Elden Ringfans have waited patiently for a over a year in hopes of getting news about when the title will release. Up till now, the most they’ve received is reassurance from developers that the game hasn’t been cancelled, but in terms of a solid release date there’s still nothing. At this point, FromSoftware has proven its a household name, as no other game could surviveElden Ring’s lack of news. Without the FromSoftware name attached, holding with it thelegacy ofDark Souls,Bloodborne,Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and even theDemon’s Souls Remaketo an extent, fans would likely have abandoned ship by now.
Elden Ringwas initially announced at E3 in 2019, but since then there has been almost nothing for fans to latch onto. Despite this, theElden Ringsubreddit still has almost 100k members, and remains active to this day. Fans are undoubtedly excited for this release, and are doing whatever they can to keep from “going hollow” while they wait. With all that in mind, it may be in FromSoftware’s best interest to take the bold move forward instead of the safe one. Instead of giving fans a release date and moving on from there, it should instead surprise launchElden Ringwhenever it’s ready.
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Elden Ring Rumors and Leaks
Naturally, a game with such a high profile is subject to tons of rumors and leaks. Some of these have turned out to be untrue while others remain under intense scrutiny from the fanbase. Perhaps one of the most credible sources comes from a higher up in the gaming industry, asPhil Spencer claimed to have playedElden Ring. If this is true and the title is so far along in development that he was able to play through parts of it, then fans are left wondering why there’s been no update.
It’s also recently been rumored thatElden Ringis in the final stages of development, and that FromSoftware is simply putting the finishing touches on the game. Again, this has not been confirmed in any way, but if that is the case then one would assume that a release isn’t too far off. Going off this assumption, when FromSoftware finally does reveal a release date forElden Ring, will it be a few short weeks in advance, a year ahead, or even longer? This is the question ringing in many people’s head about the elusive title.
Elden Ring Surprise Launch
What if, instead of any of the aforementioned options, FromSoftware opted to launchElden Ringwithout any warning? While it may seem extreme and unlikely, it actually would make a lot of sense after digging into it. For starters, the key to a successful launch of anything is building hype. A game can be lackluster, but if people are excited about it, it will do well. On the other hand, there are probablycountless amazing games that hardly saw the light of daysince there simply wasn’t enough buzz to draw people in.
Elden Ringalready has that hype. It’s been proven time and time again as live chats are flooded with desperate fans begging for news, and theElden Ringsubreddit is flooded with fake loreshowcasing fans' love for a setting they know almost nothing about. Revealing a release date would definitely result in a burst of excitement, but if it’s too far away that excitement will dwindle. Instead, a surprise launch would shock audiences, negate the waiting that players hate so much, and capitalize on the hype while it’s at its highest. It also gives the studio a distinct advantage compared to other titles.
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Timing a Game Launch
In many cases with video games, timing is everything. When a game launches can be just as important as how it does or even what it is. For example, it’s very rare to see two triple-A games launch on the same day, as they don’t want to compete with each other. More often than not, games are spaced out even further than this.Doing a surprise launchwould allow FromSoftware to choose a day for launch without other developers knowing. A well-timed launch could provide a huge edge in how successful the game is.
Other events within the world of gaming can also have an effect on the success of a launch.Dragon Ball Z: KakarotDLC 2 released on November 17th of 2020. While there’s nothing wrong with this date in particular, it happens to be the same week that both the Xbox Series X and the PS5 released. Plenty of fans still got back onDBZ: Kakarotand played the new DLC, but there were many that devoted their time to experiencing new games on the new console instead.Elden Ringwould have more freedom to avoid this type of mishap if it didn’t have to commit to a particular launch date.
Game Delays and Finishing Touches
Even if the rumor thatElden Ringis just receiving some finishing touches is true, fans don’t really know what that type of language means. It’s impossible to say how the game would be received in its current state, and it could be that FromSoftware is simply learning from the mistakes of others. While it has been an amazing year for gaming,2020 has also been a time for several blunders and huge letdowns. Perhaps the best example of this would be CD Projekt Red’sCyberpunk 2077and the multiple delays that came before it.
DelayingCyberpunk 2077so many times made fans restless. What they were once excited and patiently waiting for they then began to anxiously await and expect. Thebuggy launch ofCyberpunk 2077makes it clear that even after the several delays the game wasn’t ready to hit markets, and it still got mostly negative feedback. By doing a surprise launch,Elden Ringcould handle any unexpected hiccups that come its way without making and breaking promises with players. Fans have already waited over a year without news, soElden Ringmay as well stick to its guns and not even tell fans when the game releases, choosing instead to show them.
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