There must be a fairly substantial overlap between UFC fans and FromSoftware enthusiasts, as the 2022 action RPG Elden Ring has been associated with the MMA league on more than one occasion. An Elden Ring ad appeared during the lead-up to a February 12 fight between Israel Adesanya and Robert Whitaker, and Adesanya recently appeared in a new live-action advertisement for the game.
In the trailer, the New Zealand-native Adesanya offers words of encouragement, fortifying those enduring the notoriously difficult title. Intercut with high-octane segments of gameplay, it works as an interesting, strangely motivational exploration of The Lands Between. The final segment of the roughly minute-long advertisement shows the game’s logo emblazoned over the fighter’s right eye, a potential callback to the bleeding eye of Godwyn shown in an earlier Elden Ring trailer.
While the video is certainly interesting, it doesn’t exactly bring anything new to the table for Elden Ring fans, and many respondents on Twitter voiced disappointment that the trailer had nothing to do with the long-rumored Elden Ring DLC. The game has only been out for about four months, so news on additional content could certainly be forthcoming. Yet, despite the unique collaboration, the trailer seems to have come out at an odd time given how notorious the month of June is for gaming reveals.
Israel Adesanya also isn’t the only recognizable name to have been associated with Elden Ring recently; from WWE star Randy Orton who claimed to have achieved level 527 in Elden Ring to tech wunderkind Elon Musk who called it the “most beautiful art” he had ever seen, the game has reached far beyond the bounds of the typical gaming space. Adesanya himself seems to be a participant in quote-unquote “nerd culture,” having referenced popular anime like Naruto and notable games such as Spider-Man: Miles Morales in past interviews. While it’s tough to confirm his level of familiarity with the game, it’s regardless great to see stars of any level advocating for a game that occupies a traditional niche genre.
It seems like it’s only a matter of time until a player conjures up a new viral sensation by making Isreal Adesanya in Elden Ring’s character creator. The options in said creator, while not exhaustive, are relatively robust, and players have made everything from Willem Dafoe to Darth Maul in-game. One enterprising Elden Ring fan managed to recreate Rocky Balboa and posted a series of TikTok videos showcasing melee combat with fist weapons. The same could probably be done fairly easily with Adesanya’s likeness, and the community—as well as the real-world combatant—would surely love to see it.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Essentially Sports
