Even FromSoftware doesn't know why Elden Ring is so popular

Elden Ring is the best-selling FromSoftware game of all time. The bizarre fantasy RPG is billion-dollar success and is even seen as a franchise. There's just one problem: No one at FromSoft knows exactly why it's so popular.

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Elden Ring took the world by storm when it launched in February 2022, and is still played by many gamers today. It's the kind of game that only comes around once in a generation, engaging millions of people in an interactive, tough-as-nails scavenger hunt complete with epic bosses and loot.

While YouTubers have written essays that examine Elden Ring as a whole, the game's secret sauce remains a mystery to its creators. At Sony's internal PlayStation partner awards showcase, FromSoftware producer Yasuhiro Kitao said that the studio has 'no idea' why Elden Ring is so big.

"We still haven't been able to analyze why so many people play the game, and we have no idea why it's selling so well. Our attitude towards development has remained unchanged," Kitao said, as reported by Automaton.

Elden Ring has sold 20.5 million copies on all platforms as of March 2023. That number is likely higher now with Black Friday sales and discounts. A new Elden Ring expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, may release in February 2024.

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Despite Elden Ring's sales boon, Kitao says that FromSoft's core motivations remain the same:

"Making games that we think are fun and have value has been our policy for a long time, and we won't start aiming for new big hits like Elden Ring. Our stance of creating games we think are fun and worthwhile will not be changing."

Kitao's words echo those spoken by creative director Hidetaka Miyazaki, who in December 2022 said:

"To be honest, I haven't analyzed it much. It's true that sales were higher than before, but I'm still not entirely sure what that was all about.

"So, even if I was told to reproduce it, I would be in trouble. I don't intend to change the way I've been making it until now, so if I analyze it deeply and say that I'll try to achieve the same success next time, it might be a bad idea, so I try not to think about it too much. However, I am very grateful and consider myself lucky."