Elden Ring has proven to be an unprecedented mainstream success for FromSoftware and Bandai Namco. It launched to critical and fan acclaim, giving FromSoftware another well-regarded title in its catalog of Soulslikes. It's reached a wider audience than could have been predicted, and because of its financial and critical success, many fans assume that a sequel is inevitable. Elden Ring is likely to receive new content and updates for some time, but a sequel might not be a guarantee.
Elden Ring continues to sell extremely well, and it's even managed to outpace Call of Duty: Vanguard. Yasuo Miyagawa, CEO of Bandai Namco, has expressed interest in taking Elden Ring and morphing it into a franchise beyond video games. This might suggest that the game is being primed for expansion into other media, such as comics, animation, and perhaps even live-action entertainment. As Elden Ring continues to sell well, fans might be expecting sequels, but there's reason to believe that it could be a standalone title.
FromSoftware and New IP
FromSoftware has been refining its Souls formula since the release of Demon's Souls in 2009. Looking back on the studio's catalog, it's clear that the studio prefers to work on new IPs rather than develop sequels. The exception to this is the Dark Souls trilogy, but it's important to note that Hidetaka Miyazaki, the renowned president of FromSoftware, wasn't involved in the production of Dark Souls II.
Miyazaki has spoken in the past about his preference for creating new games in new settings rather than sequels. He made it clear he didn't want the Dark Souls franchise to become bloated with sequels, but he gave Dark Souls II his blessing and expressed how he was looking forward to playing it. Miyazaki would later return for Dark Souls III, the game that marked the end of the Dark Souls series.
Elden Ring as a Foundation for Future Games
It's more likely that Elden Ring will serve as an inspirational template for future FromSoftware titles. Historically, the studio has used previous games as the first port of call for its next title. The Dark Souls trilogy is very much a successor to Demon's Souls, and Bloodborne's influence can be seen in the faster combat and monster designs of Dark Souls III. Fans should expect that Elden Ring will serve a major role in influencing the developer's projects going forward.
One of the most significant new features of Elden Ring is its open world, and the game is FromSoftware's first foray into a truly open-world Souls-style title. Its positive reception could mean that future games will make use of a similar structure. Elden Ring represented an evolution of the Souls formula with its open world, focus on exploration, and refined combat, and this template will likely be further expanded upon in future titles.
George R. R. Martin's Involvement
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While the extent of his involvement is unknown, George R. R. Martin is said to have crafted the basic story, lore, and characters before handing off his work to Miyazaki. Miyazaki is reported to have built on Martin's work and added the typical Souls-style elements that his games are known for. Without knowing the true extent of George R. R. Martin's contributions, it's hard to know if his involvement in a sequel would be necessary or not.
Fans have picked up on George R. R. Martin's influence on Elden Ring's world, and a sequel without him arguably might not be the same. The author has been working on the final A Song of Ice and Fire books for several years, and other than his novels, he's a producer on the upcoming House of the Dragon series and the thriller series Dark Winds. Martin is undoubtedly busy at the moment, so it's difficult to determine if he could commit to an Elden Ring sequel and how his lack of participation could affect future games in the Lands Between.
Elden Ring DLC Is More Likely Than a Sequel
While it's hard to say if a sequel will happen, fans are convinced that Elden Ring will get DLC expansions. Countless loose threads in the game could be explored further, such as the inaccessible arenas spread throughout the Lands Between and lore references to the Glow-Eyed Queen. The Lands Between in Elden Ring has many avenues for expansion, and based on FromSoftware's history, a true sequel could be set in an age far in the past or future.
FromSoftware has developed DLC for all of its Souls games since the first Dark Souls, so it's reasonable to assume that Elden Ring will also receive similar post-launch support. Based on previous games, it could take anything up to a year before DLC is released or perhaps even longer due to the sheer scope of Elden Ring. Players should expect that it'll be supported with plenty of content before a sequel, or a brand new FromSoftware project, might go into production.
It's impossible to say that an Elden Ring sequel will never happen, but it's far from guaranteed based on FromSoftware's history. While gamers would undoubtedly love to see a return to the Lands Between, it's just as likely that the developer will move on to different projects after Elden Ring's support has finished. Nothing is official as of right now, and there is every chance that Elden Ring could become a series of games developed by a different team at FromSoftware.