The Making of Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree

On the night of March 27th, 2019, Liam Robertson posted an entry on his Twitter account teasing a rumor about a new FromSoftware game. If you are familiar with the YouTube channel Did You Know Gaming, you might recognize him as one of their video game historians. This was unexpected considering it was only 5 days after Sekiro's worldwide release, and it seemed too soon for a new game announcement.

However, in less than an hour, Jonathan Downey of the YouTube channel Spawn Wave posted a new video detailing the rumored game. Okay, so let's talk about FromSoftware today. This is, of course, rumor wave, so everything you're about to hear is considered rumor at this time, at least until it's announced and the company pushes forward and eventually releases the game.

Now, the game is their shot at an open-world style game. It sounds so—it's not going to be as linear as other Souls games. This, however, would be a bit different; there wouldn't really be a start point and an end point that has followed almost like a path with some branching parts and some places you can backtrack to. This would be an open world that you drop into, and you can pretty much decide where you want to go from there.

So the way this is being described at this time—and this information is coming from Liam Robertson, who's been very good in the past with uh, rumors—around the way this is going to work is you will be dropped in, and the world will be have a bunch of Kingdoms essentially around you, and you can decide which one you would like like to go to. And when you get there, you of course have a boss or a hup or a prince or whatnot that you defeat, you kill, and then you take their ability and you add it to your arsenal.

So let me tell you about the part that uh, surprised me a bit, but if it is correct, would make this a really interesting Souls game to check out. Now, the title is working right now, so we don't really know what what the title is, but the part that I have a hard time believing because it sounds a bit a bit crazy is that George R.R. Martin is part of this project, and his job is going to be realizing the world of the game or creating the world that you would be playing through. So the writing would be done by him, for example, and he would help to kind of flesh out the world around you. But that's the part that has me has me a bit hesitant on that part only because I figured he would be very very wrapped up right now in the books and everything.

A day after Spawn Wave's March 27th video, there was an explosion of articles and online content about the rumor. It's important to note that for the majority of the Souls community, this was the first time they had heard about this exciting new open-world game. The subreddit r/EldenRing did not yet exist; it was still many weeks away from being created, around the last week of May 2019.

However, unbeknownst to most people, a leak of this rumored game had already begun 3 years earlier by an Insider who shared product information with a redditor. This leak didn't only concern this open-world game but also Sekiro and the expansions of Dark Souls 3 long before these games and DLCs were even announced. While preparing the research materials for this video, I realized how captivating the details and the story are, much more so than that of Dark Souls I or any of the earlier games. For this reason, it became the longest video on our channel.

This is the story of the making of Elden Ring and how it brought forth the creative genius of Hidetaka Miyazaki, resulting in one of the best open-world games ever. Join me as we delve into its development and uncover the captivating journey behind Miyazaki's sixth masterpiece. As this video is several hours long, you might not be able to watch it in one sitting; therefore, we have divided it into major chapters as shown, which you can also access using the timestamps provided in the description. We will cover the game's influences, the members of the development team, the game's design and development, the soundtrack and translation, and the gaming events leading to the release and afterward. As a special bonus, this video also features four technical seminars provided by FromSoftware about game design and development, significantly contributing to its length. I hope you enjoy the video, whether you are an aspiring game creator or a big fan of the Souls games.

In this section, we will cover the original leak that began 3 years prior to Spawn Wave's video on on the rumored game. Personally, I consider this part of Elden Ring's development as one of the most amazing segments in the history of the Souls games. To truly appreciate this fascinating event, let's go back to the year 2016 when the conversation between the two leakers started.

In June 2016, at the age of 41, Hidetaka Miyazaki was actively engaged as the game director in the development of the Activision-produced title Sekiro. Simultaneously, the expansion for Dark Souls 3 were also in production. Please note that neither Sekiro nor the Dark Souls 3 expansions had been publicly unveiled during this period. It was more than one year before Sekiro was revealed and 2 months before the DLCs were announced. With this as the backdrop, let's now look into the fascinating story of the two leakers who gained knowledge of Elden Ring's existence three years ahead of the 2019 rumors. To make the narration of their story simpler, let's refer to them as The Insider and the redditor.

On June 11th, 2016, The Insider messaged the redditor, saying, "I am writing to award your dedication and passion. Let's see you handle the information I will give you today. Maybe there will be more in the future since you are doing this beautiful Dark Souls initiative. A Dark Souls remaster is in the work beginning 2017. The next Soul in the series is in development as usual. Their Tech made them lose a year as it was with Dark Souls 3, but anyway prototype will be up and running soon. Two words: open world. After Bandai Namco messed up Dark Souls 2, it was an open world; they had them change the game back to origin in a few months. I think they will probably make it this time. Keep up the good work, friend."

If you observe carefully the first message sent by The Insider to the redditor, you will notice that he was also leaking information about the Dark Souls remaster, which was only announced to the public on January 11th, 2018. In other words, The Insider had knowledge of this future product more than 18 months before its public reveal. Regarding the rumored new title, The Insider got the most important aspect of the game: open world.

The redditor replied to The Insider, saying, "Well, this information is extremely good sounding. When should I expect any further information, and what should I do? I expect you want me to keep it quiet for now, correct? Also, may I ask where you got this information from? I'm not going to be specific with who you are or anything; I'm just genuinely curious. Thanks for the message and the kind words."

The Insider replied soon, saying, "So my source is the people that make the game. I was playing the DLC yesterday. Miyazaki loves Aramís's painted world. I mean, now there is no news besides this is happening, so it is just risky to burn me as a source when maybe there is a news out. I can give you more details to make the Reddit matter more big news regarding the sequel is who is writing it. Big name man. Instead of doing what people want him to do, he is making the next Soul. So keep it quiet now. Let's leave the channel open, and when we make a move, we will make a splash."

From the second message of The Insider, we can observe that he correctly identified the second major aspect of the new game: it is being written by a prominent author who has perennially faced delays and appears to be struggling to conclude his major novel series. Please note that these discussions were taking place in mid-2016.

The redditor replied afterward, saying, "Thank you very much for this information. This is insanely cool to see. One last bit of questions since there may be some translation issues where I'm lost. The DLC for Dark Souls 3 has the painted world of Aramís in it. There is a Dark Souls 1 remaster on the way, and it's set to release in 2017. There is another new Dark Souls game being worked on right now. Thank you again for all of this information. If it turns out to be true, I'll be very happy that you're sharing this with me."

The Insider replied to the redditor's questions, saying, "Apologies, my English isn't great. Here are the answers: No, it's not the painted world of Aramís in the DLC; instead, it's a snow world similar to Aramís, featuring a large map, new enemies and bosses, as well as new armors and weapons. Yes, there is a Dark Souls 1 remaster set to release in 2017. It's not a Dark Souls game; it's a New Soul. A prototype will be running by July. It's an open-world concept where you can ride a horse. Yes, a horse in a Souls game. It's a pleasure to share Insider information with fellow Soul lovers like I believe you are. I'm a huge fan. I'm unsure when this information will become public as Bandai Namco handles the communication about the next Soul. Considering FromSoftware is still using the same engine, a lot can change from now on. Nonetheless, please keep this information confidential."

In the third message of The Insider, we learn another major aspect of the rumored game: the presence of a mount that the player can use for exploring the Overworld. He also gave details on the upcoming first DLC of Dark Souls 3.

The redditor soon replied, saying, "I hope you are doing well. Do you happen to know what the new Souls game will be called by any chance? If not, is there a way you could get this information before it is publicly announced? This is very important information to have if we want to keep the current team of subreddit moderators for the next Souls game. Thank you for everything you've told me so far, as it appears to be true after Miyazaki did an interview that matched the information you told me."

We can notice from this reply the redditor's desire to obtain the actual name of the rumored game. There are numerous reasons for this, the most crucial being to reserve the name on Reddit. Additionally, for those active on social media platforms like YouTube, Twitter, and others, securing this name could be beneficial for creating an account.

The Insider soon replied, saying, "I see your point. At the moment, there is no name, just a code name. I don't know when the name will be decided, but when it gets decided, I will know it, and I will let you know. I think we are still far away from the reveal though. I will keep you posted. There is also the Bandai Namco factor that is out of my reach at the moment. By the way, Miyazaki was talking about the project in an interview he did today on For Gamer. There is already a thread in the Reddit. The other games are Armored Core and a reboot, Tenchu. I'll be in touch, friend."

In this message from The Insider, he leaked for the first time the existence of the products Sekiro and Armored Core 6. He was referring to an interview with Miyazaki hosted by For Gamer. As we have already covered the making of Sekiro, we have this exact interview and Miyazaki's statement. In this interview, Miyazaki shared, "It's occasionally misunderstood, but we are not stopping game development in the traditional sense. It's just that it won't be in the form of the Dark Souls series. As for the future direction, there are broadly three aspects: one is to express action RPGs or Dark Fantasy in a different way than Dark Souls, as we discussed earlier; another is rebooting the titles we've worked on in the past or using them as a starting point for new games; the last one is something a bit different from our past directions, probably something a bit odd you could say."

As this statement was from the past, we already know which games Miyazaki referred to in each line: the first line refers to Elden Ring, the second to Armored Core, the third to Sekiro, and the last one to DeS. Miyazaki called them the "3.5 production lines." What's truly interesting is that The Insider knew this information in addition to the core game he was leaking. All of these messages were sent in the middle of 2016.

Several weeks passed, and the first DLC of Dark Souls 3 was announced on August 24th, 2016. This is one solid proof to the redditor that The Insider is legit. After a few days, The Insider messaged the redditor, saying, "So the DLC was announced at TGS. There will probably be more. A quick update about the rest regarding the open-world project: The Prototype is up and running. Namco liked it. It is a slightly different experience from a Souls game. Character can ride a horse, can climb stuff. There are survival elements like character needs to eat, and you have these caravans of enemies hanging around the world. Felt quite alive even if it is not Grand Theft Auto. I know nothing about the story that should be complex; in fact, it will be a trilogy. No idea yet about the production or release schedule though, and I specifically asked to be informed about the name when they will decide it, but it is not guaranteed that I will know the name Before Time. Dark Souls remaster released was pushed toward the next summer since they want to push three's DLC. Tenchu will be the next title to be announced. Keep up the good work. I will update you again when I have something juicy."

Several months passed before The Insider messaged the redditor again; however, this time he had a title that he could provide to the redditor. The Insider said, "From is still working on everything, but there is a title now. I don't think it will be the last one, and it will probably change any moment, but anyway: Great Rune. Get the subreddit just in case."

The redditor replied lied to The Insider, saying, "Thank you so much for your info. I thought I had lost you for a while there. I've got the subreddit just in case, so thank you very much for your heads up. Any other information you can tell me, either way, thank you so much as usual."

From The Insider's message, we discovered the code name of the rumored game: Great Rune. Miyazaki has a history of using code names in previous games, such as Project Beast for Bloodborne and Project Dark for Dark Souls. By examining The Creation date of the subreddit r/GreatRune, which is July 3rd, 2017, it becomes apparent that more than a year has passed since The Insider and the redditor began their correspondence discussing various product leaks. This also suggests that the latest message from The Insider was sent in July 2017.

Several months passed, and The Insider messaged the redditor again in 2017, saying, "As you saw, there was nothing announced at the E3. They are late on everything. Tenchu will be the next in line for sure. Regarding Sony, they just close a contract to make a prototype of a new title. Could be Bloodborne too, but I don't know. Dark Souls remake kind of disappeared, while I heard about a VR title, kind of an interactive experience. Anyway, Great Rune is the big deal, but they are behind. There is a story though. Did I tell you that there is a huge novelist behind it?"

The redditor immediately replied, saying, "You haven't told me about the novelist. I'm always happy to listen."

The Insider shared, "It's George R.R. Martin, man. That's where he spends his time instead of finishing Game of Thrones."

From the message of The Insider, we know that the VR game is DeS. However, up to today, we still don't know the new game that FromSoftware made a contract and prototype for Sony. This might be something we can expect in the future.

Finally, the last message of The Insider that is of interest to us was sent in 2019, saying, "So it's finally happening, man. It will be presented at Microsoft's conference at E3."

The red replied to this message on May 28th, 2019, saying, "I've got the subreddit r/GreatRune up and going, but I think the name of the game might not be Great Rune. Is there any way you can get me the official title for the game before it's released? I simply want it so I can create the subreddit. I'll be forever grateful if you can help me with this. Thank you so much for the everything you've told me over the years."

The Insider and the redditor continued their correspondence, but it will be no longer of interest or use to us as history will prove that the fortune of handling the subreddit for the game that will become known as Elden Ring will not be in their hands. On May 27th, 2019, another person created the subreddit named r/EldenRing, thereby thwarting the plans of The Insider and the redditor and altering their anticipated roles in the game's history. Though they ended up as a footnote in this story, it remains a fascinating segment in the history of the Souls games, particularly for Elden Ring.

Regarding the creators of the subreddit r/EldenRing, is it possible that they also had a leaker who revealed the official name of the game in advance? It's not only possible but certain. There is no way they could have secured the subreddit name more than 10 days in advance of the game's reveal without their own Insider. [Music]

Source: The information we provided about the internal leaks in the previous section remains unknown to the majority of the Souls community. As far as they are aware, Spawn Wave's video was the primary source of details regarding the upcoming FromSoftware game. Despite the video, there persisted significant uncertainty about the credibility of the rumor. The prospect of Miyazaki and Martin, two legendary creators collaborating on the same project, seemed almost too good to be true. However, the situation began to shift when, 2 months after Spawn Wave's video, George R.R. Martin posted a new blog entry on his website.

On May 20th, 2019, George R.R. Martin wrote in his blog that he collaborated with a Japanese video game company. In just a simple single line, he casually shared that he consulted on a video game from Japan. As most of Martin's fans were into books, films, and television rather than being from the Souls community, the connection to Spawn Wave's video was not yet immediately apparent. Many fans speculated about the gaming company involved; however, nobody had the hint that this company would be FromSoftware and that the director he worked with was none other than Hidetaka Miyazaki.

In the blog post, George R.R. Martin shared, "And me, I'm still here, and I'm still busy as a producer. I've got five shows in development at HBO, two at Hulu, and one on the History Channel. I'm involved with a number of feature projects, some based upon my own stories and books, some on material created by others. There are these short films I'm hoping to make. Adaptations of classic stories by one of the most brilliant, quirky, and original writers our genre has ever produced. I've consulted on a video game out of Japan."

One day later, on May 21st, 2019, the gaming website GamesBeat released their own leak. They stated, "Back in March, YouTube channel Spawn Wave published a video discussing a rumor regarding the next project from Dark Souls and Bloodborne developer FromSoftware, which suggested it is an open-world title on which George R.R. Martin is one of the lead writers. It involves various kingdoms to visit and abilities to obtain from killing the leaders of those kingdoms. A source familiar with the ongoings at FromSoftware has informed GamesBeat that the project, known internally as GR, and in development for the past 3 years, is an open-world title and a collaboration between Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin, to be published by Bandai Namco. It's set to be officially announced at Microsoft's E3 2019 press conference. While we have been unable to verify this information through additional sources, we have decided to share what we have heard in light of Martin's blog post."

5 days after GamesBeat's article, on May 26th, 2019, popular YouTuber VaatiVidya released his own video discussing Great Rune. "A few months ago, the rumor mill exploded regarding a collaboration between FromSoftware, the creators of Dark Souls, and George R. Martin, the writer behind Game of Thrones, A Song of Ice and Fire. Today, I'm making this video to tell you that unlike season 8 of Game of Thrones, these stories are actually believable. They're 100% true. In fact, somehow I've actually known about this for a couple of years from a source who was familiar with the collaboration. What I didn't know was the following: the game is supposedly called Great Rune. It's inspired by Norse mythology. An open-world game that features horseback riding and involves the player traveling to various kingdoms to slay their rulers and steal their unique powers. These five points are unconfirmed, mind you, but considering that there's this steady and reliable flow of rumors right now, I'm pretty confident in them, confident enough to get excited as hell. So let's dive into each point and see how much we get wrong before the project is confirmed at E3."

This video further fueled the excitement of the Souls community, elevating expectations to an all-time high. To understand the fan sentiments during this period, let's take a look at some of the comments shared on social media: "I am literally at a loss for words. Miyazaki never disappoints. Martin is a legend in his own right. This game is going to be next level if this is true. Oh my God, please. I need this. FromSoftware is one of the only devs I trust 100% to deliver a terrific game, and with Martin in on it, my body is ready. If this is true, I'm going to cry. My two favorite things are Dark Souls and Game of Thrones. I know Martin and Miyazaki will make a masterpiece."

All of these leaks and rumors came at the perfect time, as E3 2019 was just 2 weeks away. Enthusiastic fans of FromSoftware and George R.R. Martin eagerly awaited the event, hoping for an official reveal from both Bandai Namco and FromSoftware. Fortunately, the two companies didn't disappoint. On June 9th, 2019, during the Xbox Games Conference, Elden Ring was officially unveiled to to the world for the first time. [Music] [Music]

"I doubt you could even imagine [Music] it. That which commanded the Stars, giving life its fullest brilliance: the Elden Ring. Oh, Elden Ring. Shattered by someone or something. Don't tell me you don't see it. Look up at the sky; it burns."

All the trailer reveal ignited an intense wave of excitement and frenzy among the Souls fans. Here is a compilation of reactions from popular YouTubers and streamers in response to the trailer: "Cop too much, too much! I need to watch that trailer again. After would do. I'm so happy. All right, what is this game? Also again, super hype, excited. Holy God, look at this! Being grabbed by arm, imaginear. My that's which commanded came out. God, if this hadn't been leaked, putting her arm back on. This is so FromSoftware, by someone or something. Oh my God. Ring. What am I watching, GI or something? Oh my God, this looks so...I I don't know what's happen. I don't know what's like I'm ring."

Now that we've examined Elden Ring's background from the viewpoint of the leakers and gaming community, let's explore it from Miyazaki and his team's perspective. Earlier, we returned to the year 2016 and explored the products being developed by Miyazaki and his team. We discussed that as of June 2016, Sekiro was in active development together with the expansions of Dark Souls 3. In an interview, Miyazaki shared some insights on the start of Elden Ring's development. The host inquired, "First off, please tell me when and how development for Elden Ring took off."

Miyazaki explained, "Development for Elden Ring started just after development for the Dark Souls 3 DLC had ended. At the time, Elden Ring was being planned as a more classic fantasy title compared to others that were either being considered or already in the early stages of development. We wanted to create a new dark fantasy action RPG full of things that we weren't able to do in the Dark Souls series."

From the message of The Insider to the redditor, we learned that the development for the Elden Ring prototype has been in progress as early as June 2016. We can also deduce that as early as June, Martin has already been involved in the project. We are uncertain about the completion date of the Dark Souls 3 DLC development, but we consider the start of Elden Ring's development to be around June 2016.

Many new players to the game believe that the Elden Ring is similar to the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings; however, Miyazaki shared that the Elden Ring isn't actually a physical ring that you can wear like in Tolkien's work. Regarding the meaning of the game's title, Miyazaki explained, "Elden Ring is the name given to a mysterious concept that defines the world itself." As the trailer at at the conference implied, this Elden Ring has been shattered. The significance of this will be one of the important themes of the game. Later, when we reach the game design section, Miyazaki will provide a much more detailed explanation of the world of Elden Ring, including the foundational lore and story of the game.

Similar to Sekiro, Miyazaki assumed the role of a game director for Elden Ring. As we learned in our video about total direction, Miyazaki adjusts the production process and includes co-directors in his games so he can manage his duties as a company president and a game director. In an interview, the host asked about this very topic, saying, "Elden Ring seems to have been in development at the same time as Sekiro. How did you go about its development?"

