Fans of Dark Souls were understandably hyped when From Software announced its next title, Elden Ring. The studio has had hardly any misses when it comes to its games, even if it sticks to the same formula most of the time, and that shows the amount of trust that fans place in the brand. That brand loyalty is starting to become more and more apparent as the game falls further into obscurity. Fans have heard little to nothing about the game in months, yet the hype surrounding it seems to be almost as high as when it was first announced.
Elden Ring was first announced at E3 in 2019 on June 12th, meaning that it has been over a year since the game was revealed. This isn't unusual per se, games take a long time to make and fans are, for the most part, used to waiting years for certain games even after they're announced. What is unusual is the lack of communication between From Software and players since then, as there's been hardly any. While there have been plenty of leaks, the announcement trailer from over a year ago is the only video fans have to view right now.
Communication Between Developers and Gamers
More so than ever before, communication between developers and gamers is absolutely vital. Once upon a time, developers could make their games in relative peace, release them to the world, and move on to their next project, but that is no longer the case. With how competitive the video game market has become, fans expect engagement from developers, long time support for the games they release, and a general line of communication between the creators of these games and the ones that will be playing them.
There's no better example of this than the dichotomy between Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot's post launch support and that of Borderlands 3. When the latter released in September of last year, Gearbox Software consistently added new content to the game every month, informing the players of exactly what was coming when with helpful, detailed road maps that were released seasonally. On the contrary, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot released in January of 2020, and while it was initially met with praise, the complete lack of communication between players and the developer/publisher about DLC plans and future content was so frustrating that many left the game behind for other heavy hitters that released this year.
When Will We Get Elden Ring News?
History has shown that this kind of radio silence simply doesn't fly anymore, so why is Elden Ring still on everyone's radar? The answer must lie in a sense of brand loyalty. In general, most have nothing but praise for Dark Souls, Bloodborne, or Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, so they believe that the wait for Elden Ring will be worth it whether they hear anything or not. It's clear that few other games would be able to pull this stunt off, but it still begs the question of why From Software is doing this in the first place.
The most plausible theory regarding the lack of news sites difficulty with Elden Ring's Trademark troubles. Reportedly, the Elden Ring trademark request was denied once already, and it may be that the reapplication for it has not gone much better. Of course, this is but a rumor and should not be taken as fact, but if From Software is indeed having difficulty trademarking its game, that could explain why public outreach isn't a top priority at the moment. Either way, some sort of update would be greatly appreciated, and it's only a matter of time before fans hear something.
Elden Ring is currently in development.