s greater accessibilitymight have been a major contributor to FromSoftware’s now-expanded fanbase, the masterful execution of the game’s open world could be considered an even greater contributor. As the open-world genre has continued to increase in popularity over the last decade, despite having somewhat of a simultaneously tarnished reputation, FromSoftware makingElden Ringan open-world game ultimately appealed to a greater mass than its previous games ever could have.
BeforeElden Ring,FromSoftware’s other games, like theDark Soulsseries andBloodborne, were much smaller in scale and relied more on providing fulfilling vertical exploration and less on introducing players to massive horizontal expanses. The exploration in games like theDark Soulsseries has been fulfilling, but not in the same way thatElden Ring’s is. There is so much ground to cover inElden Ring’s open world, as well as that of its Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, and yet it rarely feels overwhelming due to its modest approach to the open-world formula.
Rather than spoon-feeding players a list of objectives and collectibles,Elden Ringprimarily relies on players being driven by their curiosity, and it uses in-game elements like its detailed map and visual cues to pique that curiosity.
All of these elements worked together to increase FromSoftware’s fanbase by appealing to a wider variety of gaming personalities, as opposed to the primarily hardcore audience the developer had maintained previously. It’s actually to the point thatElden Ringhas even been divisive, with some criticism coming from FromSoftware’s veteran fans and aiming at the game’s increased accessibility and open-world approach. Nevertheless, it would be hard for FromSoftware to deny the numbers at this point, which show thatElden Ringhad sold over 25 million copiesby June 2024, making it one of the best-selling games of all time.
FromSoftware Scaling Back Might Alienate Its Newest Fans
While FromSoftware might feel inclined to scale things back in its next game, doing so could potentially alienate its newest fans, despite likely still appealing to those who have remained committed to the developer through itsDark Soulsseries and other pre-Elden Ringgames. It will also be difficult to top those glorious “stepping out” moments featured inElden Ringand its Shadow of the Erdtree DLC with something more akin toDark Souls' level design, as the sheer magnitude ofElden Ring’s open worldallows for scenery to be present in the game that FromSoftware’s past was never capable of.
Whether it maintains theopen-world formula ofElden Ringremains to be seen, but FromSoftware will nonetheless need to tread carefully with its next move. Falling back to its small-scale roots could potentially earn it praise from its longest-standing fans, but that decision could also cost it a major portion of its current fanbase established byElden Ring.