Miyazaki explained, "The overall process of development has been the same as it was in Sekiro. While assigning co-directors to each project, I took direction over various game design, art, and musical aspects of the title. We tend to space out the development peaks for our projects to make use of the little time we have; however, being able to share a vision with the co-directors as well as the development staff has allowed us to build a trusting relationship, making this kind of development style possible." We will discuss further changes to the total direction approach in the context of Elden Ring when we reach the later sections of this video.

Whenever Miyazaki creates a new game, he takes inspiration from real-world locations, buildings, and architecture. This was the case for Dark Souls and Bloodborne when he and his team visited Europe, specifically France, Italy, Romania, and the Czech Republic for inspiration and research. In an interview, the host asked Miyazaki regarding this topic for Elden Ring, saying, "Can you tell us about some of the influences that shaped the development of Elden Ring's open world? What were your starting points when adapting the traditional FromSoftware gameplay loops and area design into your own take on the sandbox formula?"

Miyazaki shared, "Before production started on Elden Ring, I took a trip to the UK with members of the design and graphics team to gather materials and information. We traveled mainly around Scotland and visited other places such as the Isle of Skye and Wales. I feel that the inspiration and experience that trip gave us had a big impact on how we designed the open field."

More than actual places and locations, Miyazaki takes inspiration from creative works in developing his new games. For Bloodborne, it was the writings of Lovecraft, while for Sekiro, it was popular Japanese manga featuring samurai and ninjas like Basilisk and Blade of the Immortal. Of course, for the Dark Souls games, we have Berserk as well as his Western adventure RPG books.

For Elden Ring, the host asked, "In the past, you've mentioned British fantasy literature being a touchstone for Dark Souls. Were there any books or even films that were inspirational in creating Elden Ring's world?"

Miyazaki explained, "It's difficult to give any single inspiration that had a major impact on Elden Ring. There have been a lot of different works that influenced the creative process in various ways: The Lord of the Rings, The Eternal Champion series of novels by Michael Moorcock, aspects of tabletop RPGs such as RuneQuest, etc. There are a lot of motifs and themes that I was able to pick from these various works that had an effect on the development of Elden Ring. The biggest departure from the Dark Souls series is that I had this constant source of inspiration and impetus from George R.R. Martin and the Mythos he had created. This probably had the largest impact on the game just because it was an approach I hadn't used before. It allowed me to draw lines connecting the history in this new Mythos and build up something very fresh. It provided a lot of motivation and a great constant source of inspiration."

Before we explore the game development topics, it's crucial to highlight George R.R. Martin's significant role in the production of the game. In the upcoming four sections, we'll discuss a brief history of Martin's career, Miyazaki's admiration for Martin's works, the inception and nature of their collaboration, and finally, Martin's perspective regarding Elden Ring.

George Raymond Richard Martin, known as George R.R. Martin, was born on September 20th, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey, USA. He is a prolific and celebrated American author, primarily renowned for his epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and and Fire, which gained worldwide fame due to its adaptation into the hugely popular television series Game of Thrones. Similar to Miyazaki, who often expresses in interviews his bewilderment over the immense success of his games, Martin shares that he has been very fortunate with the resonance of his work with millions of fans worldwide. "I never dreamed I would have this kind of mega global success, and it's pretty overwhelming. It's pretty overwhelming, but it's something that you you could never have dreamed of and certainly never realistically expected. It's it's catching lightning in a bottle."

Martin grew up in a working-class family. From an early age, he showed an interest in storytelling and writing, creating his own stories and selling them to the neighborhood children. He developed a passion for reading fantasy, science fiction, and comic books, which significantly influenced his future career as a writer. If you recall in our video on the childhood of Miyazaki, he grew up loving the Western adventure books and the Japanese equivalent of the Western comics, the manga. These works also had a profound influence on him and his future games. "I spent a lot of time uh, you know, sitting reading reading a comic book, reading a science fiction book. Most of my initial exposure to many of the great works of uh, English literature was through the Classics Illustrated comic books. Whether it was, you know, The Time Machine in War of the Worlds to it best Classics Illustrated or Shakespeare; they did Shakespeare, you know, as a comic book. But then I discovered Superman and Batman, and they were much cooler, so I was reading all the all the superhero comic books. So I think it was really comic books that made me interested in reading and in stories and in heroes."

In his college years, Martin took a degree in journalism with a minor in history from Northwestern University. His love and knowledge of history will be reflected in his future works, especially in his epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, renowned for its rich historical depth and complexity. Martin's rich historical tapestry in his works stems from his meticulous world-building, extensive research, and skillful integration of historical elements into his fantasy narrative, resulting in a captivating and multifaceted story that feels grounded in a deep and vibrant history. He draws inspiration from real historical events, particularly power struggles and wars. "War is an important subject; it it's there; it's all through human history. I mean, you go back and and you read history. I've studied history all my life; I've read history. What is history? History is war. History is the history of war. You know, the Romans versus the Carthaginians, the the Greeks versus the Persians, the wars of the Italian city-states during the Renaissance, the Hundred Years War, the you know, the American Revolution, the British revolution, the French Revolution; it's all wars and and violence. It's it's the most important subject. Look at me. Stannis is a killer; the Lannisters are killers; your father was a killer; your brother is a killer; your sons will be killer someday. The ERS is built by killers, so you better get used to looking at them. Epic Fantasy is universal about wars. I mean, Tolkien and uh, even before Tolkien, ER Edison, the heart of Epic Fantasy always seems to be some great war or another, and to some sense, I I think I'm in dialogue as I write about war with other fantasy who have gone before me and and uh, even my contemporaries. It's a complicated issue. Here I'm not a complete pacifist. If you believe in war under any circumstances, then you have to say you'd fight in World War II. The Nazis were the closest thing that the human race has ever reached to Orcs. Um, if the if the Nazis had not existed and we invented them for a fantasy novel, people would say, 'Oh, you're come on, you're going over the top. This is ridiculous.' You know, they they're cooking people in ovens; they wear all black uniforms; they have skulls on their on their hats. Come on, this is too much. But that's the reality of the situation. But if you look past World War II, I mean, look at World War I. My God, what a colossal waste of millions of human lives. What was World War I all about?"

After completing his education at Northwestern University, Martin commenced his professional career as a writer. Initially, he focused on writing short stories, gaining recognition within the science fiction and fantasy genres. Simultaneously, he held positions as a teacher and journalist, all while pursuing his writing career and contributing to magazines such as Analog and Fantastic. Notably, Martin's writing style is characterized by a propensity for blending and combining different genres. "He did not write the same book twice. He would write a huge thick beautiful um, Space Opera set on a dying planet, and then suddenly you're you're reading a Riverboat novel um, and suddenly there's vampires happening, and he's a different kind of writer, and it became obvious that George was a writer who wanted to try everything. I think genre is just a matter of furniture; the furniture doesn't matter; the human heart can be in conflict with itself in a story that takes place in a castle and that has dragons in it, and it can happen on a spaceship 10,000 years in the future um, or it can happen in a Suburban setting or in the streets of Bayonne, New Jersey. To my mind, it always comes back to the heart in conflict with itself. What Faulkner said, that is The Only Thing Worth writing about, and that's the thing I always try to write about regardless of what uh what the setting is."

In 1977, Martin published his first novel, Dying of the Light, followed by Windhaven and Fevre Dream. After his third book, Martin released another horror novel, The Armageddon Rag. The unexpected commercial failure of this novel significantly impacted his writing career, prompting him to consider transitioning to real estate. Fortunately, Martin secured a job as a writer for the revived television show The Twilight Zone. The television industry offered better financial prospects than literature, leading him to move to Hollywood for a new career. Initially hired as a staff writer, he later became an executive story consultant for the show. "Writing short stories and novels is a lonely experience. Going out the Hollywood uh, you know, suddenly you're you're part of a staff of writers and and you're taking coffee breaks with them and saying, 'Hey, this is the stuff I'm writing,' and they're telling you what they're writing, and you're kicking around ideas, and you have a secretary to make coffee for you, and you watch dailies together of the show that's uh that that you know somebody wrote yesterday, and you're visiting a set and visiting with actors and of course you're having meetings with the network and the studio and and uh you're going to premieres and you're you're part of this larger world."

Working as a writer in Hollywood is lucrative, but Martin found that writing for television has creative limitations. "You write science fiction, fantasy; you don't have to worry about budget; you're you know, you can put anything you

I'm going to have all the castles and battles I want. I'm going to have hundreds of characters, cuz the real world is complex. I want my fictional world to be complex too, not a kind of simplified thing. I want to have giant battles. I want to have incredible castles, that each one is distinct from the other, that people remember for all time. I want to have dragons and direwolves and mammoths and a Wall of ice that's 700 ft tall. I want something huge and epic that can stand up there with Tolkien.

Now that we know Martin's background and journey from his childhood leading to the creation of his Epic Fantasy series, *A Song of Ice and Fire*, let's explore some attributes of his works. As you will soon discover in our next major section, these aspects of Martin's writings and their adaptation in the future would garner the admiration of a then unknown individual in Japan named Hayao Miyazaki.

So my little princess, what is it you want? My Birthright, the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. I'm sorry, little princess. I am not your little princess. I am Daenerys Stormborn, of the blood of old Valyria, and I will take what is mine with fire and blood. I will take it.

Martin's works are set in meticulously constructed worlds with detailed histories, cultures, religions, and languages. His attention to world-building enriches the story, making the settings feel vibrant and authentic. If you're familiar with the popular author Ernest Hemingway, his work is characterized by the iceberg theory. This concept can be summarized by the idea that the deeper meaning or significance in a story should be implicit, or beneath the surface, much like an iceberg where the majority of its mass remains submerged underwater. Martin's narrative technique shares similarities with the iceberg theory in the depth and complexity of storytelling. Similar to an iceberg concealing a significant portion beneath the surface, Martin crafts intricate storylines, multifaceted characters, and a vast, richly detailed world. In his novels, beneath the surface of his narratives lies a wealth of history, political intrigue, and character motivations, as we covered in one of our videos on game design. This literary approach also reminds us of the narrative style in the games of Miyazaki and FromSoftware.

When you look at something like *Lord of the Rings*, you, you, you are immensely impressed by the depth of the world-building. I encountered all those appendices at the end of *Return of the King*, and you, you see how much material he has put into it. A lot of fantasy takes its lead from Tolkien, who himself was drawing from older medieval myths and tradition, but most of the people who follow Tolkien, including me, were faking it. I mean, Tolkien was the proverbial iceberg, where you know 9/10 of the structure is below the water. I mean, my iceberg, when I started out, was some ice piled on a raft, so it gave the illusion of being an iceberg, but there was nothing below. As you write the books, as you tell the stories, you need to start creating things, you know. So I'm writing that first *Game of Thrones* thing, and you know, I'm like 50 pages into it, I, I better, I better have a map, you know. I'm, where's the king coming from? What's the name of the city, and what are, how far has he come? I better design a map. And then at a certain point, we're referring to the Targaryens. I said, I better, how many Targaryens were there? I better, so I'm, so I'm not contradicting myself, I better make up a list of Kings, you know. Then I started making up names and numbers at first; that's all it was. It was just Aegon the First, uh, you know, one to 37 or whatever, and then his son, and then the next son, and a list of names and numbers. You add a detail here, you add a detail there, and, and uh, suddenly the world is growing a what, right alongside of your story.

If you ask any fan of the TV show *Game of Thrones*, one of the exciting aspects of watching the series is the unpredictability of the episodes, as well as the surprising realism of the twists and turns of the story. Martin's writing is known for its gritty realism, as it portrays the harshness of medieval-inspired settings. He doesn't shy away from depicting violence, political intrigue, or the darker aspects of human nature, which adds depth and authenticity to his storytelling.

One of the big voices in those days was Harlan Ellison. Harlan was always talking about the necessity of writing from the gut, of bleeding onto the page, of, you know, digging deep and, and you know, getting to powerful emotional material; that was the stuff. And that I took that to heart. I said to myself, I need to write some, some stories that expose my vulnerabilities, that, that hurt in some sense, that, that uh, where I'm, I'm getting at some truths, is the way I, I see and experience the world.

Martin is known for creating characters that are multi-layered, morally ambiguous, and deeply human. They are not merely heroes or villains, but embody a spectrum of traits, motivations, and flaws. He avoids presenting characters in black and white terms, opting instead for shades of gray. Even characters who initially appear villainous might have understandable reasons for their actions, blurring the lines between good and evil.

You are no knight. You have forsaken every vow you ever took. So many vows they make you swear and swear: defend the king, obey the king, obey your father, protect the innocent, defend the weak. What if your father despises the king? What if the king massacres the innocent? It's too much. No matter what you do, you're forsaking one power or another, you know. There's a lot of fantasy that concerns itself with the Battle of Good and Evil, and I think the Battle of Good and Evil is a, is a terrific subject for fiction, but I don't think it's, it's fought between really good-looking guys in white cloaks on white horses and really ugly guys in black armor who smell bad, as in too much fantasy. I, I think it's fought within the individual human heart. I've always been attracted to gray characters; that's what I try to write, because I think those are real characters, those are real human, real human beings.

Martin allows his characters to evolve organically across the series. Their experiences, relationships, and choices shape their growth, leading to significant transformations that reflect the impact of the world around them. They exhibit a range of flaws, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities. These imperfections humanize them, making them more relatable and adding depth to their personalities. The fact that there are such vigorous debates going on, there is an indication to me that I'm doing, doing something right, you know. When, when people are debating vigorously about whether a character is a good person or a bad person, that shows you created a real character, because then they're debating about that person the same way we in real life debate about President Obama or Winston Churchill or Neville Chamberlain, or you know, real characters from history or from the current world. And you know, if, if everybody thinks your character is a hero, thinks your character is a villain, and you're writing cardboard.

Now that we have learned George R.R. Martin's background and the attributes of his major works, let's explore Miyazaki's admiration for Martin and his creations. If you recall from our video discussing the rise of Miyazaki, we mapped his age to every popular manga released during his childhood and early teens. We also established similar connections for the popular Western adventure RPG books of that era. Now let's align Miyazaki's age with some milestones in George R.R. Martin's works. In this table, you can see the contextual mapping between Miyazaki and Martin. The only remaining question is: is there evidence confirming Miyazaki as a big fan of Martin's works?

In this channel, we've dedicated extensive effort to proving Miyazaki's admiration for Kentaro Miura's work, particularly the popular manga *Berserk*. We even created two dedicated videos just to emphasize this, in addition to sharing this information in other videos. Regarding George R.R. Martin, is there proof confirming Miyazaki as a big fan of his? Many community members were surprised by the rumors of their collaboration, and even more so when it was confirmed. The truth is, evidence supporting Miyazaki's admiration for Martin has been hiding in plain sight for years. Miyazaki has been praising Martin and his works since the release of *Dark Souls*. In fact, he was a big fan even before the TV series *Game of Thrones* started airing. His admiration grew even more after the books were adapted into TV shows.

In the upcoming topics, we'll delve into three pieces of evidence showcasing Miyazaki's deep admiration for Martin and his works. In our video about Miyazaki's favorites and hobbies, we mentioned that he was seen purchasing Blu-ray copies of a popular TV show in Las Vegas. This incident occurred during the first week of April 2012, when Bandai Namco organized the Global Gamer Day event in Las Vegas. Miyazaki attended to conduct interviews and provide information about the upcoming PC release of *Dark Souls*. Following his participation in the event, he took the opportunity to purchase the latest episodes of the TV show *Game of Thrones*. We obtained this information from Ryan Morris, who revealed it in an interview. While Miyazaki was in the UK visiting FromSoftware's office, he was overseeing a voice recording session for the bonus material on the *Prepare to Die Edition*. In the interview, Ryan Morris shared he bought the *Game of Thrones* Blu-ray in Vegas. "The TV drama hasn't been translated to Japanese yet," and Miyazaki added, "I really love it. I've always been such a huge fan of George R.R. Martin that it overwhelms me. His approach to fantasy is kind of like *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, the Chinese historical political drama, which I'm a fan of as well. The political elements are a lot of fun, and the drama is done really well too. There are different types of fantasy; ones that are better told in games and others that would be better in a drama. That political human drama, the relationships between people and stuff, is better suited to a book. I don't think it would be possible to tell that story with a game, or at least I wouldn't want to attempt it."

Our second evidence of Miyazaki's admiration for Martin's works revolves around Miyazaki's personal library. His collection predominantly comprises Western adventure RPG books, various mangas, game books, and novels. Among these, two of Martin's works hold prominence: *A Song of Ice and Fire* and *Fevre Dream*. We learned about this from an interview conducted at FromSoftware's office and posted on the Rolling Stone website in 2016. In the interview, the host asked, "You tell me you're a bookworm; what kind of books would I find on your shelf if I were to look right now?" Miyazaki replied, "First, you'd spot the manga shelf with *Devilman* and *Berserk* lining the top. The neighboring bookshelf is packed with tabletop roleplaying game rule books, with *RuneQuest* prominently displayed alongside the board game *Dragon Pass*. A shelf is packed with novels, old classics of fantasy and science fiction, alongside George R.R. Martin's *A Song of Fire and Ice* and *Fevre Dream*. A small library of game books shares the same shelf; at the top is *Sorcery!* and accompanying guides, *Titan* and *Out of the Pit*."

In our previous video on game design, Miyazaki and FromSoftware jointly presented a keynote address at the 2019 Reboot Develop conference. One topic they explored was minimalism, particularly Hidetaka Miyazaki's concept known as "design by subtraction." During this discussion, Miyazaki shared his perspective on game elements, emphasizing his preference for games with a wide array of weapons and items. Contrary to imposing limitations, he appreciates expansive game content. Alongside this insight, he also revealed his fondness for novels, specifically mentioning his appreciation for *Game of Thrones*. He explained, "When it comes to deciding whether to create a game narrowly and deeply or broadly and shallowly, it is deeply rooted in what kind of game you want to create. Some of the things that get me excited about RPGs are things like seeing weapons lined up in rows and looking at monster compendiums. I like seeing and reading things like that, even in novels. I prefer stories with many characters, such as *Game of Thrones*."

The three pieces of evidence we shared clearly prove that Miyazaki is a big fan of Martin and his works. However, if that is still not convincing enough, as a final proof, Miyazaki clearly stated this in an interview. When asked how their collaboration started, he said, "Firstly, I was a fan of Martin's novels, of course, *A Song of Ice and Fire*, which is the basis for *Game of Thrones*, but also other works like *Fevre Dream*, the *Tuf Voyaging* series, and the *Wild Cards* series."

Now that we have firmly established Miyazaki's admiration for Martin, a pressing question arises: why did Miyazaki opt to collaborate with him, especially considering his fondness for other works, notably Miyazaki holds deep admiration for both the Fighting Fantasy series and the *Berserk* manga? So why did he choose Martin over Miura for *Berserk*, or over Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson for the Fighting Fantasy collaboration? This question holds significant relevance, as it sheds light on Miyazaki's approach to game design, offering valuable insights for those in the field of game creation.

More than Martin's novels and Miura's manga, the Fighting Fantasy series had the most significant impact on the growth of Miyazaki's creativity and game design sensibilities. During the 40th anniversary of Fighting Fantasy, Ian Livingstone asked Miyazaki if he was interested in collaborating. He asked, "I'd like to ask Miyazaki about this: the mythological foundation for *Elden Ring* is written by George R.R. Martin, right? Of course, that work was fantastic, but do you have any intentions of collaborating with Fighting Fantasy in the future?" Miyazaki responded, "That's a tremendous honor, but to be honest, it makes me a bit hesitant. This isn't just about Fighting Fantasy, but in general, I've always avoided collaborating with other works. There's a reason for that. In making games and directing them, the game itself always takes top priority for me. If adjusting the world or the story makes the game more interesting, I would do so. However, such an approach might inadvertently hurt other works, so collaborating with a work I particularly love tends to evoke more fear than longing." This aligns with what he shared when questioned about adapting *Berserk* into a video game. Miyazaki said, "I love *Berserk*, and its influences have been clear since the first *Dark Souls*. For *Dark Souls 3*, we even integrated a two-handed attack that Guts often uses. However, as a fan, I probably have too much respect for the source material. Gameplay is always my top priority in the design process. Only when everything is right here do I focus on other aspects like the story. With *Berserk*, the story has become so extensive and developed that I probably couldn't fit it into an official game. Therefore, for the foreseeable future, it will probably only remain as numerous references in *Dark Souls*, including the third installment."

