FromSoftware’s Armored Core series is on many gamers’ minds after the reveal of the sixth mainline installment, Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, at The Game Awards 2022, and it has been confirmed that the title will include multiplier elements. Speculation abounds as to how multiplayer will be implemented in the upcoming mech combat game, but at IGN interview with FromSoftware’s Masaru Yamamura revealed a few interesting details regarding the central focus of Armored Core 6.
Many believed that, going forward, all future FromSoftware games would borrow heavily from the design philosophies made popular by the Dark Souls series, but both Masaru Yamamura and Hidetaka Miyazaki confirmed that implementing Souls-like elements into the upcoming Armored Core title hasn’t been a primary focus of the development team. In fact, while Yamamura served as one of the lead designers behind 2019’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Miyazaki stated in reference to the new Armored Core title that “we’ve not been making a conscious effort to try to direct it toward more Soulsborne type gameplay.” Additionally, Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon will not be an open world title, further distancing it from previous outings like Dark Souls and Elden Ring.
The interview did confirm, however, that Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon will have a versus mode similar to what’s previously been seen in earlier series entries. According to Yamamura, players will be able to “customize [their] mech and take that fully customized mech into battle with others.” Little is known beyond that, but, if the recent major PvP-focused update to Elden Ring is anything to go by, FromSoftware’s dedication to interesting and innovative multiplayer experiences isn’t going to wane anytime soon.
Still, while the Armored Core series certainly has its fans, such a radical departure from the Soulsborne approach could prove to be risky for the developer. Announcing a step away from the Dark Souls style seems particularly odd given Elden Ring’s Game of the Year win, but FromSoftware has never had a penchant for chasing trends or developing risk-averse projects.
Older titles such as Dark Souls and its 2014 sequel still host avid multiplayer communities, but it’s hard to know if those who enjoy Soulslike PvP can be coaxed into the entirely new style of gameplay the upcoming Armored Core title is likely to have. Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is expected to release at some point next year, so FromSoftware fans unfamiliar with the classic mech series have some time to get their feet wet before it debuts.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is set to release 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: IGN
