FromSoftware has earned itself an indomitable reputation with seminal games and emergent experiences that iterate upon its gameplay formulas. It cannot be overstated how much Elden Ring brought to the open-world action-RPG genre, for example, and it will be exciting how it inspires others in the next several years. Before it, games like Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice have also all made an individual impact on the industry.
FromSoftware could have easily chosen to stick to this formula of gameplay and world-building, but it has recently demonstrated that it is unafraid to look back on its decorated history and provide players with new experiences that they may be unfamiliar with. FromSoftware fans now have a new Armored Core game to look forward to in 2023, but it might be a relatively quiet year for its popular Soulsborne genre unless Elden Ring receives DLC.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon Releases Sometime in 2023
In what was maybe the last thing fans would expect to see this soon from FromSoftware, it was announced at December’s The Game Awards that Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is scheduled to launch in 2023. This is surprising since that release window would already put it out in the next 12 months.
However, Hidetaka Miyazaki reportedly confirmed last summer that FromSoftware’s next game was already in the final stages of development. It is clear now that the game is Armored Core 6, and it could launch soon depending on how far along FromSoftware is with it at this point. It is always possible that Armored Core 6 could be delayed, but for now it seems safe to assume that it will be released this year.
Fans Shouldn’t Expect the Soulsborne Formula from Armored Core 6
Armored Core is a bounteous franchise with 15 games that include mainline or numbered entries as well as a reboot in the third and fourth installments, convoluting its chronological timeline. But despite having a wide catalog of mech-shooter games, it would be surprising if Armored Core was what fans knew FromSoftware for.
FromSoftware’s Souls games have become so seminal that other developers’ imitations of them are dubbed Soulslikes. The formula for these games and their counterparts is simple: players lose resources when they are slain and have to return to where they met their demise, whether they are exploring and encounter a mob of enemies or wind up in a tremendous boss fight.
It is therefore plausible that fans would be interested in Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon based solely on their warm reception to Elden Ring—instead, newfound fans whose first foray into FromSoftware is Elden Ring would be wrong to think that Armored Core will be anything like it. There is hardly any chance that FromSoftware’s return to Armored Core means that its attention has shifted wholly, considering how profoundly successful Elden Ring is, but Armored Core 6 will probably be a lot of FromSoftware fans’ first Armored Core game.
Therefore, there will be a learning curve for fans in terms of how different Armored Core’s gameplay is. Armored Core features shooter combat in giant titular mechs with mech customization and a mission system. It will be interesting to see if FromSoftware’s recent games influence new features in Armored Core6 at all, but fans would be right to expect an experience that is entirely separate from what they know about FromSoftware’s action-RPGs.
The Potential for Elden Ring DLC Remains on Everyone’s Minds
Excitement regarding potential Elden Ring DLC has been high since FromSoftware’s open-world epic released last year. Elden Ring’s PvP update was satisfying for some fans, but others are still greatly anticipating a full-blown narrative expansion like the games before it have all had with more bosses, locations, and other additional content. If Elden Ring DLC is going to come out, it would seemingly be expected within the year.
Dark Souls 3’s final DLC, The Ringed City, did not launch until a year after the base game’s release. That said, Elden Ring is soon closing in on its own anniversary and there is still no word on any potential DLC for it. DLC could still supposedly launch in the unforeseeable future, but the likelihood of Elden Ring having a narrative DLC expansion will dwindle further into 2023 and become a pipe dream by next year.
Fans Shouldn’t Expect Anything About Bloodborne
Speaking of FromSoftware pipe dreams, Bloodborne fans have wanted a dedicated PC port, a 60FPS upgrade patch on PS5, or a full-fledged remake for some time now. Like Capcom remaking Resident Evil 4 with modern fidelity on current-gen consoles, Bloodborne is an obvious choice for a PlayStation cash-grab.
PlayStation may indeed be holding Bloodborne tight to its chest for a rainy day when it needs to make an exorbitant amount of money, and that would certainly be the game to do it with. In the meantime, other PlayStation-exclusive games have gone on to receive their own official PC ports and remakes, while unofficial 60FPS mods and PS1-inspired demakes have been the community’s responsibility to make.
Still, there have not been any rumors that strongly substantiate such a port or remake being made. Going into this year, fans would like to still be hopeful about Bloodborne’s future—with some fans wanting a decent port more than they would like an actual sequel. Unfortunately, a sequel is just as unlikely at this point in time.
If a Bloodborne PC port does get announced this year then that would be a cause for celebration, but expecting that a port, remake, or sequel will be announced with no tangible evidence of one would be ill-advised. FromSoftware is still expected to have a fantastic 2023 with the release of Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, and that launch will be even more special if it can appeal to the developer’s new batch of devoted fans.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon will be released in 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.