Although FromSoftware announced that there wouldn’t be a direct sequel to 2022’s Game of the Year, it did say that there would be more projects with the IP, withElden Ring Nightreignbeing an example of one of these projects. FromSoftware’s president, Hidetaka Miyazaki, also stated that he would not be in charge of all the projects coming out of the studio, with Junya Ishizaki taking charge ofNightreign.This is similar to how Masaru Yamamura was made the director ofArmored Core 6,and it seems that FromSoftware is more ready to trust the vision of other directors.
With all the new projects reportedly on the horizon, beginning withElden RingNightreign,FromSoftware seems to be actively growing as a developer, with even more games being trusted to other directors, despite how valued Miyazaki’s vision is to fans of the studio. Many of these directors are taking charge of projects for the first time, having worked on titles directed by Miyazaki in the past. While it is exciting to get more variety and different visions from FromSoftware, it could mean that fans might not get what they want for a while.
Nightreign Isn’t Elden Ring 2
It Is A Smaller Scale Spin-Off With Exciting Ideas
When it was firstrevealed at the 2024 Game Awards, there was a lot of confusion about whatNightreignactually is. It isn’tElden Ring 2, another grand, open-world adventure with hundreds of hours worth of content. Instead,Nightreignis an experimental, roguelite titlethat seems to be on a much smaller scale and could mean that there won’t be another project likeElden Ringfor a while. In an interview withGameWatchin December, Miyazaki stated plainly that a secondElden Ringwasn’t in development, although more would be done with the IP.
Miyazaki became the president of FromSoftware in 2014, with the company’s founder, Naotoshi Zin, remaining as an advisor.
It seems that Miyazaki wasn’t lying, given thatNightreignwas announced less than a month later. This also verifies Miyazaki stating that he wouldn’t be in charge of all the projects, sincehe was only involved in the initial concept stages ofNightreign; however, he is directing some projects which he has yet to reveal. These could be anything from new IPs to aDark SoulsorSekirosequel, but it is clear thatElden Ring2 isn’t on the cards, andNightreignis the only title players will get from the Lands Between for a while.
That being said, it isn’t known ifNightreigneven calls its main part of the world the Lands Between,given that it takes place in an alternate reality where a lot of things are different. For one, Limgrave is known as Limveld and characters from theDark Soulsseries are running aroundNightreignto cause havoc like it’s the 2010s. It seems to be a title where anything goes and will likely have no effect on the main, canon timeline ofElden Ring, meaning that the franchise’s IP is being used, but the world established by the first game remains untouched.
FromSoftware Might Not Go As Big As Elden Ring Again
Elden Ring Was A Massive Undertaking
Miyazaki talked in depth about the sheer volume of bothElden Ringand its DLC, theexcellentShadow of the Erdtree, which was the biggest challenge for both.He stated that it was necessary to give the game the true sense of adventure he wanted out of it, as well as include enough unknown elements for exploration. The grand size of both the base game and DLC were also planned, according to Miyazaki, rather than a project that got out of hand as the development went on. It was a problem that the studio knowingly wanted to tackle.
Although the size of a game, Miyazaki mentioned thatShadow of the Erdtreewas always destined to be a DLC and the idea of making it its own game hadn’t occurred to him.
That being said, something the size ofElden Ringand its grand sense of adventure might not be seen by FromSoftware for a while. The interviewer fromGameWatchmentioned thatShadow of the Erdtree, paired with the base game, seemed like an ending to the series. Miyazaki didn’t disagree here, and while he didn’t agree either,the lack of sequels made by FromSoftware, other than theDark Soulsseries, could indicate thatElden Ring2won’t be happening, at least for a long time, since the studio is busy with other projects.
Where Does Nightreign Take Place On Elden Ring’s Timeline?
Elden Ring Nightreign has a lot of confusing elements with characters from different games, but does it fit on Elden Ring’s known timeline anywhere?
George R. R. Martin wasn’t involved withNightreign, as confirmed in Junya Ishizaki’s interview withIGN, and wasn’t consulted onShadow of the Erdtreeeither, with his old notes used for the lore of the DLC. It seems that Martin hasn’t been involved with FromSoftware for a while, and his lacking involvement might mean thatElden Ring 2might not be possible even if Miyazaki wanted to make it. It doesn’t help that Martin is occupied with a book he can’t finish and moreGame of Thronesspin-off shows than he can shake a stick at.
FromSoftware Could Go Back To Basics For New Projects
There’s No Telling What The New Projects Could Be
With many new projects on the horizon,FromSoftware might not have the facilities to create a game with the scale ofElden Ring, even if it wanted to make a new IP that isn’tElden Ring 2, and could go back to basics with these new titles. This could meanreviving an abandoned franchise, similar to what was done withArmored Core, or even making anArmored Core 7after it got an episode in Amazon Prime Video’sSecret Level.Armored Core 6was a great game and showed that FromSoftware is more than just its Soulsborne titles.
Regarding Soulsborne games,FromSoftware could go back to the more Metroidvania-style map design while upping the ante with the boss fightsagain, since that was a common complaint ofElden Ringwhen comparing it to something likeSekiroorDark Souls 3. In that vein, it could make a sequel to any of its series, although this seems unlikely givenDark Soulsis the only Soulsborne game with a sequel. A new Soulsborne IP with winding, connecting maps on a smaller scale toElden Ringseems much more likely.
One Of Elden Ring’s Most Well-Known Features Will Not Be Returning In Nightreign
One of the most iconic and well-known features from Elden Ring will not be making a comeback in Nightreign due to session times.
After the grand undertaking that was the development ofElden RingandShadow of the Erdtree,it makes sense that FromSoftware is experimenting and dipping its toes into many new projects. Although a strange choice on paper,makingElden Ring Nightreigncould be a sign of what is to come from the legendary studio, entering a testing phase to see what will stick and what won’t.Elden RingNightreign’s speed and traversal could see a return in a new Soulsborne title, which could evolve the formula and keep it from getting old.
Sources:GameWatch,Bandai Namco Entertainment America/YouTube,IGN
Elden Ring Nightreign
FromSoftware has announcedElden Ring: Nightreign, a standalone multiplayer game set in Limgrave, a region of the Lands Between.