By now, we are all familiar with Martin's background and acknowledge Miyazaki's admiration for his works. Finally, we can explore the origins of their collaboration, understand its nature, and appreciate Martin's unique contributions to the creation of *Elden Ring*. In an interview, the host asked Miyazaki about the origin of their collaboration for *Elden Ring*, saying, "Regarding the collaboration with George R.R. Martin, can you further explain how this collaboration came about, and in what role it has served throughout the project?" Miyazaki explained, "I suppose the start of this collaboration came from the fact that I myself am a huge fan of Martin's work. I loved *A Song of Ice and Fire*, as well as the *Tuf Voyaging* series. However, if I had to pick a favorite, I would probably say *Fevre Dream*. I personally see *Fevre Dream* as a masterpiece among vampire fantasy and had even previously recommended it to all new employees. Me being such a known fan of Martin caused our executive business director, Aichi Nakajima, to reach out to him with the expectation that we would get turned down. However, we were then given the rare opportunity to talk one-on-one with Martin, which was an incredibly fun and stimulating experience. It was then that I strongly felt that I wanted to work with him. I'm still unable to put into words how grateful I am to him, to him for agreeing to our offer. The actual collaboration itself began with Martin ever so politely confirming what sorts of themes, ideas, as well as many game-related aspects I had envisioned for the game. This allowed us to have many free and creative conversations regarding the game, in which he later used as a base to write the overarching mythos for the game world itself. This mythos proved to be full of interesting characters and drama, along with a plethora of mystical and mysterious elements as well. It was a wonderful source of stimulus for me and the development staff. *Elden Ring*'s world was constructed using this mythos and stimulus as a base; even I myself find it hard to contain my excitement from time to time. We hope that everyone else is looking forward to the world we have created."

Regarding the first contact between the *Elden Ring* team and Martin, Miyazaki shared, "Our director, Nakajima, remembered this fact, and he made an attempt to approach Martin. It turned out he was aware of *Dark Souls*, and coincidentally, we got the chance to talk. It wasn't a definite business conversation at that time, but the discussion was enthusiastic. That enthusiasm led to Martin agreeing to our audacious request for him to participate in our game development."

When it was first announced that Martin and Miyazaki had collaborated on *Elden Ring*, many members of the community speculated about their respective contributions. Miyazaki later clarified that Martin contributed to the foundational world-building of the game, an area in which he excelled. World-building is one of Martin's strengths and a key attribute of his work, as discussed in earlier sections. In an interview, the host commented, "So Martin didn't directly construct the world's aesthetics for this game; he wrote the foundational elements upon which it's based." Miyazaki explained, "It would be more accurate to say that he contributed to establishing the foundational world-building for this game. When inviting Martin to join the project, we were aware of his busy schedule, and we didn't intend for our game to strictly follow a robust storyline. Furthermore, we didn't want to twist his vision to fit our game's requirements. Due to various reasons and intentions, the discussion leaned towards: 'Could you write myths or foundational elements from an ancient time long before our game's main story?'"

Some members of the community, perhaps due to unfamiliarity with George R.R. Martin's name or a lack of knowledge about his works, doubted why he needed to be included in the project. They questioned why Miyazaki shouldn't just handle the entire lore and story by himself, as he had done for all the Souls games before *Elden Ring*. However, Miyazaki was clear in stating that *Elden Ring* would not be the same without Martin's contribution. In an interview, the host asked, "Would you say there are aspects of the world-building that wouldn't have existed without Martin's involvement?" Miyazaki shared, "Yes, I believe that's accurate. The myths Martin wrote were incredibly compelling; they were mysterious, layered with depth, and the drama among the characters was built upon intricate bloodlines and relationships. It was both myth and history, or even an epic narrative, offering us a lot of new and unprecedented stimuli." Yasuhito Koyama agreed with Miyazaki and added, "Martin provided this lineage or these character bloodlines, and in true George fashion, he created a lot of political intrigue and a lot of these familial ties that shaped a lot of our characters in the game world currently as it stands. It was a really interesting process, and it felt unrestricting despite him having written this key piece."

Instead of creating *Elden Ring*'s main story, Martin wrote about a time long before the era the player actually explores. Miyazaki gave two reasons for why he wanted Martin to write *Elden Ring*'s mythology rather than the main story. He shared, "Storytelling in video games, at least the way we do it at FromSoftware, comes with a lot of restrictions for the writer. I didn't think it was a good idea to have Martin write within those restrictions. By having him write about a time when the player isn't directly involved, he is free to unleash his creativity in the way he likes. Furthermore, as FromSoftware, we didn't want to create a more linear and story-driven experience for *Elden Ring*. Both issues could be solved by having Martin write about the world's history instead."

If you recall from our video on FromSoftware and Miyazaki, one of the major similarities between them is their adherence to the principle of "gameplay first." Through their unique approach to collaboration, Miyazaki remains faithful to the gameplay-first principal. Miyazaki shared, "In our games, the story must always serve the player experience. If Martin had written the game story, I would have worried that we might have to drift from that. I wanted him to be able to write freely and not to feel restrained by some obscure mechanic that might have to change in development."

Miyazaki compared the mythology that Martin wrote for *Elden Ring* to that found in a Dungeon Master's handbook for a tabletop RPG. As a writer, Martin must have found the experience to be significantly different as well. Regarding the nature of their collaboration, Miyazaki explained, "It was a fascinating collaboration, as we both weren't restricted by each other, yet still influenced each other's work. It really is like a guide for the world's lore and therefore feels quite different from his novels. As someone that loves to learn about a world setting, it was very exciting to read."

As you may remember from our earlier videos, several Souls games have found adaptations in different mediums, like comics and animation. For example, *Dark Souls 2* was reimagined into a Western comic, while *Sekiro* received an adaptation in the form of a manga. Furthermore, the third installment, *Dark Souls 3*, was transformed into a brief animated film under the direction of the well-known director and producer Eli Roth. Recent rumors suggest that Netflix is currently in the works for an anime adaptation of the original *Dark Souls* game. Miyazaki mentioned that it has not yet been decided whether Martin's mythology will be novelized. However, he confidently expressed his preference for players to experience it primarily through the game. He shared, "A novelization would mean that all the secrets and mystery hidden in our game would be revealed. From the point of view of a director, I'm not sure if that would be the right thing to do."

The prospect of players experiencing a new story by Martin through a FromSoftware game is incredibly exciting. With a more expansive and open world, one can anticipate that FromSoftware's environmental storytelling has also evolved. Miyazaki continued, "The player will be able to learn about Martin's mythology through exploration. We are known for letting the player explore the game's lore through fragments of environmental storytelling, and this time around, Martin's story is what you will be trying to unravel. The period the player actually explores is still connected to the old times, so as you slowly discover why the world has become the way it is, you will learn more about Martin's mythology as well."

In our previous section, we got an overview of the interactions between Miyazaki and Martin. In this section, we will delve deeper into the details of their collaboration. In an interview, the host inquired Miyazaki regarding his first meeting with Martin, saying, "What memories stand out from your first conversations with George R.R. Martin?" Miyazaki shared, "Yes, I have some good memories of those initial discussions, not so much for the content, but just the general feelings I had speaking with George Martin. He actually knew about the *Dark Souls* games; he was aware of them and what they were about, so that made me happy. That sort of gave me a little bit of a boost. I knew immediately from talking to him; it just became apparent, his skill and his passion for the fantasy genre and for games as well. There was a little bit of a generation gap between us, so I felt a bit apprehensive about going to these talks, but after a lot of these conversations, it was just like speaking with an old friend, and it just felt so fresh to have those conversations with someone who was so passionate about the same things and to show that pure joy and sense of curiosity for these fantasy worlds. This was something that really captured my interest throughout all of our talks, and I was really thrilled to be working with him."

Then the host asked about the follow-up meetings, saying, "What were the environments for the initial meetings that took place?" Miyazaki shared, "It was usually us going to America and to his hometown or base of operations. I think it was a hotel where we first sat down and spoke. It was us going out to him, to his home turf, and having these kickoff conversations with him there in person."

The host next inquired how they started working on *Elden Ring*'s lore and story, saying, "What can you tell us about the creative brief you gave him before he set to work on the foundational parts of *Elden Ring*'s backstory?" Miyazaki shared, "Early on, we established a very good level of respect between each other, both in our personalities and the sort of work that we did do, and this was really important in establishing that foundation for the game because Martin respected the fact that we didn't want him to write the game story or the in-game text because we felt like that would actually limit his creative output. And if it was limited to something that was already a game or already a concept in this way, then it would limit the inspirations we could possibly get from him. So we established very early that he would be writing that foundation, that historical element to the game, something that took place long before the events of the game itself, and this way he was able to much more freely flex those creative muscles and provide something that wasn't restricted. We started off by giving him these very vague and broad themes and ideas for the mythos that I had swimming around in my head, along with what kind of games we typically make and the sort of themes we'd like to explore in our games, so it was all very loose and quite vague. Then he would come back to us with a lot of ideas: 'How about this, this, and this?' That back and forth started the exchange of ideas."

After weeks and months of collaboration, Miyazaki and Martin finally reaped the fruits of their labor. The host then inquired, "What form did his *Elden Ring* mythos take when it arrived with you? Were there short stories or character sketches?" Miyazaki shared, "There was nothing visual; it was all text. Rather than being a short story, it was something that depicted the setting or set the scene for the game and for the world, detailing the flow of history and the figures who appeared throughout it. There was, of course, a story that came with this as a sort of backbone, but it played as more of an introduction to that world and a natural course of events for these characters to follow, and this is what was given to me and the team, and then we were able to interpret this in our own way and provide the visuals to go along with that and to build that into an actual game. A lot of the motifs that came from this and drove my creative thinking behind these elements in the game were connections between people, including parent and child relationships. A lot of the issues that Martin dealt with in his writing provided these motifs for the game itself, so that is something I am very grateful for."

Before we conclude our discussion on Miyazaki and Martin's collaboration, let's focus on a specific aspect of their work: the setting of the game, known as the Lands Between. During an interview, the host asked about its origin, stating, "You mentioned the Lands Between, which I think is an interesting name because it's not really a traditional name for a world like *Dark Souls*, *Lordran*, *Dark Souls 2*'s Drangleic, and so forth. Can you explain the significance of the Lands Between as a setting for this game?" Miyazaki shared, "We're happy you picked up on that because the Lands Between is actually a name that was invented by George R.R. Martin himself when he was coming up with the impetus for this world and writing its history and its deep mythos, so we wanted to implement that into the game. We hope that as well as taking away the idea of it being the sort of impetus and the starting place for the world, people feel that it's really like an invitation to this mysterious new land. There's a lot of elements of exile and return, and the Lands Between is supposed to invoke this feeling of something that's very mysterious and very ethereal, and we hope that when players play the game, they're going to experience that."

As a final example of their collaboration, let's hear some insights about the first Elden Lord, Godfrey. In an interview, the host asked, "Could you share some details about Godfrey, the character featured on the cover of the *Elden Ring* edition?" Miyazaki shared, "When we were talking with Martin, we had these themes and ideas for creating pieces of artwork for the bosses, for these core characters of the story, and when he wrote the mythos, we asked him to create these dramatic heroes of this ancient mythos that takes place before the events of the game. These dramatic and heroic characters weren't really present in our previous titles, so this is something that was really appealing to me, how he would depict the mystique and heroic qualities of those characters. And Godfrey is sort of an embodiment of that; he's one of the major players in the game. One of the motivations of the player character in *Elden Ring* is to become Elden Lord, there, to journey to the Lands Between. In the sort of heyday of the Golden Order of the Lands Between, there were two Elden Lords, and Godfrey was the first of these. He was the very first and was married to Eternal Queen Marika, who's been detailed in some of the lore we've released publicly so far, and he was, was representative of this period of grandeur and affluence. He represents everything great about the *Elden Ring* and about the Lands Between at that time. Eventually, he was exiled from the Lands Between; he himself became Tarnished, and he shares this deep connection with the Tarnished, the player character."

We have now completed exploring the collaboration from the development team's perspective. In this section, we will delve into Martin's side of the *Elden Ring* collaboration. Before we explore the interviews where Martin discusses his participation in the game, let's gain insights into how Martin perceives video games in general. Fortunately, there is a relatively old interview where Martin answers a question about this topic. Please note that this interview with the Wall Street Journal took place on October 30th, 2014, almost a year before Miyazaki and his team approached him for the collaboration.

"Do you see video games as a threat to fantasy writers like yourself, who are presenting whole worlds and like books like the world of Ice and Fire for people to investigate? Are video games something you think are eating away at writing or challenging what you do?"

"Uh, video games, video games are addictive; that's, I, I don't play many video games, but, and it's not cuz I don't like them, it's cuz when I did play a few, I liked them too much. Um, I, I would lose months to video—somebody would give me a video game, and I'd start playing, playing it, and then I'd, I'd be killed, and I'd have to play it again, and then I have to play it again the next day. I know it's like, you know, 7:00 in the morning; I've been up all night, I'm blurry-eyed, and I'm still playing this damn thing one more time, one more reboot here, you know, to play the video game. So I finally said, 'No, I better, I better stop doing that.' But uh..."

In a previous section, we highlighted Martin's journalism degree obtained from Northwestern University. On June 16th, 2021, he returned to the university to accept an honorary doctorate during their commencement ceremony. Additionally, he engaged in an interview discussing details about *Elden Ring*.

"I know that you've recently been a part of developing a video game, um, and it seems to me like it's sort of a natural fit for a fantasy fiction writer to work on a video game. How is that, you know, different from what we know you for working on?"

"Well, it, it actually is considerably different. I, I've played some video games; I'm not a big video gamer, uh, but uh, the, the game is called *Elden Ring*, and it's a, a sequel to a, a video game that came out a few years ago called *Dark Souls*, and it came out of, uh, Japan. My work on it was actually done years ago. Um, these games, they're like movies; they take a long time to develop. Basically, they wanted a, a world created to set the game in; they wanted, uh, world-building as a big factor in, in fantasy and science fiction. You're not only talking about the characters and the plot, but you, the setting is almost as important as everything else: Tolkien's Middle-earth, Robert E. Howard's Hyborian Age, the Foundation Universe of Isaac Asimov. I worked up a, you know, fairly detailed, uh, background for them, and then they took it from there. So, you know, I really—it's been several years since I've last seen them—but they would come in periodically and show me some monsters they designed or the latest special effects or, uh, the cool things. And but the game has been very slowly developing, and now it's, it's coming out in January, I believe, so I'll be as excited as anybody else to, to see it."

Six months after the interview, Martin wrote a blog post about his collaboration with Miyazaki and provided more details about the game. He shared, "A few years back, Hidetaka Miyazaki and his incredible team of game designers, the creators of the *Dark Souls* video game series, reached out from Japan to ask me to help them create the backstory and history for a new game they were working on. Now, video games are not really my thing—oh, I played a few back in the dawn of time, mainly strategy games like *Railroad Tycoon*, *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, and *Master of Orion*—but this offer was too exciting to refuse. Miyazaki and his team from FromSoftware were doing groundbreaking stuff with gorgeous art, and what they wanted from me was just a bit of world-building: a deep, dark, resonant world to serve as a foundation for the game they plan to create. And as it happens, I love creating worlds and writing imaginary history, so I did my bit and handed off to my new friends in Japan, and they took it from there. And years passed. Video games are as big as movies these days and take just as long to create, but the day of *Elden Ring* is finally at hand, and I've got to say it looks incredible."

After *Elden Ring* was released, Martin visited Steven Colbert's TV show to promote one of his upcoming books. One of the topics Colbert discussed with him was his work on the game.

"I wanted to ask you about, um, *Elden Ring*. Okay, it's very, very, very popular video game. What did you actually do to create that cosmology?"

"Well, it was, uh, it was actually a number of years ago now. It, you know, video, video games, which I didn't know, um, actually take as long to make as like a major motion picture, uh, if not longer. They had intensive development. But basically, the people from FromSoftware, uh, the makers of *Elden Ring*, contacted me a number of years ago, and they wanted to do this video game, and they wanted a, a world built; they wanted the world-building, which I'm, you know, uh, been doing for quite a while, and I, and I like doing it. But they made it clear that *Elden Ring* was going to take place in, uh, let's say the present of their game universe. Mhm. But what they wanted me to write was what happened like, uh, 5,000 years before that, that totally screwed up the world, so that the present was really messed up. So I, I went back and wrote, uh, you know, a history of, uh, what happened 5,000 years before the current game and who all the characters were and who was killing each other and what powers they had. You know, they, they had these, these runes that were the center of the game, and, and the Rune got split into many, many pieces and runes, and that's what screwed up the world. So, do you—I laid all that out—"

"Have you played it?"

"I, I have not played it because people seem to want this *Winds of Winter* book

Official Elden Ring info deprivation: The next major gaming event after the E3 reveal was Gamescom 2019. However, Elden Ring did not make an appearance at this conference, or at the Tokyo Game Show, which happened one month later, on August 27th, 2019. The first Reddit post describing the community as going “Hollow” was shared. The redditor expressed, with a lack of info about Elden Ring, “you are all left muttering the same phrases to yourselves and each other over and over again, coralled in this subreddit cell, lacking purpose and feeding on corpses. Maybe we’ll hear some news by someone or something.”

This “hollowing” manifested in the first collective hysteria of the community, creating posts as if the game had already been released and they were already playing it. Some even began claiming they were already in New Game Plus. The first known recorded post of this kind belongs to a deleted account that asked for help in New Game Plus 2 of Elden Ring on September 11th, 2019, seeking assistance to defeat a boss named Alstad the Unyielding. The redditor shared, “So I’m currently playing Elden Ring in New Game Plus 2. This time I’m really struggling with Alad the Unyielding. Now I think he was hard in the two previous playthroughs, but as you all know, now in New Game Plus 2 he is in his Unleashed state from the start. Is anyone still playing this area and can hop into Co-op and help me? I was thinking about skipping Hamar for now and maybe farm some cured Legion scalps in Cbar Grat to gear up the HP scaling on my armor. Please help a fellow droger out.”

Even the comments on the post showed manifestations of delusion and madness, as if they were all playing the same game as the poster. “Use the special boss weapon you get from Jman; it does a lot of extra damage to Alad, especially in his Unleashed State. I did that cuz I had trouble with him on my first playthrough; took me like 15 tries until I got that weapon. Good luck. If you’re going for the true ending, do not use the weapon from Jman as others have suggested; you need it in its untainted form for Alron the Twice Shattered. If you use it on Alad, the item description changes and you use it for the bad ending. Otherwise, that’s a good strat.”

This mass hallucination continued throughout the period of the hollowing, with some players even reporting patches for a game that had not yet been released. Additionally, some engaged in speedrunning this imaginary Elden Ring game. One redditor shared, “Patch 4.6.2 just arrived. Dad path is no longer viable. Sorry for the inconvenience. To preface this, we will not be using any mounts during the run because it simply takes too long to get one. Until a better way of getting enough strength to beat the arm wrestl Stig, this run will be best by foot. Instead of climbing up the Eastern Tower to avoid the dogs, you can actually pop a ston skin vial to tank the dog’s damage and have them knock you through the gap between the Tower and the barrels. Calir will follow you and clip through the floor to his death, effectively avoiding the entire fight. Just use your king symbol to respawn and continue on. Very nice and comprehensive guide. I didn’t know the winter ending was a viable strat for speedrunning. Also, in which direction do you face when getting the dogs to push you through the wall? I’ve tried it but to no success.”

