Till March 16, 2022, Elden Ring has sold 12 million copies worldwide in less than a month since its release on February 25. From Software has managed to make the soulsborne genre more accessible to a whole new audience of players which has helped it reach high levels of popularity. As it happens with most successful games, will Elden Ring, too, get a sequel? Should it?
Elden Ring 2 – Will there be a Sequel?
FromSoftware is no stranger to sequels as evidenced by their offerings of Dark Souls II, Dark Souls III, Armored Core as well as King’s Field franchises. Many have even wondered if Elden Ring itself is a sequel to Dark Souls or not. But, no, Elden Ring is a standalone game that has no plans for a sequel as of now. This might change at any time and players might even get a prequel that puts them into the shoes of the Tarnished before they became one. Now, that will be exciting to play.
Why does Elden Ring Need a Sequel or a Prequel?
There are a lot of things FromSoft got right in Elden Ring and can be enhanced in the next game from this IP:
- The PvP and Co-op aspects of the game are fun.
- Bosses are super well-made and exciting to beat and cheese.
- The map and dungeons have just the right amount of challenge that you would want to see in a soulslike game.
- Different classes, weapons, builds and items ensure replayability and there are loads of areas to explore and hidden secrets to unveil.
- The lore is simple but interesting and can be further enhanced in the sequel or prequel.
Now, the game industry is unpredictable – a good game made by a few indie developers can see massive success and some of the most highly-anticipated titles can bomb. Elden Ring has had hype since the day it was announced and it has lived up to players’ expectations. There is so much to discover, unique enemies to take down that it will take anything around 80 hours to complete it. Completionists can expect to spend 100+ hours on it. This is the game that has brought casual players and hardcore soulsborne players together and I think that’s beautiful.
Based on all of this and how the devs have got almost-everything right in Elden Ring, players can assume (and hope) that there might be discussions about Elden Ring 2 going on. Will the plan be confirmed and will there be an Elden Ring 2 release date? We’re not sure yet. As of now, the game is simply basking in the glory of its resounding success. Plus, there are speculations that a DLC might be coming.
These are just speculations from our end but there are a few things players need to keep in mind. Hidetaka Miyazaki has directed Bloodborne, Sekiro and Elden Ring – and the first two games do not have sequels. Miyazaki believes that “From Software has to create new things” and players can expect new types of games greenlit by him. If this means that players will never get a sequel for ER is yet to be seen. Another reason why it can be tough to make a sequel is that there are different endings that you can get and translating a particular ending into the story of the sequel can be challenging. A prequel, on the other hand might make things easier.
At the end of the day, if the game doesn’t get a sequel and only a DLC, don’t worry. The replayability and multiplayer modes are sure to keep you hooked for months and possibly years.