The second manifestation of mass hysteria came in the form of “Day One of Doing X” posts by the more dedicated subreddit members. The first person to initiate this trend was Velvet Days with his “Day One of Making a Meme from Every Line of Dialogue from the Elden Ring Trailer.” However, the peak hollowing manifestation was the post that introduced to the world the mythical boss enemy named Glaive Master Hoder. His post starts off quite normal, but after reading a few lines you’ll quickly discover that he has turned into a Hollow. “Hey all, since Elden Ring has been out for 8 months now, I’ve pretty much explored every nook and cranny in the game and played New Game Plus a few times. Since we got the announcement of Bloodborne 2, I figured I’d put up this list like I do with all the other Soulsborne games. So I’ll start an order with the easiest bosses to the hardest. Glaive Master Hoder: The easiest, iest, and most pathetic boss in this game. I mean, I don’t really know if you want to classify him as a real boss, even though he had a big Health pool. All you had to do was dodge or parry his easily telegraphed glaive sweeps and go in for some heavy attacks.”

Judging by the comments, it’s evident that the hollowing has deeply spread among the other members of the subreddit. “If you believe Glaive Master Hoder was easy, you mustn’t have faced his true body in the depths of the Catacombs yet. The only one capable of defeating his true form in a single attempt would be Hoder himself. I wonder how you’ll rate the final boss, considering it utilizes the eight-player cart racing feature. It might be challenging to compare it to the rest.”

This stream of madness didn’t go unnoticed by gaming websites. On November 7th, 2019, Polygon posted an article discussing the activities of the Elden Ring subreddit. The author said, “The Elden Ring subreddit fans have just gone feral and started making incredibly specific memes for a game that does not exist and will not for months to come. For instance, are you stuck on the Shattered Vikings of Ston Haven Sanctuary? None of that exists, but you can find fellow Elden Ring fans discussing in great detail how to best these once-noble warriors. One fan is especially impressed with the Serpent Fjord, an in-game area that, and I cannot stress this enough, does not exist. While people love inventing their own parts of the fictional Elden Ring, they’ve all come together to agree on a few common points. For instance, Glaive Master Hoder is a notoriously tough boss that is cursed throughout the subreddit.” Perhaps through the power of collective belief and friendship, these memes can will Elden Ring into existence.

On December 12th, 2019, Souls fans had high expectations of receiving some Elden Ring news at The Game Awards, since Sekiro was one of the contenders for Game of the Year and Miyazaki was present at the event. Anticipation was widespread. However, despite Sekiro winning the most coveted award of the ceremony, there was no information shared about Elden Ring. The disappointment this brought to some fans pushed them to a state known as “Beyond Hollow.” Two days after the 2019 Game Awards, a redditor posted the following message: “I am beyond Hollow, so starting from today I am going to draw a fake boss, enemy, weapon, or area from Elden Ring every day until we get the Gameplay trailer, unless health issues or being too busy prevent me from dedicating any time to it. Day one, without any Gameplay trailer: Dala the Mountain Warrior. Some say beneath the snowy foothills of the Silver Mountains there lies a terrible giant whose harrowing cries echo in the mountains. Only a few have seen him. Some claim he is from the clan led by the one who is the master of the glaive. PS I am a complete newbie when it comes to using pen tablets and drawing software, and my drawing skills are subpar at best.” For the hungry Elden Ring fan base, any information is welcome, no matter how small.

Fortunately, on January 8th, 2020, Digi Pictures released their original version of the Elden Ring reveal trailer. Digi Pictures is an animation studio specializing in 3D animation for the gaming industry. [Music] [Music] [Music] all [Music] [Music] [Music] what truly contributed to the hollowing of the Elden Ring community is the spread of the Corona virus. Later, when we delve into the topics of game development, we will cover how COVID-19 affected the work of Miyazaki and his team. Due to the worldwide pandemic, the 2020 E3 was cancelled. On April 14th, 2020, Yasuhiro Kitao posted a tweet sharing that the development of the game at FromSoftware continues through working from home. He shared, “We’re very grateful to those who have shown concern for us during these troubling times. The world is going through a great ordeal, but we are continuing to develop from home to ensure you have something to enjoy once serenity is restored. In the meantime, please take care.”

Two months after Yasuhiro Kitao’s tweet, a new YouTube channel emerged, providing daily updates (or the lack thereof) for Elden Ring. It was hosted by Morai, with the videos typically consisting of 20 seconds updating the community that there are no Elden Ring news. Here is the first ever entry, which is representative of most videos on the channel, reflecting the hollowing happening in the Elden Ring community: “Today is June 15th, 2020. This is Morai, host of the updates, bringing you your daily Elden Ring update. There is no news about Elden Ring today, and that has been your daily Elden Ring update for June 15th, 2020.”

One year of not much info didn’t deter the Elden Ring community from continuing; they cheered each other on as they created content on the subreddit using only their imagination and sheer will, never intending to let go of the Elden Ring dream. “If I must go Hollow, then I choose to go Hollow with all of you guys. It’s been a privilege so far, but The Best Is Yet To Come. I feel really lucky to be on the front line of news about this game with everyone here. We better enjoy it while it lasts, boys. This will become a totally different sub once the game is released. Be sure to check behind the Grand Hall for a one-year anniversary item after you update. You will see a chest.”

After more than a year of not much Elden Ring info and most of the members being Hollows, the Elden Ring subreddit reached 50,000 subscribers on July 19th, 2020. “It’s pretty magical how this sub even has 50,000 Hollows with literally zero news for a whole year. We are the 50,000, the true Hollows, inheritors of false lore and false hope. When this sub has hundreds of thousands of subscribers, they will speak of a year of Darkness, of Legions of events that hollowed us further with each teaser trailer and vague tweet, and I will say I was there to bear witness to True insanity. This sub is something else; zero news in gameplay and we somehow made it into the news twice and have 50,000 members. Don’t tell me you don’t see it.”

Just a few weeks after celebrating the achievement of 50,000 subscribers, the hollowed members ascended to a new level of madness when they started forming gangs and the gang wars began. It all started on August 1st, 2020, when a redditor wrote a post claiming to be a member of the Beast Blood Gang, stating, “This post was made by the Beast Blood gang, and we hate hollowing.” On the same day, riots began and other gangs were formed, such as the Hunter Gang, the Broccoli Gang, the Carps Gang, and many more.

One day later, on August 2nd, the new level of hollowing was exquisitely summarized by a post reporting on the gang wars happening on the streets of Elden Ring. The reporter shared, “Tensions rise as threats from various gangs are starting to make the rounds around town, with the newly formed Hunter Gang going as far as to declare war on the older, possibly more dangerous Beast Blood Gang, who have already been accused of bullying a peaceful Hollow. The Beast Blood Gang seems to have been formed after user Microwave Eminem insinuated this gang war, stating, ‘Instead of hollowing like the other losers on this sub, I have decided to turn into a beast.’ Whether he is the leader of the Beast Blood Gang or simply an inspirational figure for them is yet to be seen. Not satisfied with the free updates, Sec Hero will be receiving Shuras, and even Carps have begun to form their own gang but have yet to make their intentions clear. We know the Shuras want violence against anything, but the question is, are the Carps looking for a way in on the mayhem or just simple bystanders? Perhaps the most worrying appearance is that of the Great Ones Gang. This cult-like sect of humanity is attempting to turn a quick profit in all the confusion, using their egregious ads. They promise succession to a higher form through the purchase of three umbilical cords. Not only are these extremely rare and expensive, but the ascended form is a tentacle. You read that right, ladies and gentlemen, a tentacle. It’s just a tentacle.”

Gamescom 2020 was scheduled to be held from August 25th to 29th in Cologne. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Germany announced a ban on all public events through August 2020. The organizers then announced they would move some portions of the show online. This didn’t deter the Elden Ring community from hoping for some Elden Ring news from the event. As expected by now, nothing related to the game came out from the show. With more than 50,000 members, the Elden Ring subreddit is by now a self-sustaining ecosystem of creativity, hope, illusion, and madness. The more people learn about the game, the more members who become Hollows. The state of the Elden Ring subreddit was exquisitely captured in this video: [Laughter] spe [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] speee spe speech [Music] come to talk with you again because your vision sofly creeper left it SE while I was sleeping. I agree [Music]

The extreme desperation continued, and on September 17th, 2020, one redditor tried to summon Elden Ring, but it seemed he made a mistake on the ritual. “You forgot Demon’s Souls on PS3. This is unacceptable. You just ruined our only chances at Elden Ring. You have to hold a copy of Demon’s Souls in your hand as a focus while doing this ritual. OP did it correctly. Dark Souls 2 should be replaced with Demon’s Souls anyway because Miyazaki didn’t even make it.”

The next big gaming event the hollowed fans looked forward to was the Tokyo Game Show 2020. As expected, due to COVID-19, this was held online, and there was also no Elden Ring news. Something huge came to the community on November 11th, 2020, when Phil Spencer, Head of the Xbox brand and CEO of Microsoft Gaming, shared in an interview that he has played Elden Ring. His statements made the subreddit go crazy, filling the comments with lines from the original trailer. “Um, I need to be part of the consciousness. I need to be innovative. I need to do things that engage those developers. I need them to find success globally with the franchises that we’re building, and that’s the area I’ve been most proud of the team’s work on the ground there. It’s not always been easy being part of Team Xbox, sitting in Japan. It hasn’t been over the last, you know, decade or so, but I feel good about the progress we’re making, and I think it shows. You look at our last E3 shows, uh, you know, Miyazaki is showing his games on our stage, and somebody who’s just an incredible creator that works with Sega, the work with Capcom, work with Bandai Namco that we’ve had work with Square. It’s been uh, really good and and really gratifying to see the progress. How much of Elden Ring have you seen? Can you tell me anything? I’ve seen actually quite a bit. I’ve played quite a bit, um, and I can’t tell you. I can’t uh, I can’t tell you much other than as somebody who’s played all of Miyazaki’s games over at least the last decade, um, this is clearly the most ambitious game that he’s done. I mean, you know, it’s and I I love his games, but like seeing some of the the even gameplay mechanic stuff that he’s tackling, he and the team are tackling this time, the setting, working with another creator in terms of story and um, I I love it. I love him seeing challenging himself, expanding. He’s a good friend of mine, expanding his his his horizons. I think it’s it’s a good thing. I know he’s he he has when he has me play, I go over, he has to leave the room, he doesn’t want to. I think that’s because I’m a bad player, but you know, he and then when he he comes back and then we’ll have a conversation about things that I think it’s just he’s so passionate about what he does. It’s one of the things I just love about getting to work with with them on some of these games, um, and seeing them come to our platform. That’s awesome.”

The latest information that Phil Spencer shared invigorated the hollowed community of Elden Ring, infusing them with high hopes and expectations for the upcoming 2020 Game Awards on November 19th. They banded together to ensure that everyone voted and aimed to make Elden Ring win the award for the most anticipated game of the year. “I want Elden Ring to win this so badly because if we do get a trailer, it would undoubtedly be dropped right after this announcement. If Elden Ring won, it would make for such a hype moment. If you recall our earlier videos, FromSoftware games are no stranger to The Game Awards. Dark Souls 2 was first revealed here in 2012, and Sekiro’s teaser trailer debuted here in 2017. Hence, there was a huge expectation from the community for some Elden Ring news and for the most anticipated game voted on on Twitter this year. The nominees are Elden Ring; there I said it, God of War sequel, Halo Infinite, Horizon Forbidden West, Resident Evil Village, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sequel. And your most anticipated game is Elden Ring. Congratulations to FromSoftware.” You even though Elden Ring won the most anticipated game award that night, fans didn’t receive new info about the game, so they directed their attention to Jeff, placing him in a gamer prison for mentioning Elden Ring on stage without showing any gameplay.

An hour after imprisoning Jeff, the Elden Ring community decided to transform into a Wooper subreddit, having been exposed to an abundance of Woopers appearing on the event earlier today. “We tweeted out that there is a special event happening right now in Pokémon Go. Well, now’s the time to bring out your phones and start catching because we’re officially on a Wooper watch, and they are so cute. We’ve partnered with our friends at Pokémon Go to keep an eye on the waterfish Pokémon, and throughout the night we’ll let you know when large numbers of Wooper will appear in the wild. We’ve also been told you could encounter a shiny Wooper if you’re lucky, so open up Pokémon Go and catch some Wooper while you watch this evening.” foree [Laughter] spee is foree foree [Music] [Laughter] [Applause] [Music] talking away. I don’t know what to say. I’ll say it anyway. Today is another day to find you shy away. [Applause] foree spee foreign [Applause] [Laughter] spee [Laughter] [Applause] [Laughter] for foreign speech [Laughter] fore foree foreign spee [Laughter] [Laughter] “We’ve just heard from our friends at Pokémon Go that there is another surge of Whooper appearing, so we’re implementing another Wooper watch. Bring out your phones and get to catching.”

Two weeks after the Game Awards, on December 23rd, the hollowed community received an unexpected gameplay demo of Elden Ring featuring a Wooper as the main character. [Music] k [Music]

2020 has come and gone, and no Elden Ring news or gameplay was provided by Bandai Namco or FromSoftware. On December 30th, 2020, Yasuhiro Kitao posted a community message on Twitter thanking the fans. He said, “Our sincerest thanks go out to everyone who voted for Elden Ring at TGA and to all of you who continue to support us. By virtue of those who play our games and continue to hold us to a high standard, we can forge ahead with development undaunted and highly motivated. Thank you. It seems the world might not be mended for a while yet, but please take care of yourselves and enjoy the New Year in good spirits and good health. See you in 2021.”

Despite the information drought and challenges, on February 22nd, 2021, the Elden Ring subreddit reached 100,000 members. Even though they had not received any gameplay news for more than a year, they remained active on the site, keeping the dream alive. The shared longing and wishes of the hollowed community to see some gameplay were finally answered one week after reaching 100,000 members. While not an official release, it was better than nothing. On March 1st, 2021, several clips of Elden Ring gameplay leaked online, sending the hollowed fans into a frenzy. [Applause] [Music] [Music] oh you tragic thing, you’ve crossed the Sea of Fog all the way to the rift glads. Well, this is the very edge of the map. Imagine what drives you to seek the Elder Ring. I suppose you can’t be talked into turning back. Very well [Music] then.

Finally, on June 10th, 2021, after two years of longing, hallucinations, mass hysteria, gang wars, and other acts of madness, the hollowing concluded with the release of the official Elden Ring gameplay. This trailer also released Jeff from gamer prison. “Okay guys, now it’s time for the grand finale to the show. This is extremely special. Today I am so deeply honored to be given the opportunity to share this next game. It comes from one of our industry’s most acclaimed developers and a previous Game of the Year winner at The Game Awards. I want to personally thank this developer for believing in my vision of Summer Game Fest as a new way to bring all of us together for a cross-industry showcase and kick off the summer in the right way. So without further ado, please sit back and enjoy this truly spectacular World Premiere. It is finally time.” [Music] [Music] “The Tarnished will soon return. Guided by Grace once lost, the Golden Order is broken to its core.” [Music] [Music] “Fou tonish in search of the Elden Ring, emboldened by the flame of ambition. Someone must extinguish thy flame. They will fight, and they will die in an unending curse. Woe is a champion or a lord to be born. Well, a lowly Tarnished, play as a lord. I command thee now, brandish the Elden Ring for all of us.” It actually happened. Elden Ring is coming, as you saw, January 21st, 2022, to Next Gen, current gen. “It’s so incredible, and I want to thank so much Miaki-san and the team at From for sharing that in-game look at Elden Ring. I hope you guys are happy. Oh my God, I’m free! Out of prison. All right.”

In this section, we’ll introduce key members of Miyazaki’s team who contributed to Elden Ring, including Ichi Nakajima, Yui Tanimura, Rio Fujimaki, and others. We’ll explore the profiles of six Elden Ring team members, encompassing roles such as concept artists, game designers, graphics experts, and game programmers. Short clips of each team member will be showcased to provide additional context and familiarity with those supporting Miyazaki. A notable distinction between Elden Ring and other FromSoftware games lies in the increased presence of director-level members directly supporting Miyazaki. This marks a significant departure from Miyazaki’s previous production processes. The primary catalyst for this change could be attributed to the substantial scale of Elden Ring in terms of development budget and game content, dwarfing Miyazaki’s earlier projects. Ideally, my preference is to highlight each director-level member supporting Miyazaki in specific areas of the game, such as gameplay, animation, level design, etc. Unfortunately, there are no existing photos or videos for the majority of Miyazaki’s director-level team members. Therefore, the approach I adopted was to feature a team member from a specific area of the game, irrespective of their level. The advantage of this approach is that it emphasizes members who are significant contributors to the work in contrast to directors who are mainly responsible for decision-making or handling the most critical aspects of their respective areas.

If you recall from our earlier section where Miyazaki shared how the collaboration with George R.R. Martin began, he mentioned the person responsible for making it all possible: Ichi Nakajima. He was the one who contacted Martin with the expectation that their request for collaboration would be turned down. You might not have noticed, but Ichi Nakajima has appeared in our videos as early as in the making of Demon’s Souls, as he is a very senior member of FromSoftware. In this table, we can see the projects he has worked on at the company. You would observe that he has been involved in all of Miyazaki’s projects, either as a supervisor or an executive producer. Here is a short video of Ichi Nakajima taken during the production of Dark Souls.

By now we should all be familiar with Yui Tanimura, as we prominently featured him in our video on the making of Dark Souls 2. Together with Tomohiro Shibuya, he was responsible for directing the sequel to the original Dark Souls. Tanimura replaced Shibuya as the game director during the second half of the sequel’s development. Additionally, he co-directed Dark Souls 3. Here are the projects of Tanimura leading to the game Elden Ring. We shared during our video on Dark Souls 2 that Tanimura shares a lot of similarities with Miyazaki; they both earned degrees in social sciences at university and are both fans of King’s Field. In Tanimura’s case, he applied to FromSoftware because King’s Field was one of his favorite games, and he wanted to join the company that created it. Here is a short video of Yui Tanimura taken during the production of Dark Souls 2.

We previously featured Rio Fujimaki in our video on the creation of Sekiro. He began his career as a graphic designer for Dark Souls and has contributed to nearly every Souls game directed by Miyazaki. Here are the projects of Fujimaki leading to the game Elden Ring. By the time Elden Ring was in development, Fujimaki had risen to a directorial position, taking on the role of character art director for the game. Here is a short video of Rio Fujimaki taken during the production of Bloodborne.

Daisuke Satake is a character concept artist and a seasoned collaborator of Miyazaki, having contributed to all the games Miyazaki has been involved in, including the Armored Core series and all the Souls games. Here are the projects of Satake leading to the game Elden Ring. He has been associated with FromSoftware since the days of Otogi and King’s Field games. If you’re a fan of the design works books for the Souls games, he is prominently featured and actively participates in the interviews and discussions within these books. Here is a short video of Daisuke Satake taken during the production of Dark Souls 2. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music]

Yoshifumi Suzuki is a game programmer, and similar to Daisuke Satake, he is a veteran in the gaming industry and has been working at FromSoftware even before Miyazaki completed his university education. Here are the projects of Suzuki leading to the game Elden Ring. You can observe that he served as the lead programmer for both Sekiro and Dark Souls I. Here is a short video of Yoshifumi Suzuki taken during the production of Dark Souls 2.

Takasuke Ando is a graphics programmer, and similar to Yoshifumi Suzuki, he has been with FromSoftware even before Miyazaki joined the company. Here are the projects of Ando leading to the game Elden Ring. Excluding Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls, he has contributed to the development of the rest of the Souls games and the latest Armored Core 6. Here is a short video of Takasuke Ando taken during the production of Dark Souls 2. [Music] [Music]

If you recall in our section on the hollowing, we witnessed how the worldwide pandemic affected various gaming events such as E3, Gamescom, Tokyo Game Show, and others. They all went online as COVID-19 regulations made physical conventions impossible. One major area that got impacted in the gaming industry is the actual development of games. The pandemic forced many game development studios to adopt remote work setups to comply with social distancing measures. This transition posed challenges in terms of collaboration, communication, and access to necessary resources. Teams accustomed to working closely in physical spaces found it challenging to maintain the same level of efficiency and coordination while working remotely. Moreover, game development often requires powerful hardware which might not be readily available to every team member working from home. This could result in slower development processes and hinder progress. Additionally, remote work may also impact the efficiency of testing and debugging, as some issues may be more easily identified in a controlled office environment.

In an interview, the host asked Miyazaki how COVID impacted Elden Ring’s development, saying, “Given the challenges presented by the pandemic, how did you navigate the transition to remote work without the game suffering?” Miyazaki shared, “Yes, especially in the beginning, everything changed, and it would be false to say it didn’t affect Elden Ring’s development in any way. We had to change how we approached a lot of the aspects of game development, including communication, which was obviously a big part of it. It was a big challenge to adapt at first, but we succeeded thanks to the team. We were able to push through those hardships, especially initially, and figure out how we could handle development in this new situation. Thanks to our staff and teams who handled the setup of the new infrastructure, they made it possible possible to work smoothly and comfortably within those limitations. It’s definitely all thanks to them. A lot of the staff and I are okay with working and communicating remotely. You know, we have a sort of culture where we’ve had a lot of experience with just speaking remotely or across emails or phone calls or video chats and things like that, so it was just a case of expanding on this and making it more of a companywide practice. A lot of that experience played quite well into how we had to adapt during that difficult time.”

One surprising effect of the COVID, however, is something unexpected. In Miyazaki’s case, he started to stay more in the office, basically living there, especially during the peak of Elden Ring’s development. Miyazaki shared, “I have a fridge, I have books, I have games. I basically live here. With this peak period of any project, what I like to do is retreat into my office, knuckle down, and surround myself with these Inspirations and these stimuli, just bury myself deep into that creative aspect of it. This place has everything I need besides a bath, so I’ll go home to take a shower or a bath, but other than that, especially with Co and the current remote working situation, it’s been very easy for me to just lock myself away and dig down into that creative aspect, especially at this peak time of development.”

Total direction is an extremely important aspect of Miyazaki’s approach to game development, to the extent that we created a dedicated video to present it in full detail. This ensures that the Souls community has a clear understanding of what it means when we say that a game is directed by Miyazaki. It’s crucial for everyone to be on the same page when answering the question, “What does Miyazaki actually do in game development?” Personally, I believe this is more important than any of the “Making Of” videos, especially for those interested in game development and wanting to understand how games like Dark Souls or Bloodborne are created. These games are not designed by a committee or voted into existence in a democracy. Every member working on these projects is marching towards a singular vision of a master creator. While collaboration and creative synergy are valued and encouraged, it’s through total direction that a result faithful to the creator’s vision is produced. As shared in that video, we didn’t include the aspects of total direction during the era of Elden Ring development, as this game represented a very advanced stage in Miyazaki’s career. It does not reflect the context of how Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls, or Bloodborne were created. As a simple proof, here are the director-level employees who supported Miyazaki for Elden Ring. In Dark Souls, there is no intermediary layer between him and any member of the development team. The original team hierarchy is almost flat, with everyone reporting their work output directly to Miyazaki. This structure is most similar to the one used by Ueda himself, with the additional caveat that he uses the smallest team size possible: only 20 for ICO and 30 for Shadow of the Colossus. With this size, Ueda is filling up various roles himself, including art design, 3D graphics, and animation.

In the advent of the Kakawa era, with FromSoftware being acquired and Miyazaki becoming president, the things Miyazaki was doing at the team level became even more limited. In this section, we are going to discuss the state of total direction in the context of Elden Ring. More than in any of Miyazaki’s previous games, the alterations to total direction and his approach to game development are most transparent in Elden Ring. While the changes began to surface in Dark Souls 3 and Sekiro, the ambition and scope of the latest game have taken them to a more advanced level. Miyazaki shared, “Elden Ring’s scope and scale are massive when compared to our other games, so yes, a lot of the things I’d worked closely on previously were handed off to the team in order for me to oversee larger portions of the project. This goes for level design as well, and while I tried to be as involved as I could, I ended up entrusting small-scale areas such as dungeons to the team. This method also affected the way I went about controlling various aspects of the game throughout production. Previously, I was very hands-on, overseeing even the most minute aspects personally in order to get the result I wanted. However, due to the scale of Elden Ring, this was simply not possible, and a lot of my time was spent explaining my vision for more abstract elements, elements such as setting intent and themes to the team and allowing them to take that vision and bring it to life.” Miyazaki began having co-directors in the game Dark Souls 3, and from this point onward, with Sekiro and Elden Ring, he consistently had director-level members to whom he delegated work. As mentioned in our “Meet the Team” section, we highlighted that there were at least 10 director-level team members supporting Miyazaki in managing various development areas of Elden Ring.

In an interview, the host inquired about details regarding the delegation of work, asking, “You mentioned delegating parts of the game to other team members. Were there any ideas they brought to you that had a significant impact on the project? Anything that struck you as particularly off-the-wall or refreshing?” Miyazaki explained, “Tons and tons of things, of course. The visual design of the Erdtree itself is one, for example. That’s the real appeal of working together to make something as a team. It’s one of my biggest joys as a game creator.” The host followed up, “How did your job as director change as you delegated more of the game?” Miyazaki shared, “Fundamentally, it wasn’t actually that different from how I directed games before. It all begins upstream with broad concepts and designs, establishing all the separate parts that define the game’s overall direction, like artwork, level design, animations, and text. I tried to stay involved in those elements as directly as I could, but let’s take level design for example. Once a certain area’s design is established to some extent, it’s time to hand more of it over to another team member. There was a lot to be done this time around since Elden Ring’s map is so huge.”

As early as Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls, Miyazaki consistently fostered team collaboration and synergy, placing trust in the creative input of his team members, though everything had to pass through his approval process. During an interview, the host inquired about unique aspects of his development approach. Miyazaki shared, “Yes, well, this is more my personal approach as a director rather than specific to FromSoftware, but I prioritize stimulation through collaboration.” The host followed up, “What do you mean by that?” Miyazaki explained, “In game development, we collaborate with staff members who possess various positions, expertise, and sensibilities. Through this process, the aim is to leverage the inspiration we receive from them to make the game richer and more interesting. I believe this is the essence of creating games as a team. In other words, I don’t highly value my my own imagination; therefore, simply creating what I initially imagined and conceived might not be sufficient. It’s through the stimulation derived from collaboration that the game truly comes to life. As a director, I strive to capitalize on such stimulation while also ensuring not to deviate from the concept and vision.”

In addition to appointing co-directors for game design and assigning director-level members to oversee various areas of the game, Miyazaki, in his role as the president of FromSoftware, has started assigning new game directors. An illustrative example is Masaru Yamamura, the lead game designer of Miyazaki’s previous game, Sekiro. In the early stages of development, Miyazaki held the position of the initial game director for

Responded due to the immense volume; it's challenging at times, but I make sure to go through all of it. I've also directed, written a considerable portion of it. As a final example of Miyazaki's continued involvement in game creation, let's explore the origin of the living jar creatures in the game.

During an interview, the host asked, "Elden Ring features a diverse array of unusual creatures, but the living jars are particularly unique. Where did the concept of ancient pots like Alexander and the Jar Baron originate?"

Miyazaki explained, "The living jars, both large and small, were initially made as a simple enemy character. I enjoy this sort of character where I can do a quick sketch and the design team instantly gets it. I feel they help lend variety to the lore and art style, and they contrast well with characters that have more complex designs. From these simple enemies came Alexander as an NPC and Jar Baron after that. I actually don't remember how it all came to be. I have a vague memory of explaining it quite plainly as part of an NPC interaction without giving it much thought. I suppose the team accepted it without any sort of objections, like it was the most natural thing in the world."

Before we move on from the discussion of being a company president and game director, let's touch upon a topic that occasionally arises in conversations within the Souls community: the working conditions at FromSoftware.

We're fortunate that this topic was brought up in one of the Japanese interviews—something rarely addressed in the West. The host said, "Mr. Miyazaki, you yourself entered the company in the middle of your career without prior experience in the gaming industry, directed hit titles one after another, and became the president. Understanding such an environment with ample opportunities is clear. However, I'm sorry to ask, but with such a dynamic figure leading the company, it might give an impression of a rigorous development environment."

Miyazaki explained, "I'll clearly deny that. Personally, I love game development and would like to be completely immersed in it, but precisely because of that, I am consciously cautious not to take such a mindset for granted. I don't wish for or intend to have a working style that is impossible, possible in terms of time or physical stamina, nor do I plan to make it a criterion for evaluation. I believe I have clearly communicated this as a message within the company, and in fact, the working environment should have significantly improved in recent years."

The host replied, "I see. I apologize."

Miyazaki continued, "Another point to mention is that there have been improvements in employee salary and benefits in recent years, especially this fiscal year. We have increased the bonus criteria by an additional month compared to before, planning to increase salaries for young to mid-level employees overall. Consequently, the starting salary for new graduates will be around 260,000 Yen. Additionally, there's a mechanism for year-end bonuses. This is a system where additional bonuses are provided when the company's earnings are good. It's not necessarily available every year, but at least since I became the president, it has been provided annually. For instance, in the last period with Elden Ring, it amounted to about 4 months, and even more for core project members based on achievements."

We have finally reached the core section of game development. In this chapter, we will cover topics related to software development and team management and discuss insights into the experiences and challenges faced by Miyazaki and his team in developing Elden Ring.

For those of us who have played Elden Ring, we know how large this game is compared to Miyazaki's earlier titles. We've already observed a significant increase in team size with the addition of director-level members. It follows that there is a corresponding rise not only in the count of team members but also in the outsourced companies that contributed to the game.

In an interview, the host asked about this increase in headcount, saying, "Given that an open-world game requires more visual assets than your previous projects, did you have to expand the team considerably, or was it more about leaning on outsourcing partners for assistance?"

Miyazaki shared, "Yes, of course, both the team's scope and our outsourcing needs increased with the scope and scale of the world and the content required to fill it. But we managed to explore some new systemic procedures as well that allowed us to fill out the world in ways that didn't require people to always be hands-on and do it manually. So there were a lot of ways in which we were able to use not only our existing team but expand our skill set in that sense and to apply it to this new challenge with this new world. A simple example would be the creation of something that exists in vast quantities in the world, such as trees and vegetation. A lot of this we could employ using a more procedural system for vegetation to generate trees and handle their placement; that accounted for about 80% of that task, and then our artists would go in and sort of add the finishing touches by hand. So this was a really nice new workflow to work with."

Though Miyazaki confirmed the significant increase in the development team size, he emphasized that they are not just throwing people at the project. He shared, "The size of my team and the length of the development process both hit new highs for FromSoftware with Elden Ring, but the important thing isn't that we had more people to toss at the project; it's that we built up a team that we could trust to get it done."

When you think about video games, they emerge as one of the most fascinating and often complex forms of software that we regularly interact with. While operating systems can be more challenging or intricate, there's no denying that video games bring together art, music, story, and technology to create an experience unmatched by other applications. Nevertheless, it's crucial to recognize that at their core, video games are still software. Consequently, the technological advancements made in software development significantly contribute to the progress in game development. One area with vast potential for advancement is automation.

In an interview, the host inquired, "What about Elden Ring's development process differed from your previous work technologically speaking?"

Miyazaki explained, "We'd been continuously testing some automation since before work ever began on Elden Ring, but this time around, we automated everything we could to make sure that our team had plenty of time to make the game more fun to play, too. Some asset construction and placement, AI-based creation, and even a bit of debugging was all automated. Naturally, a lot of this is stuff you'd want to adjust by hand in the end, so we still did that as well. To look at it from another side of development, we also honed our abilities to collect playtest data and put it to work in our adjustments and improvements. It was important to us that our fixes weren't just based on hunches but on actual data, especially as the team grew larger and I had to delegate more and more things; that became a must."

The host followed up, "So you'd say Elden Ring's considerable volume and depth were possible through a combination of automatic generation and good old-fashioned manual labor?"

Miyazaki added, "Yes, I suppose so. To tell you the truth, though, I thought we'd be able to automate more than we actually could. There was a lot that we had to get through on pure strength of will, but I think that also led to some nice distinctive bits with a real FromSoftware flare, so I'd say all the hard work paid off."

One of the challenges Elden Ring posed to Miyazaki and his team is the sheer scale of the world. It seemed as though it was never-ending in content; just when you think you have fully explored and exhausted all the possible locations in the game, you would discover one more area that then leads to a deeper region, branching to further connections.

In an interview, the host asked how the development team approached this huge scale of the game, saying, "Let's talk about Elden Ring's development. When you're building a play space as vast as the Lands Between, how do you begin breaking down that task into manageable chunks of work?"

Miyazaki explained, "It was a challenging process because it was, of course, our first experience creating a world of this size on this scale, so we don't know if our approach was the right one, but we generally approached it with the same strategy we've used with all of our games up until now, in the physical sense of how we lay it out and how we break it down as a game world. And then throughout development, it just depends on what the game needs and our requirements and conditions for the game and how it takes shape. We always have to put the game first; we have to draw out the essence of the map; we have to draw out the elements that shape it and that are going to benefit it for the sake of the game. So our general approach there did not change, except for the sense of scale, which was, of course, magnified. One of the benefits of the increased sense of scale and this new format was that it actually allowed us to convey a lot of these details and elements that we maybe couldn't before on that smaller scale, so that was itself both a challenge and a blessing because it just allowed us to do so much more."

Imagine developing a game, and in the same room, the CEO and president of the company work next to you, test-playing the level that you have just coded and deployed to the UAT server. This is a typical scenario that most Elden Ring team members experience. As we often forget that Miyazaki is not only a game director but also holds the highest and most powerful position in the company, for Miyazaki, this situation is a double-edged sword. It may prompt team members to be extra cautious when working with him, given that he naturally wears two hats: one as the game's director and another as the company's president.

Regarding this duality, Miyazaki shared, "The thing I prize is total openness from the staff. I try to be frank about my own mistakes because of my influence over these games; people are often reluctant to give their honest opinion, even when it may matter most, so I try not to let pride get involved and try to create trust."

Many game studios would take years to create something on the scale and scope of Elden Ring, so it's impressive that Miyazaki and his team were able to deliver it in record time. This is particularly noteworthy considering they were also concurrently developing Sekiro, and at the same time, a global pandemic was causing widespread disruption, impacting people's mental and physical health as they deal with social distancing and the shift to remote work. While some of the older Souls games could be considered open-world to some extent, they pale in comparison to the expansive scale achieved by Elden Ring.

In an interview, the host asked Miyazaki about the significant challenges they encountered in creating this open-world game, saying, "What were your biggest lessons learned in making a sprawling open-world game?"

Miyazaki shared, "There were two major challenges we faced developing Elden Ring. The first was expanding upon the level of freedom; more so than our previous games, Elden Ring has a vast world with an open overworld, so we were faced with the ordeal of how we maintain our gameplay style while offering a renewed sense of openness. So with elements like balancing the player's exploration alongside boss fights, the order of progression that players go through the game, and the progression of the events themselves throughout the map, trying to expand on player freedom while balancing all of this was a significant challenge, but we learned many great lessons attempting to achieve this. Another challenge making an open-world game is the tempo and pacing of the player's progression; essentially trying to balance how the player paces themselves as they explore this vast open-ended map and how that factors into the scope of freedom and progression they provide. So we also learned some valuable lessons while making adjustments in that regard."

In another interview, Miyazaki provided more details on these challenges and lessons they learned involving pacing and progression in this huge overworld. He shared, "There are a lot of areas in which we've had to use trial and error since creating the Dark Souls series, iterating on those mechanics and formulas, expanding on them in this new sense of scale. A lot of it was related to the game tempo, the rhythm, and the flow of the game—to keep the player from getting bored, to keep them interested exploring and having fun. And of course, in this brand new huge world that we've created, we wanted to prioritize that fun and level of player freedom more than anything. So with that comes a lot of characters, a lot of events that you're trying to incorporate, and you don't want anything to tread on the toes of anything else; you want it all to mingle and to mesh nicely with the player and their own motivations as well, but you want it to be there, and you want it to provide that stimulation for progressing forward and exploring."

For every new game Miyazaki creates, he always identifies and sets the main themes that will guide him in game direction. We witnessed this approach in our videos on the making of the earlier Souls games. For Elden Ring, Miyazaki identified three core development themes: sense of scale, sense of adventure, and open field.

In an interview, the host asked, "The scale of Elden Ring was astonishing. As a player, it's packed with various elements more than past FromSoftware titles, but originally, where did you aim when starting the planning and development?"

Miyazaki shared, "When starting to create a game, I always ponder what makes this game's experience special. For example, in Sekiro, it was the excitement of a new swordplay employing deflecting, but in Elden Ring, it's the sense of scale achieved through accumulation. At least in terms of our scale, it would have been impossible to create Elden Ring from scratch in one go. Another aspect is the freedom and sense of adventure based on this scale; adopting an open field was also significant in this regard."

In our previous making-of videos, we extensively covered Miyazaki's preference for creating new worlds rather than following the easier path of producing Dark Souls sequels. As we discussed in these videos, the prevailing trend in the gaming industry, especially in Japan, is to churn out sequels until the intellectual property is completely exhausted and no longer profitable.

In an interview, the host asked about this very topic, saying, "Elden Ring clearly shares many similarities with the Dark Souls series. Why couldn't it simply have been called Dark Souls 4?"

Miyazaki shared, "We wanted Elden Ring to be the culmination of our love for games and specifically for dark fantasy and action RPG genres. Adhering to the dark Dark Souls setting would have imposed unnecessary restrictions on us in our storytelling, gameplay, and enemy design. Moreover, in terms of world-building and universe, we had already exhausted everything we could from Dark Souls' key theme: the kindling of flames. Thus, we decided to try something different: a new world with fresh themes."

While Miyazaki was explicit in his intent to no longer create new entries in the Dark Souls series, he also confirmed and emphasized that Elden Ring would not have been possible without the culmination of experience and skills acquired during the creation of the trilogy.

During an interview, the host inquired about how the Dark Souls games paved the way for Elden Ring, asking, "You've mentioned before that in Elden Ring you aimed to craft a new dark fantasy action RPG filled with elements that you couldn't realize in the Dark Souls series. What exactly were these elements?"

Miyazaki clarified, stating, "I believe it's beneficial to rephrase my earlier statement. Elden Ring is built on the culmination of everything we've accomplished with the Dark Souls series and our previous games; that's the most accurate perspective. It's not necessarily about what we were unable to do then that we can do now, rather it's about what Elden Ring has enabled us to achieve due to the experience gained in developing those games. In that sense, it couldn't have preceded them. However, each of these games introduces distinct elements, and Elden Ring represents the synthesis of all that knowledge and experience. This creates an entirely new entity that was not conceivable before."

With Miyazaki confirming that Elden Ring incorporates the culmination of all the experiences and skills gained from previous games, it is a reasonable expectation that it could become their best game yet. The host followed up regarding this topic, saying, "With Elden Ring benefiting from the lessons taken from all the games you've made over the past decade, do you feel it's FromSoftware's best game to date?"

Miyazaki shared, "That's a difficult question. We are always trying to top ourselves and make the best game we can and make our best game to date. It's not just limited to Elden Ring; of course, it applies to all of our titles. And I said it before, but Elden Ring would not have been possible without that culmination of experience, the know-how from development of previous titles, and of course, our talented team that has grown throughout the development of those projects. It's safe to say that we could have only made Elden Ring now after all of that. So in that sense, yes, I believe it will be our best to date."

If you remember, in our section on the hollowing, the Souls community experienced an extreme info deprivation with regards to Elden Ring. However, amidst this drought on Elden Ring news and while in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, an oasis sprung up and provided nourishment to the fans through the announcement of the Demon's Souls remake by Bluepoint Games. Although FromSoftware had no direct involvement in this initiative, Souls fans supported it.

In an interview, the host asked Miyazaki about his perspective on the remaster, saying, "Demon's Souls was the start of that journey for you, of course, and we've since seen it rebuilt by another developer without your direct involvement. What is it like to experience the re-release of a game you originally worked on over a decade ago?"

Miyazaki explained, "As you say, I was not directly involved in it, and I haven't actually played the Demon's Souls remake. But this is because I just don't enjoy playing the games that I've made in the past; it brings up a lot of old emotions, a lot of old memories, and this gets a little bit overwhelming, and it doesn't feel like playing anymore. So I have not played the Demon's Souls remake, but I'm very glad to see it get this fresh look, these brand new current-gen graphics. It was an old game, so to see it get remade in this way and have new players playing it was obviously something that made me very happy. It was a rough game back in the day with a relatively rough development, so I was anxious that new players would not enjoy it in that same way; that was a cause of concern for me when it was re-released. But you know, in the end, I'm just happy to see the reaction and happy to see people enjoying it. One thing that was really fun was seeing Bluepoint Games come up with things we didn't consider and to approach certain elements of the game, its visuals, and its mechanics in a way that we either couldn't or didn't back in the day. So to see them researching and applying these new thought processes and new techniques, this was something that was really exciting and interesting for me."

One of the side effects of the Demon's Souls remake was that it raised the bar on what can be achieved with the new Souls games when run on the PlayStation 5, Sony's latest console. Following this line of thought, the host inquired, "Did the graphical fidelity of the Demon's Souls remake create extra pressure within the Elden Ring team, given that the games will sit side by side on PS5?"

Miyazaki shared, "Yes, I'm pretty sure our graphics creation staff felt that pressure more than anyone else, and not just with Elden Ring but with all of the games we make. Graphical fidelity is not something we put as the top priority; what we ask for on the graphics side depends on the systems and requirements of the game itself, and it takes less priority compared to the other elements of development. So this is always an area where I feel a little bit apologetic towards my graphics team because I know they work extremely hard, and they've worked extremely hard on Elden Ring. Our graphics systems team and our programmers have been pushing a lot of new features to create the best-looking game we've ever made, but you know, for me personally and for our games as a whole, it's not the number one priority."

Miyazaki's response is very insightful as it provides a priceless lesson for all future game designers and creators. If you recall from our video on Miyazaki and Wa-Wa, he shared an almost identical perspective when asked about the visual fidelity that the latest PlayStation brings to the gaming industry back then—the PlayStation 3. In the interview, the host asked, "How do you feel about the PS3's graphical capabilities? Are you worried that it'll cause too much focus on realistic graphics?" Wa-Wa replied, "That's a difficult question. Looking at the games presented at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show, a lot of them have very high-quality, hyperrealistic graphics, and we could do the same thing, but we'd leave ourselves with no differentiation between our work and that of the other developers. Also, the games that have the highest-quality graphics tend to sacrifice character or object movement for that." From these replies, we can observe how similar Miyazaki and Wa-Wa are when it comes to understanding their priorities in game design. Coincidentally, the remake of Shadow of the Colossus was also done by Bluepoint Games.

When Elden Ring was first announced and the Souls community was just beginning to explore its features, especially the large-scale overworld and the availability of a mount for exploration, many fans used the term "big Dark Souls" to describe the game. In many ways, they are right because Elden Ring is indeed a fully realized evolution of a Dark Souls game.

In an interview, the host asked Miyazaki how he views Elden Ring compared to his earlier titles, saying, "Compared to your previous games, what about Elden Ring stood out as new and different to you as a director?"

Miyazaki shared, "There are two major things in particular. For one, this time around, we were collaborating with George R.R. Martin. We asked him to come up with the mythologies that form the underlying basis of Elden Ring's events that took place in its world well before players step into the story. Building a game up from an existing backdrop like that was a new experience for me, and it was a thrill to break that ground. The second thing was the sheer size of the game. Elden Ring is much larger than any game I've directed before, which means there was more that I had to delegate to other members of the team; that was something I'd anticipated from the very beginning, actually. You could say that the fact that we'd built up team members to the point where I could leave things in their hands was a major factor in deciding to make a game of this scale in the first place, and of course, they met my expectations."

At the beginning of this video, we mentioned that Elden Ring was developed simultaneously with Sekiro, a scenario reminiscent of how Bloodborne and Dark Souls 3 were created in parallel. One notable outcome of this simultaneous development is the influence that Bloodborne had on Dark Souls 3, particularly in terms of combat, character movement, graphics, and more. With regards to Sekiro and Elden Ring, a host inquired, "In what ways has Sekiro impacted your philosophy on developing Elden Ring?"

Miyazaki shared, "I'd have to say that considering Sekiro's development overlapped with Elden Ring's to an extent, there's nothing that directly came through from that project, but there were several indirect examples there. For instance, the enemy stance break mechanic in Elden Ring is similar to Sekiro's successful posture system. We even referenced Sekiro's player traversal for the horse mounting system and how you traverse the map in Elden Ring. Also, in terms of the narrative and how we tell character stories, Sekiro was a lot more direct than our previous Souls-like titles. While we're still maintaining Elden Ring's world with a sense of depth and a fragmented narrative, we're still upholding our storytelling philosophy; there's more focus on human elements and drama than before. We definitely took some inspiration from how Sekiro handled that and tried to apply the good parts to Elden Ring."

Before we leave the section on game development, let's revisit the origin of Elden Ring's production—the collaboration between Martin and Miyazaki. In a previous section, we explored why Miyazaki opted to collaborate with Martin, choosing his work over other cherished creative endeavors such as the Fighting Fantasy adventure books and the manga Berserk.

In an interview, the host asked regarding this topic of collaboration, saying, "If you could collaborate with another influential creator, whether a writer, game developer, movie director, or anyone else, on a FromSoftware game, who would it be?"

Miyazaki replied, "That's a difficult question. Even with the George R.R. Martin collaboration, this is something I didn't even imagine would be possible, and yet here we are. It's not something I've given a great deal of thought to, generally, to be honest, but let me see if I can think of something. I don't think I would choose a fellow game creator, honestly. One of the major appeals of working with Martin was how the medium he works in is such a different style; games and books are vastly different forms of media, after all. So if I were to choose, it would be someone who can provide that same level of stimulation that's impossible for us to achieve as game developers. It could be someone who works in books, art, music, or anything that gives that impetus and can drive us as fellow creators, but in an entirely different genre. I think that would have to be it. It's very challenging to pinpoint a specific person or studio."

On February 5th, 2009, the game Demon's Souls was released in Japan. As discussed in our video on its production and development, it initially fell short of Sony's financial expectations. The game's producer…

It took months to gain traction thanks to early gamers who contributed to its popularity through word-of-mouth.

"Oh hello again. Hey, don't turn a cold shoulder. I didn't mean to do you wrong, really. Oh, I have an idea; that treasure over there should be mine, but I'll let you have it. I promise no tricks; I won't move a muscle until the treasure's safely in your hands. You can trust me, can't you? I'm just trying to do right and make amends." [Music]

Here, one observation made by early players is that this game defaults to English as its language. While you can change the subtitle text depending on the copy you bought, there is no option to change the voice language. This is particularly uncommon, considering some Japanese games sold in the West lack even the option to select English as the language. Players have no choice but to experience these games in Japanese. This raises the question: what might the director of this game have been thinking, selling a game in Japan without utilizing its native [Music] language?

"You new here? Do you hear of her services? The name's Baldwin, just an ordinary blacksmith. It's simple; just bring me all the souls you can in trade, I'll give you weapons or forge ones you already have. With your souls, I can eek out a living, and with my weapons, you can go on living. Not a bad deal, huh?"

As the majority of the members of the Souls community discovered the Souls games either from Bloodborne or Elden Ring and were not around when the Souls games were just starting to take shape, here is a perspective shared by an early-generation Souls fan. This will help us gain insight into how different Demon's Souls is from typical Japanese games. The fan said, "I was really impressed by the voice acting and English translations in this game. Considering this is an Asian Edition and that Demon's Souls is more than likely not heading Stateside, I was expecting nothing but English from beginning to end. Instead, the menus, instructions, and in-game text are nicely done, and it felt like I was playing a North American release. The voice acting, especially in those opening cinematics, was especially impressive. The actors really made this game feel like an epic adventure; the inflection, delivery, and pacing all set me up for that eventual 'what happened to the plot' moment 2 to 3 hours into the game. Sound effects are well done, too. This is one of the few games I've played where they get the clang of sword on shield when there is music, and to be honest, there isn't a lot; it's glorious. Those opening cinematics will really make you think this game will have both an epic plot and score. The sound is easily one of the best aspects of Demon's Souls."

"Oh, the demons haven't got to you, have they? Well, I'm in luck. You see that pit? It's filled with treasure, but uh, I can't get to it myself. Go on, have a look; it's more riches than I've ever dreamed of. That's it, that pit just there. Go on, get a little closer. Don't hold it against me, eh? Take your time starving to death, then I'll sell every last trinket off your corse."

From this early Souls fan's feedback, we can observe two things: not only is the game purely spoken in English, but the voice acting was well executed. A few years later, the same game developer produced another dark fantasy game, and much like the first entry, this new title, called Dark Souls, was also entirely spoken in English. You can change the subtitle, but that's the extent of it.

"Well, what do we have here? You must be a new arrival. Let me guess, fate of the undead, right? Well, you're not the first, but there's no salvation here. You'd have done better to rot in the Undead Asylum, but too late now. Well, since you're here, let me help you out."

Similar to the feedback on the first game, the spiritual sequel also boasts excellent voice acting.

"Ah, hello. You don't look Hollow. Far from it; I am solaire of Astora, an adherent of the Lord of Sunlight. Now that I am Undead, I have come to this great land, the birthplace of Lord Gwyn, to seek my very own sun. You find that strange? Well, you should. No need to hide your reaction; I get that look all the [Laughter] time."

Later on, this gaming company, now widely known as FromSoftware, went on to create even more successful games.

"We are born of the blood, made men by the blood, undone by the blood. Our eyes are yet to open. Fear the old blood."

One common thread among their releases, in addition to their excellent gameplay, is the top-notch voice acting.

"The journeyed far, hear my voice. If thou shalt swear by the Covenant to become a shadow of Father Gwyn and sister Gwynevere, a blade that shall hunt the foes of our Lords, then I place thee under the Eis and the power of the dark moon."

The secret ingredient behind Miyazaki's successful Souls series is a small and relatively unknown localization company called Frog Nation. In this section, we will explore the origin of their fruitful partnership with FromSoftware and delve into the work they have done for the Souls games, including Elden Ring.

"In the age of ancients, the world was unformed, shrouded by fog."

"Well, yes, of course. Thank you for sharing. I'm still an able Pirate Man, sir. I should loathe myself. You are Undead as well, then we no time to fraternize. I have my mission, and you, no doubt [Music] toal."

When Miyazaki began development on Demon's Souls, his love of Western fantasy literature made him determined to cast British actors for the parts. This ambition would eventually lead him to the UK-based localization partner Frog Nation, whose sterling reputation and ability to handle voice recording in addition to translation made it an ideal collaborator.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old, you've been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-earth stands upon the brink of destruction; none can escape it. You will unite, or you will fall."

If you recall from our video on the making of Dark Souls, we featured the video game editor Keza MacDonald, one of the earliest journalists who covered the Souls games even before they were popular in the West. In her book about Dark Souls, titled You Died, she explained Miyazaki's preference for English. She shared, "Hidetaka Miyazaki is no stranger to the English language. His love of European fantasy had him reading books in English from adolescence. He felt very strongly that the Souls games should be in English and that the voice acting shouldn't be performed by Americans for the sake of the setting. Unsurprisingly, for a man who's so focused on getting details right, he felt that might harm the believability of the world."

"The power of Eisen God is at your command, Saion, Lord of the Earth."

The lead translator of the Souls games, Ryan Morris, whom we will discuss more in the upcoming sections, shared this information regarding Miyazaki's choice of the English language for his dark fantasy games: "He used to struggle through English fantasy books like Lord of the Rings in his youth. He is really into Western fantasy, and that's how he ends up making something like Demon's Souls. It's his own take, but it's heavily inspired by Western fantasy."

The Souls games are an especially complex and intriguing case, shaped as they are by Miyazaki's childhood curiosity about a language and a culture he didn't entirely understand. The most obvious symptom of this fascination is that while the early Souls games were written in Japanese, they are voiced exclusively in English with British actors to suit the medieval [Music] setting.

"You have no power here, Gandalf, the grave."

Frog Nation handled the adaptation of Demon's Souls' script and text, auditioned actors, and recorded the game's dialogue. Originally a techno record label co-founded by author and businesswoman Lyn Robson, anime scriptwriter Daato, and music journalist Kango Watanabe, Frog Nation is now a boutique localization outfit with credits ranging from Ace Combat to Ape Escape. Miyazaki heard about the studio from a mutual acquaintance at Sony during the development of Demon's Souls.

"Oh my, how has this happened? Has God abandoned us for failing to show proper respect to King Allant? Oh, basa…"

Among all the people working in Frog Nation, there is one we will focus on the most: his name is Ryan Morris. If you watched our video on the Souls Lore Bible, you would have seen him featured there. In that video, he confirmed the existence of the Souls Lore Bible. He also appeared in our video on Miyazaki's favorites and hobbies, where he revealed that Miyazaki is a big fan of Game of Thrones, buying the latest Blu-ray copies in Las Vegas during a Bandai Namco gaming event. Ryan Morris worked closely with Miyazaki on every Souls game, going all the way back to Demon's Souls and up to the latest games like Elden Ring and Armored Core 6. The only exception to this list is Sekiro, as this was produced by Activision, who managed the localization as well.

"What do you think you're doing? I have my pride, you damn fool. You think you can get away with murder? Yes, I suppose you think you're special. Well, you're not; you're just another customer. Burn, burn in hell, you crosseyed Hollow. There's no hope for anyone like you. The gods will not have it; just die, die, die, die, die a thousand times again. Curses upon you, upon you and yours for generations eternal; all of you, eternal pain and suffering, lots and [Music] lots."

When asked how he learned about Japanese culture and language, Ryan shared that he picked up the rudiments of the language as a teenager by translating his favorite anime films and mangas. He said, "I learned Japanese quite intensely, and I learned it all from pop culture. I was really good with colloquialisms and with fantasy and science fiction. I first got into Akira, then Ghost in the Shell."

After landing a job in general translation, Ryan gravitated quickly to the games industry. Frog Nation hired him while he was still living in Seattle. He continued, "I wanted to do anything that I loved, which is any Japanese pop culture; could have been games, manga, or anime, but it turned out I found the most work in games."

As shared earlier, the first project that Ryan handled for Miyazaki was Demon's Souls. Regarding his first time meeting with him, Ryan shared, "Miyazaki called us into a meeting the first time we met him, and he showed us the opening movie that plays at the beginning of Demon's Souls, which was one of the first things that was done. There was a lot of money put into that video. He had that to give us a feeling of what the game was going to be like. He explained the dark, serious fantasy setting and the blood message system and kind of how the multiplayer works, and I remember it sounded rather run-of-the-mill by description." [Music] [Music] oh oh oh oh oh [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] oh oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music]

The first time Ryan saw Demon's Souls, he wasn't impressed. His first exposure to the series was the opening cut scene for the RPG that started it all, and it struck him as awkward. Regarding his doubts about the project, Ryan shared, "To be honest, my first concern was, 'Can a Japanese director effectively make a Western-style fantasy game?'

From that inspiration, from the shadowy parts of a story or a legend that you can't make out, you're an ordinary human, aren't you? Where do you call home? Dear me, I shouldn't pry. Oh, perhaps you'd like something from my collection. I've had better days. I was once the wife of royalty, and I have some nice things to show for it.

We have discussed in every making-of video that Miyazaki relies heavily on environmental storytelling for his exposition and narrative. Now that the Souls games have gone mainstream, we have an understanding and an expectation of how they work, how different they are from the straightforward storytelling style of other modern AAA G games, where uninterrupted long cut scenes and lots of dialogues are the rule.

The only way you know how to feel strong is to make someone else feel weak. It's not working. I've trained all my life. You'll see tomorrow how strong I am. Oh, I've seen plenty. You grew a man's body, kind of, but down deep you're still a scrawny little brat. You know, I often think of the day I gave you that scar. It's a cherished memory. Yeah, the look on your face when I knocked that stone out of your hand was pretty entertaining, but I suppose you leave that part of the story out when you tell it, don't you? I branded you that day to mark your shame. All you did that day was make me stronger. Just wait, I'll show you tomorrow. Yeah, right. This is boring. Time for Boss to get some sleep. You'll be the one surprised tomorrow. Outcast, not me. Oh, are you going to shut your mouth? Because that would be a surprise.

In the case of he admitted that it wasn't until Demon's Souls actually came out that he understood how the bizarre game he had worked on would come together. Regarding his experience with Demon's Souls after the release, Ryan shared, "I fell in love with the game when I was about 3 hours into it. You might think, of course, you're going to like a game if you worked on it, but that's not really the case. Parallel to working on it as a gamer, I really fell in love with it. I became addicted, playing it constantly because it was so [Music] thring."

In the age of ancients, the world was unformed, shrouded by fog, a land of gray crags, arch trees, and everlasting dragons. But then there was fire, and with fire came disparity, heat and cold, life and death, and of course, light and [Music] dark. Then from the dark they came and found the souls of Lords within the [Music] flame: Neo, the first of the Dead; The Witch of Izalith and her daughters of chaos; Gwyn, the Lord of sunlight and his faithful Knights; and the furtive pigmy, so easily [Music] forgotten. With the strength of Lords, they challenged the dragons. Gwyn's mighty bolts peeled apart their stone scales. The Witches weaved great firestorms. Neo unleashed a miasma of death and disease, and see, the scaleless betray his own, and the dragons were no more. Thus began the age of fire, but soon the flames will fade, and only dark will [Music] remain. Even now, there are only embers, and man sees not light but only endless nights. And amongst the living are seen carriers of the Earth, a cursed dark [Music] sign.

When Dark Souls development began, FromSoftware and Frog Nation joined forces once more, but this time Ryan was both a professional collaborator and a fan. As in the previous game, there were peculiar challenges to translating Dark Souls because so much of the script is intentionally vague; the English must be vague too, but in the correct way. Ryan would have to know what the line or item description was referring to so that it would make sense to players once they figured it out for themselves. Other idiosyncrasies inherent to the Japanese language had to be clarified for the English. One simple example is that Japanese does not have singular or plural, so Ryan and his colleagues would have to check with Miyazaki to determine whether the script referred to, say, one spider or several.

Greetings and welcome back. I am pleased to see the preserving of Humanity. You're welcome any time. It is only human to commit a [Laughter] sin. Earlier, we learned from Kesa McDonald about Miyazaki's preference for English and that he is not a stranger to it. Fortunately, during the making of Dark Souls, Miyazaki was asked in an interview regarding his English proficiency. The host inquired, "How is your English? Do comprehension issues ever hinder your ability to judge how pleased you are with drafts of Dark Souls localization?" Miyazaki shared, "I'm not competent in my verbal abilities in English, but my reading and writing are okay. Because Dark Souls isn't the kind of game that has a huge volume of text, I'm able to go over it closely with Ryan and his staff working on the drafts and being involved very early in the process; there have never been problems, and I have a lot of confidence in them to do their part in making it all work. And it helps that Ryan is a gamer himself and understands what needs to be explained or foreshadowed in dialogue."

Oh, you must be a hunter. Very sorry, the incense must have masked your sin. Good, good. I've been waiting for one of your ilk. These hunts have everyone all locked up inside, waiting for it to end. It always does, always has, you know, since forever, but it won't end nicely, not this time. Even some folks hiding inside are going by it. Screams of women, the stench of blood, the snarls of beasts—none of them's too uncommon now. Yar, them's done for, tell you, but if you spot anyone with their wits about them, tell them about this here Urden Chapel; they'll be safe here. The incense wards off the beasts. Spread the word, tell 'em to come on over, if you wouldn't [Laughter] [Music] mind.

After Demon's Souls and Dark Souls, Ryan and Miyazaki continued their collaboration on future FromSoftware games like Bloodborne, Dark Souls 3, Sekiro, and Elden Ring. Ryan even worked on games not directed by Miyazaki, like in the case of Dark Souls 2 and Armored Core 6. Localizing a FromSoftware game name typically follows this process: Frog Nation receives the Japanese text, which they then translate with the assistance of Q&A sessions with the FromSoftware team. Usually, a batch of received text pertains to a specific character, and while it generally constitutes the complete chunk of text related to that character, there are instances where this text expands, sometimes even doubling. Once the dialogue is translated, Ryan and Miyazaki travel to London to work with the voice actors in person. However, this approach saw some adjustments with Elden Ring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with around 50/50 of the work conducted in person, according to Ryan.

"H, you want... want... what? Gavlan wheel? Gavlan deal? Gavlan wants soul... many... many soul... [Laughter] What you want with Gavlan? You will... you... [Laughter] deal."

Regarding his collaboration with Miyazaki, Ryan shared, "He is honestly a great pleasure to work with, and the reason is that he has enough understanding of translation and localization, so he understands the need to not stay absolutely pinned on every word or every turn of phrase of the Japanese and to add a certain amount of flare or creative input as you're translating. He understands English enough to see what are good ideas and to speak up and say, 'I think that's not the intent of the original in spirit or the literal meaning, and that needs to be changed, so let's adjust it.'" Miyazaki, too, appreciates that the Souls games' translation into English works most effectively as a two-way process. He shared with Ryan and the other Frog Nation staff, "Getting involved early in the process to grasp the game's worldview and content, there have never been issues with the drafts. I have a lot of confidence in them to fulfill their roles effectively. It's also beneficial that Ryan is a gamer himself, so he understands what needs to be conveyed or hinted at in dialogue."

Well, now you seem to have your wits about you, then you are a welcome customer. I trade for Souls; everything's for sale [Music]. In our video on total direction, we discussed how Miyazaki encourages and values the creative synergy that occurs within the design and development team. He holds the same view with respect to the localization of his games. He shared, "With the drafts that I write, I don't feel like it has to be faithfully translated to reflect exactly every meaning that I included. I want it to be improved wherever possible with input from other sources. I really enjoy the process of having the English come back and seeing how it turned out and what parts were decorated in certain ways. There are even cases where the localized draft would come back, and I'll readjust the Japanese script to reflect the parts that I feel are effective in English. These ideas are like my baby, but in order for them to grow up and enter the real world, it needs input and stimuli from other sources: localizers, my team, everybody who works on the game—ideally everybody puts in their two cents, and it gets better as a result, and that's part of the enjoyment of the game creation process."

Oh, forgive me, I was absorbed in thought. I am Siegward of Catarina. Quite honestly, I've run flat up against a wall—or a gate, I should say. The thing just won't budge, no matter how long I wait. And have I waited. So here I sit, in quite a pickle, weighing my options, so to speak. Most people think that localization is more of a passive work of translating from one language to another. In the case of Ryan and Frog Nation, they take it further and actively contribute to the script. As an example, for Dark Souls, many of the lines in this game are actually Ryan's own original work, most notably solaire's lines. If you've ever wished that you too could be so grossly incandescent, you're quoting Ryan's dialogue.

Oh, hello there. I will stay behind to gaze at the sun. The sun is a wondrous body, like a magnificent father. If only I could be so grossly incandescent. Regarding solaire and Dark Souls, Ryan shared, "Nobody knows me, but they know my little phrases. My life would be considerably different if I hadn't worked on it. It's the largest, longest-running project I've ever worked on, the one that's gotten the biggest response. The most satisfying example would be solaire's lines, which became so popular. They were lines that I thought were funny when I wrote them, and the fact that everyone loved them was a pleasant surprise." The lines of solaire are often cited as Souls writing at its most scintillating, which perhaps misses that it's a bit of a joke about upper-class mannerisms. Ryan continued, "The main point here is that solaire was clearly an earnest, ambitious man of faith with the purest of intentions, but he is also extremely socially awkward. His language had to indicate both a proper knightly pedigree but also an aloof disconnect, a tendency to get lost in high concepts and visions of grandiosity. Monty Python made light of some deeply serious people, and perhaps it is no coincidence that solaire appears to have borrowed from their wardrobe."

As a final example of Ryan's unique contributions to the script of the Souls games, let's examine the famous opening scene of Dark Souls. Consider these lines: "In the age of ancients, the world was unformed, shrouded by fog, a land of gray crags, arch trees, and everlasting dragons." It was Ryan who named the arch trees, for instance, rather than just calling them giant trees, and he suggested capitalizing "Age of Ancients," breaking the timeline off into formal periods. He also shortened the line "The world was yet to be defined" to "The world was unformed." While Miyazaki wrote the script for Dark Souls, the English version is full of terms and phrases Ryan himself devised with Miyazaki's input and oversight. A handful have made their way back into the original Japanese. These are tiny details, but in a FromSoftware game, tiny details have long afterlives. Dark Souls players still argue about the nature and purpose of arch trees, with some suggesting that they are portals to neighboring realities.

The first time I got a hint of that deep narrative undercurrent was when I first entered the Hunter's Dream and looked out into the distance. I wondered what these pillars were, what their purpose was. As soon as I made that Google search to find an answer to that question, my journey into the realm of Bloodborne lore began. What's interesting, however, is that while I have found dense explanations for almost everything in the Soulsborne Universe, I received very little clarity in regards to what these pillars are. The only substantive thing I could find mind regarding the pillars is that they were either a reference to arch trees from the Dark Souls games or they, in fact, are arch trees. But that, of course, begs the question: What are arch trees, and why would they be in Bloodborne? This is an especially good question to ask if we consider the fact that the Dark Souls games aren't supposed to share any connection with [Music] Bloodborne. In this section, we will delve into the challenges faced in localizing video games as well as those specific to the Souls games. There are many ways that things can go wrong during the process of localization. Anyone who has ever played a badly translated Japanese game knows the symptoms: weird phrasing, random misplaced words, stilted delivery. As shared earlier, one of the reasons the Souls games don't suffer from any of the above is that Ryan doesn't just translate Miyazaki's scripts; he actually works with him on them, and Miyazaki is very open to any changes or adjustments that Ryan and his colleagues [Music] suggest.

Before we explore the specific hurdles faced by Ryan and his team in localizing the Souls games, let's first delve into the challenges of video game localization in Japan in general. We'll examine two well-known instances of poor localization: the first involves Resident Evil, while the second is related to Zero. "This Mansion is gigantic. We could get into trouble if we get lost. We should start from the first floor, okay? And Jill, here's a lockpick. It might be handy if you, the master of unlocking, take it with you." "Thanks, maybe I'll need it." "The master of unlocking" is a catchphrase from the first Resident Evil. In the game, Barry Burton gives Jill Valentine a lockpick, saying she'll be handy with it because she's the master of unlocking. The line grew infamous in video game history, leading to numerous memes. In an interview, the host asked Ryan how such mistranslations pass quality assurance, saying, "In conversations about poor localization, the notorious 'master of unlocking' quote from Resident Evil comes up. How does something like that make it into a game?" Ryan explained, "One factor is that Japanese English levels in general are not high, so clients have a hard time judging the quality of translations. If they have foreign staff, it will be alleviated. The sharper the staff are and the more responsibility they have, the more it will be alleviated. But in any case, you have Japanese programmers and Japanese executives, and very few of them are going to have a command of English that makes it possible for them to be very good judges of the text, so they have a hard time judging who to choose for localizations. In some cases, what happens there is they'll go to budget factors, and they'll take the lowest bidder. In some cases, there's not going to be a big difference between the highest and lowest bidder for localization, especially if you compare it to the size of game budgets. But when it's your job to control budgets, you may make that decision. There are reasonably priced translators that are quite good, but if you're unlucky, you'll get some cheap translators that aren't so good. So it's the internal judge of quality that's going to be difficult as a factor of English languages in general."

And now, a story that'll make no sense whatsoever, is it? Zero, zilch. But here it is. There's a new phrase creeping into our language from the internet, and it goes like this: "All your base are belong to us." Now, you didn't hear me wrong; it goes, "All your base are belong to us." Fox's Rick Fbom tries to explain what this means: "It's so cool, a phrase even the president is using it—or is he? All your base are belong to us. Don't ask what it means, don't ask where it came from, just accept it as one of those things that's got a lot of people talking." Still confused? Look on the web; it's everywhere. "All your base are belong to us" on Uncle Sam, on Bill Gates, on t-shirts, billboards. Come on, say it; everybody else is. "All your base are belong to us" is... is the web equivalent of people watching Budweiser commercials and going around and saying, "What's up?" to everyone. It's the exact same concept. The saying actually comes from a popular Japanese video game that was out on the market about 10 years ago called Zero Wing. In a rush to get that game released in this country, the Japanese was translated into English, bad grammar and all. "Someone set up at the bar. We main screen, turn on. It's you. How are you, gentlemen? All your days are belong to us." Someone even made a song out of it: "All your days"—kind of catchy, huh? You'd think there must be some company out there that would just love to capitalize on it, right? If it were an ad, if it were, you know, if it, you know, Nike—"All your base are belong to us"—and had the swoosh on it, it wouldn't be nearly as appealing. People wouldn't want it, but they want it now. It's one of the most popular searches on the web, though. Like most underground trends, now that "All your base are belong to us" has hit mainstream, its coolness might be over soon. "All your base are belong to us" is an internet meme based on a badly translated phrase from the opening cut scene of the Japanese video game Zero Wing. The phrase first appeared on the European release of the 1991 Sega Mega Drive port of the 1989 Japanese arcade game. When asked what could have contributed to such an obviously wrong translation propagating in the development cycle of a game, Ryan explained, "The top-down hierarchy could also cause problems. I can imagine foreign staff in a company who can do their jobs and would have a lot of good input to send back up the chain, but who, for political reasons, because of the business culture, would feel intimidated or that it wouldn't be a good payoff to speak their mind, even if they see a poor translation run by their desk. I can imagine that happening because of hierarchy issues, and that's a bigger theme of problems Japanese companies face when trying to get innovation from below, and the very structure of companies causes an obstacle. The really horrendous translations—it's kind of unusual that it would go that far. It seems like somebody would catch it. I'd love to find out how 'All your base are belong to us' came up. That's not the kind of English that would come out from somebody who's educated in Japan and who's confident in their English and got assigned to the project. It's a very unusual word style, and that's what made it so famous."

Now that we've examined two popular examples of poor localization, let's deep dive into the difficulties specific to translating the Souls games. There are two main challenges that Ryan faces when translating the script prepared by Miyazaki: dealing with intentional ambiguity and handling a lack of context. Don't have [Music] your in...

In several of our making-of videos, Miyazaki has shared that he intentionally does not share the full story of his games with the team, especially during the development stage. He even goes to the painstaking effort of preparing different subsets of the full script for different teams so they cannot guess the entire story of the game they are developing. Regarding this practice, Miyazaki shared, "Usually, each department receives a different document. I never tell them everything that's going on in my head, especially during the development phase. I adapt the documents for the art department, for those working on combat, and for the other teams. I try to make them the best in the sense of how I tailor them to each discipline. That being said, even though the document is there, they simply use it as a base. If they followed it word for word, it would stifle their imagination. The same thing happens with developers; their imagination grows as they develop the game, just as the player's imagination grows when playing it. That's the key. The thing is, obviously, they can't help but share the documents between departments, and you'll find contradictions because there are inconsistencies between the different documents, but this aspect might be necessary for the creative process. So in the end, our team believes that everything is following a common and coherent goal. Contradictions may surface during development, but in the end, everything falls into place. They believe in me." This intentional ambiguity definitely adds a challenge for Ryan and his team. In an interview, the host asked about this topic, saying, "Has this element of obstruction been at all advantageous in helping Frog Nation cultivate that famous Souls atmosphere of mystery?" Ryan explained, "Not really. We want to start with as much knowledge as we can and then choose how much ambiguity there is, how much to shroud things. We don't need that to be artificially induced by tough circumstances."

Aha, you must be the new Hunter. Welcome to the Hunter's Dream. This will be your home for now. I [Music] am Gehrman, friend to you Hunters. You're sure to be in a fine haze about now, but don't think too hard about all of this; just go out and kill a few beasts. It's for your own good; you know it's just what Hunters do. You'll get used to it. Another localization challenge that Ryan faces is blindness to context. Frog Nation didn't always know where in each game a line would occur or even the exact identity of the person speaking. Ryan shared, "Could this actually be a woman? We assumed it was a man. Could this place actually be right next door? In which case, the language has to be slightly different. We thought it was far away. There's lots of little things like that where it could be interpreted two or more ways. You... you... me? Me? Pickle? Be me? Me? Buum... [Music] pickle... pickle... pickle... be pickle... be..."

We gained insight earlier into how Ryan and his team were able to solve the challenges they faced in localizing the Souls games, and that is with close collaboration with Miyazaki. Giving more details on this topic, he shared, "We have early conversations where we kind of get an overall feeling of what's happening in the game, but after that point, we have to alert Miyazaki to things that we don't know. There's not a big augmenting handbook that will give us a bunch of context that he takes the time to write; he's really too busy for that. So we do the text, the scripture that we run off first, and then we have to consult him to find out what the context is so that we don't make errors. Errors are inevitable if you don't have context, and text alone is not enough to translate correctly. It is through meticulous day-to-day conversations with Miyazaki, both remotely and in person, that Frog Nation was able to produce the quality of translation that we enjoy today." Ryan added, "For the last couple of games, it's probably in the high hundreds of individual questions as we go through the dialogue and the item text, lore especially. It was a delicate dance. I view his texts as the scripture that needs to be translated, but you do have to come up with some strategies to add color to the English that would not come out over a literal translation. There are different strategies for kind of doing that; it's essentially conjured up from the way the Japanese makes me feel; it's not just conjured out of thin air."

Visitor, Moon-scented Hunter. I am Analise, queen of Castle Cainhurst, ruler of the Vilebloods, and sworn enemy of the church. Yet our people are murdered, and we are prisoner to this wretched mask. What is it thou in search of? Well, well, an odd Hunter thou art indeed. We've tired of these pious knights. Share in our plight and take oath against the church if thou wouldst this path walk. I pray thou partake of my rotted blood. Very well, drink deep of our blood, feel the spreading corruption [Music] burn.

It's a common observation that when an individual works on a video game as part of their profession, it can diminish the enthusiasm for playing it compared to an external person who experiences it fresh and had no part in creating it. We have seen this firsthand when Miyazaki shared that he prefers not to play his older games, not even their remasters or remakes. His case is not unique, as it happens to most people. For Ryan Morris, since he didn't work on the gameplay or design of the game, he still enjoys playing it much like the rest of the Souls community. The one downside to working on the Souls games from his perspective is that much of the game story was spoiled for him by the time it finally came out. The Souls games won't present to him the charm or allure of a mysterious adventure as he knows how it was created and has actually participated in its creation. Regarding this predicament, Ryan shared, "I'd love to be able to do the Men in Black thing and just erase my memory and play it fresh, but it's still so enjoyable, and there are still so many surprises that aren't story-related in the level design and the bosses." All right, we don't want to go into that [Music] hole. Interesting. The... is that... are you serious? [Music]

As Ryan Morris worked closely with Miyazaki, not just as a translator but as a collaborator, some believe that he might have knowledge of the hidden lore in the Souls games that we are not privy to. Regarding this topic, Ryan shared, "Whether or not certain things that are not revealed have a backstory, I don't even know. In some cases, it's sometimes necessary for me to know something for one line. If it's a vague line, you normally need to know what it refers to in order to write it so that you know what you're not revealing. But there are certain things that I don't need to know about the lore to translate the script, and whether those things are in his head, on paper, or don't exist, I don't know." This leads us to a topic we covered in an exclusive video about the existence of Miyazaki's Souls Lore Bible, the Holy Grail of Souls documentation. In that video, we shared information about an interview that confirmed the existence of this highly sought-after document. The interviewer asked, "Many studios working on RPGs will employ a person to keep track of continuity in the game's story; games that stretch out over several entries might even have a so-called Bible that lays everything out. Do you have a lore Bible for the Souls games?" Miyazaki replied, "It does exist. I create the whole story and worldview, so it's a very shorthand, rough document of my own. It's inside my computer, and it also includes photographs of whiteboard layouts from the FromSoftware meeting room, but it's mostly text. I really like reading that type of background thing. If you can get your hands on the Bible for this or that, I really like that kind of document."

The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth and no small amount of courage, but if we are careful and clever, I believe that it can be done. That's why we need a burglar. H, good one, too. An expert, I'd imagine. And are you...? Before we leave the topic of game translation and move into voice acting, there is one more insight I would like to share regarding the value of localization. In an interview, the host asked about this topic, saying, "Is there any research to help gauge whether effective localization has any impact on a game's commercial prospects?" Ryan explained, "Not that I know of, but I do think that companies underestimate the importance of text. Even small mistakes can take somebody out of the universe and remind them that they're playing a product made by people in an office, and it's not very much fun if you're trying to immerse yourself. It's important to take great care with language, and it's an important facet of the game experience."

Hello there, traveling all alone in these treacherous times? Well, I hope you have a very good reason. My little piles beyond here; you'll find some of my treasures there. Please help yourself to those that suit you. Oh, hogwash! Who am I to judge? My name is Patches. Thank you very much. I will return the favor one day. I journey hither and thither on a sort of treasure hunt, you might call it. Oh, I remember [Laughter] you. Be careful out there; there's talk of unsavory bandits who prey upon travelers like yourself. Let me do that again, with... with not as terrible acting on the laughs. Yeah, thank you very much. I will return the favor one day. Oh, I remember [Music] you.

So far, we have mostly showcased voice acting clips from the previous Souls games that Frog Nation worked on. In this section, we'll explore the various actors who played a significant role in the creation of Elden Ring. We will also delve into the recording and casting process for the voice actors. Very well, join myself and King as remedy. Together, we will devour the very... go by. By now, we should all be familiar with total direction, Miyazaki's approach to game design and direction. We have discussed in several sections and videos how Miyazaki ultimately influences and controls every minute aspect of the game. As expected, voice acting is no exception. In the same way that Miyazaki obsesses about the names of characters, background sound, music, and various game mechanics, he dedicates the same focus to voice acting. Here is what Kesa McDonald shared about Miyazaki regarding his attention to detail on voice acting in the context of Dark Souls. She said, "For Miyazaki, the delivery and acting were as important as the words themselves." To assemble the cast for Dark Souls, after the script had been checked, edited, and reviewed once again, Frog Nation auditioned several actors for every role, and then Miyazaki would make the final call. The recording took place at Soho Square Studios in London, and Miyazaki flew over to supervise. If you're wondering how the game's director had time to not only write and edit every line of dialogue himself but also oversee the entire casting and voicing process as well as every other aspect of Dark Souls art and design, join the club. I've never met a single other game director who has the time to be so involved in every aspect of development. And this is the same game director who finds the time to reenact cutscenes and perform character actions in the game so that the animators have a better idea of how he envisions a scene in his mind. Ryan Morris, who works closely with Miyazaki on localizing the game script, experiences firsthand Miyazaki's close supervision of voice acting. Here he is describing a typical recording process for a Souls game. He shared, "We had meetings where we heard auditions for about three or four people for each part, and Miyazaki and I, along with somebody from Bandai Namco, the producer, would listen through those and choose. The final process was mostly Miyazaki closing his eyes, listening very intently and saying, 'I like this one,' and asking us what we thought. It was mostly his sense for their voices."

In an earlier section, we discussed the challenges of localizing the game script, which becomes the golden source for menu text, item descriptions, and most importantly, character dialogues. Voice acting also presents challenges to Frog Nation, which handles the casting and recording of voices for the game. In an interview, the host asked about this topic, saying, "You request a large amount of support material from developers; how does that help you in your localization?" Ryan explained, "When you're coming up with the voice for a character, you need to know what they look like; you need to know what kind of person they are. There's only a certain amount you can glean from the dialogue; there's a certain voice you can hear in the Japanese dialogue, but it's incomplete, and you have to fill out the rest of the voice with additional cues. Some things are elementary; plurality is not often expressed in Japanese, for instance, so you need to know if it's one monster or four that's being referred to. Sometimes you need to know the proximity of characters and how they're standing in relationship to each other."

Mighty Dragon, there, a true born heir, lend me thy strength! Oh, Kindred, deliver me unto greater heights! Well, tarnished, playing as a lord, I command thee now! I am the Lord of all that is golden! Truest of dragons, lend me thy [Music] strength, one and all! Ultimately, once the script has been localized and everything is ready, the actors have to be selected, and the voice recording has to begin. Ryan shared some insight into the background of most of these voice actors and the recording process, saying, "The actors themselves came largely from a stage background; some were indeed serious Shakespearean actors, but none of them were intimately acquainted with video games. For Demon's Souls, it was completely out of nowhere, so nobody knew what they were doing. For Dark Souls, we seem to have more people who were familiar with doing voices for games in general, understanding how you have these separate lines that were isolated and how you'd have to do a bunch of death sounds all in a row and such like. We had an actor whose son really loved the game or something, but most of them didn't know much about it. Some of them actually made some nice little corrections to our script, pointing out the faults in some of our Victorian or ancient language, and corrections by a proper Shakespearean actor were enormously appreciated. Miyazaki likes to do last-minute corrections or adjustments depending on how the actor says things. We ask about their dialect, what would be a natural word to use here; we'd get them to ad-lib a little where possible, but it's a pretty planned-out script, so there was not a great deal of flexibility."

While Ryan is the lead translator of the localization team, he also moonlights as a voice actor, although he has not yet won any awards for his voice acting. Here are some of the notable performances he has done for the Souls games. Ryan's first foray into the art of voice acting is with the game Dark Souls. After missing the chance to join the cast for Demon's Souls, in Dark Souls he played the enigmatic role of Maiden Knight. Many members of the community are not familiar with this character, but after countless hours of research, we found out that he is none other than Nico, one of the knights providing support to Rhea of Thorolund. Here is Ryan Morris performing the role of Nico of Thorolund. What if I got Dam [Music] [Music]?

After Ryan's successful debut as the voice actor for Nico, he took on a more challenging role, this time the role enabling him to portray a wide array of emotional spectrum. This could be considered a significant leap from his previous role playing as Nico. Here is Ryan Morris performing the role of the Messengers in Bloodborne. Though Ryan didn't win any voice-acting awards for his roles in Dark Souls and Bloodborne, he didn't give up on his career as a budding voice actor. His perseverance and determination were recognized by FromSoftware by giving him a most daunting and challenging role in Dark Souls 3. Here is Ryan Morris performing the role of Horace the Hushed in Dark Souls [Music] 3. After finding success in playing emotionally struggling characters in video games, Ryan was ready for prime time, and he was on a roll in Miyazaki's latest and biggest game. He successfully nabbed the role of a major character in Elden Ring. Here is Ryan Morris performing the role of the ever-brilliant Goldmask in Elden Ring [Music] [Music].

Now that we are more familiar with the recording and casting process, we'll explore the voice actors who played some of the biggest roles in Elden Ring. The founder of Frog Nation, Lynn Robson, shared that a lot of thought had been put into how and why the voice actors had been cast. She said that players have often sent feedback impressed by the presence of regional accents that aren't often heard in games. Lynn added, "Elden Ring presents complex family relationships, and we came up with Welsh and Cornish regional dialects since both are derived from the Brythonic language spoken in Britain before and during the Roman occupation and fitted the premise." The first voice actor we will highlight is Amy Fiona Edwards. She possesses a very distinct voice that perfectly complements the character of Rennala. The character she portrays is one of the most beloved in the Elden Ring community. Edwards's depiction of Rennala exudes elegance, a regal demeanor, firmness, and is remarkably pleasing to the ears. "This way, Tarnished. May I have a word? A pleasure to meet thee, Tarnished. I am the witch Rennala. I'd heard tell of a Tarnished hurtling about atop a spectral steed, and upon looking into the matter, the talk I surmise is of thee. Thou art possessed of the power, nay, to call

As recompense, eliminate the baleful Shadows which prow these lands. The name of Ranni, the witch, is already cried by Thee. I will not brook disobedience in this matter.

To appreciate how perfectly matched Amy Fen Edwards' voice is to the character of Ranni, let's explore some of the feedback from the members of the community. I love her voice acting. Her dialogue was the only time I never skipped through. Her voice is so soothing. Her voice is so pretty. I love her Welsh accent so much. Her voice acting is out of this world. Best girl, no question asked. Her voice is so smooth and soft, like warm butter on a biscuit.

Amy is a Welsh actress and singer. She is known for playing Sketch and Skins, Esme Shelby in Peaky Blinders, Sophie in Detectorists, and Abby in Loaded. She also had a starring voice role as Moo in the English dub of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and played the role of the major character Ranni, the witch, in Elden Ring.

Before we explore the various clips featuring her work in TV shows and games, let's listen to Amy's normal voice, taken from an interview.

You begin to start with this character. She's so lovely and effervescent, and the youngest, so she gets pushed aside a little bit. How do you think to start with a character like this? I mean, it's so well written and it's such a fun character, and obviously we did—I didn't like—I sort of created a little bit of it in the short film, originally originally, but yeah, I kind of—the script's amazing, and so it's so easy. You—the dynamic is so clear between all the characters, and I mean, once we all got together and the energy that each actress and actor—it just made it really easy. I was about to say, was that an instantaneous connection? 'Cause you feel like sisters in the best possible way. That's so good to know. I think as soon as we were like, around the round tables and the rehearsals, there was something about everyone's energy that just kind of clicked, and everyone is so warm and funny, and and just engaged in the story. And so yeah, I think I think it all really works.

Now that we have heard her normal talking voice, let's listen to her other performances. In 2006, Amy joined the Pop Idol-type Welsh language TV show called W Factor, finishing as a runner up. [Music] [Music] Um, just [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music]

Amy starred in various TV shows, but one of the most popular is her role as Esme Shelby in Peaky Blinders. Imagine riding away, Thomas. Living the real life, you know, your Gypsy office are stronger, lots of metal lying around, still guns and trucks and spent shells and things, and you go south.

When not working on TV shows and video games, she also engages in poetry reading, as shown in this clip. What is this life, if full of care? We have no time to stand and [Music] stay, no time to stand beneath the boughs [Music] and stare, as long as sheep or [Music] cows, no time to see when Woods we pass, where squirrels hide their nuts in [Music] Grass, no time to see in broad daylight streams, full of Stars like skies at night.

Amy's first foray into video games was in 2015 for the title Everybody's Gone to the Rapture. After that, she took on one of the major roles in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 as Moo. I'll keep going while my flame still flickers, to the bitter end. Me, three moments, and then I'll be gone from this world. I thought about this a lot, about what I'll leave behind. I've sent off so many who felt the same. This right here is what the world is really like, designed to keep us shkl. If I see an enemy, I [Music] fight. On the other side, the people live hoping the same things as us. You kids don't need to be fighting each other, not anymore. And now the whole world will be your enemy. Stop toying with everyone's Li—the you itself. If push comes to sh—do not s—do whatever it takes for the greater [Music] good. You cling to life in your desperation. To all the friends he had, wishing they'd had more time, just one more day, one more minute, to build a future that would make us free. That's why I'll keep trying while my flame still flickers [Music].

When Elden Ring's gameplay was finally revealed, towards the end of the hollowing, it featured incredibly memorable lines that truly captured the essence of the [Music] game. Foul tarnished in search of the Elden Ring, emboldened by the flame of ambition, someone must extinguish thy flame. These lines were delivered by Anthony Howell, the voice actor we will feature next. With limited information shared by Bandai Namco or FromSoftware at the time, the community was left speculating about the identity of the actor behind those impactful lines. Howell's voice possesses a majestic quality, with undertones reminiscent of a wild beast, perfectly befitting a powerful villain. Foul tarnished in search of the Elden Ring, emboldened by the flame of ambition, someone must extinguish thy flame. One of the candidates proposed by a segment of the Souls community was the English actor Bill Nighy, whose voice shares some similarities with the character in the Elden Ring trailer. But genre acting, I do it. It's like, I—I do very much like being a vampire, and uh, it makes me laugh, and I—and it—it's very difficult to keep a straight face when you're hissing and stuff, uh, when you have because you're required as a vampire often to hiss violently at your colleagues, often nose to nose. Part of the contract? Well, it's kind of in there. You—you know, you have to—there's no way out of it, and it's fun, but try keeping a straight face, and often it will—you know, you're going—you—you know, I mean, that's—you know, if there's two of you at it, the crew generally, if they can hold it together at all, as soon as somebody says cut, they fall apart right, because it's funny and it's silly, and I kind of—I really like it when things get—

Dared. Chain has never been broken, not once, not in 14 centuries, not since we Elders first began to leapfrog through time. One awake to asleep—that's the way of it. It is Marcus's turn to reign, not mine.

However, it turned out that the regal yet vampiric voice didn't belong to Bill Nighy. Instead, it belonged to someone whom I personally believe is even more adept at portraying such characters: Anthony Howell. Howell is an English actor renowned for his diverse roles in theatre, television, and films, as well as his extensive experience as a voice actor for big-budgeted games. Even before Elden Ring, his initial foray into video game voice acting began with Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, followed by Alien: Isolation, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and Horizon Zero Dawn. He notably played the main character in the video game Vampyr, where once again he showcased his remarkable ability to portray majestic [Music] monsters. Overnight, my world has changed. The gnawing hunger inside me, every night, it must be appeased. The thing I've become—oh, all around a vampire, a thing to be hunted down like an evil beast. But as a doctor, I know there's worse to [Music] come. My life has become a waking nightmare. I did not choose the thing I've become, but I can choose the lives I now take. Cast be the choice.

Earlier, we shared how the voice actor Amy Fen Edwards can make any lines of Ranni pleasing to the ears. The same thing applies to Anthony Howell, even if some of the characters he plays are villains. One last red tear for my fallen sister. I realize the entire world now revolves around this singular word. The epidemic that has stricken London is not the Spanish Flu; it is transmitted through the blood, via violent biting, turning survivors into frenzied immortals. I am Dr. Jonathan Reed. I am a vampire, born anew into an age of death and pestilence, while plotting factions close in around me. I am sworn to find the source of this epidemic. I am convinced greater perils are still to come. I know the answers as I seek are hiding in our blood.

One year after playing the main character in Vampyr, Anthony played the role of Forgiven Levure in Final Fantasy XIV. In 2019. Elder seeds here. I thank you for granting me this audience. I am Forgiven Levure, in my capacity as representative of the Forum. It—it is I who should thank you, master Forgiven, for journeying so far and so swiftly. Would that our first meeting could have been under happier [Music] circumstances. It has been too long, father. You look [Music] well, as do you both. Amelan will be glad to hear that you are taking care of yourselves. How is mother? She misses you terribly, of course, but is otherwise a picture of [Music] Health. Circumstances apart, I'm grateful that our meeting has afforded me the chance to be reunited with my children at long last, and I believe I also owe you thanks for the hospitality you showed my father, lswa, your during his soj in aoia.

Elden Ring is not the first Souls game for Anthony, as he also played a minor role in the remake of Demon's Souls in 2020. He lent his voice to the character of Jurt, the Silent Chief. Are you here to fight the demons? If so, then help me escape this place. I am on your side. I have come to face the demons. I am indebted to you for your help in Latria. Without it, I would not have made it back. Now I can go on with my work, and for that, thank you. What is it? I have no business with you, not yet. Do not be concerned. Life is hardly as precious as one might think.

One year after the Demon's Souls remake, he played both the roles of Margrit and Morgott in Elden Ring. Graceless tarnished, what is thy business with these Thrones? Ah, Godrick the Golden, the twin prodigies, Miquella and Malenia, General Radahn, Prelate Rykard, Loretta, Princess Rennala, willful traitors—all thy kind are all of a piece, pillagers emboldened by the flame of ambition, have it R upon my meager grave, filed by King Morgoth, last of all Kings.

Following his role in Elden Ring, Anthony took on significant characters in other major games, including Diablo IV, Final Fantasy XVI, and Lies of P. In Diablo IV, he portrayed the major villain named Elias, prominently featured in the game's main trailer. From the abyss, we seek thy salvation. By three they come, by three thy way opens, by the blood of the Willing, we call thee home. Come, blessed. The eternal life protects me. That div—wisdom. See me. Open your eyes. Eternal life protects me. Eternal life protects me. Eternal life protects me. Eternal life protects me. There is no light here. You came to the darkness for knowledge, yes, and all the knowledge you seek is here. Surrender. Speak the words. Call her home. By three they [Music] come, by three thy way opens, by the blood of the Willing, we call thee home. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Hail daughter of [Music] hatred, creative of sanctuary, Lilith, Blessed Mother, save us. [Music]

Similar to his portrayal of Margitt in Elden Ring, Anthony seamlessly embodies the character of Elias, exuding an air of royalty and grandeur, despite being a villain. Misto Diablo. Bale. The ruination of Sanctuary is imminent, and yet you doubt. Only zealots and fools are completely certain, Mother. If we are to be saved, it will be by your hand. I have not come to save. In my shadow, the strong will oppose the might of Hell itself. Let the weak fend for themselves. Andariel lives. The Horadrim die. Whatever the cost. Whatever the [Music] cost.

Previously, we mentioned that when Amy Fen Edwards isn't occupied with her work on TV shows and voice acting, she engages in poetry reading. This also holds true for Anthony, as demonstrated in this clip where he recites Shakespeare's Sonnet 47. Betwixt mine eye and heart a league is took, and each doth good turns now unto the other. When that mine eye is famished for a look, or heart in love with sighs himself doth smother with my love's picture, then my eye doth feast, and to the painted banquet bids my heart. Another time mine eye is my heart's guest, and in his thoughts of love doth share a part. So either by thy picture or my love, thyself away art present still with me; for thou art farther than my thoughts can move, and I am still with them, and they with thee. Or if they sleep, thy picture in my sight awakes my heart to hearts and eyes' delight.

Anthony's latest video game role is in the popular Souls-like title Lies of P, where he played the character Geppetto. Finally, we meet, son. It's a dream come true, seeing you like this. I understand why some people despise me. I invented the puppets, after all. I should take responsibility as their maker, but in order for me to do that, I need to take care of the puppets. At City Hall, won't you help me, son? Take this; you'll find it most useful.

A few weeks after Elden Ring's release, many members of the Souls community have already reached the endgame and started facing the truly difficult enemies in the game. One boss that has stood out above all in providing challenge and frustration to avid players is a boss named Malenia. For [Music] I dreamt for so long, my flesh was dull gold, and my blood rotted. Corpse after corpse left in my wake, as I waited is return. Heed my words. I am Malenia, Blade of Miquella, [Music] and I have never known defeat. [Applause] The scarlet rot flowers once more. You will witness true [Music] now. R. Her name brings fear among Elden Ring players and evokes true terror. Many players cannot forget Malenia, as she is keen to remind you of her prowess in every defeat. Malenia is so tough that even veteran Souls game players like Oroboro faced numerous deaths before they finally triumphed against her. Okay, come on, come on. She alone. No damn—noia. I know who you are. Seemed like—I thought I did pretty good there. A—i di—maybe I am—ia—um, please stop. I am—I am a—I am Malenia, Blade of Miquella.

The Blade of Miquella was voiced by Pippa Bennett-Warner, a popular British actress who has played numerous roles in TV shows, films, and theatre. Pippa's voice exudes grace and strength, even in casual conversation, as can be seen in this interview. Hi. Congratulations on a fantastic film. Could you start, tell us a little about your role and how you got involved in the project in the first—yes. So I play a character called Anne Staple, who is the assistant and mistress of John Wolfe, played by Ree Sher Smith, and um, she's this determined woman who wants to get her man. He won't commit; she wants him to commit. And I got involved—I just got sent the script and sent a tape in, and then that was it. And what was it like working with such an all-star ensemble around you as well? It was amazing. I had to kind of pinch myself every day at work. I was like, oh my god, really? This—this is—this happening? It was amazing. And just watching people and watching people's comedic timing, and it was—it was like a masterclass, really. And you know, obviously there's a lot of, you know, comedy, um, sort of murder mysteries—that being at their death on Nile, Knives Out. What do you think is this kind of massive ha of this genre, but they're just so fun, aren't they? You just like want to see who's done it, basically, and like, and also, you know, the costumes are always great, and there's always good—I don't know—there's just something about the genre that's fun, and I think just keeps bringing people back, bringing people back, and you know, also actors wanting to do them. So yeah.

Her voice's attributes are even more evident in the badass roles that she portrays in films and television shows. Whatever that is, I don't want it. That's your choice, but hang on to it. It won't do you any harm. You're going to tell me who you are. I assume you're some kind of nutcase, or maybe someone who's nursing a grudge. Refreshing. There's something about Lawrence's recklessness that adds up to integrity. He takes up genuine positions. The papers are going nuts over his views over prisons, and he doesn't give a d. Ask for my opinion, but I put the case behind me. People don't hire me to investigate; they hire me to win.

Pippa is relatively new to voice acting for video games, and Elden Ring was among her first. Her only other game role is in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, where Amy Edwards, the voice actor of Ranni, plays the female lead role, Moo. In this clip, you can hear both Ranni and Malenia talk. Monica. What's up? Sounds ominous. We were hoping we could ask you about someone—gica, in fact—about Dad. Everyone in the city speaks so highly of him, but we still don't know a whole lot about him. I think we owe him that much. All right. Where do you want to start? You were brought up by him, right? So we thought you'd probably understand him better than anyone else. I wish that were the case. The gundam that I knew was a man that I always looked up to. He was always busy keeping the city together or fighting out on the front line, always distant. After I chose a military life, he didn't even talk to me like a parent anymore. I got to know the man, I think, but not the father. I just thought that we'd have more time together. I don't blame you guys for any of this. Dad—gerer—died in the line of duty, trying to accomplish his aim, but that's not all. He died fighting for what he believed in, and he saw it through—of that much, I'm sure. [Music]

Before we reveal the Elden Ring character of the next featured voice actor, we must first showcase his performance, as he might be one of the best actors in this collection. In 2016, a British TV show named The Crown started airing, and it received widespread critical acclaim, winning multiple awards and achieving the highest ratings. However, what's most unusual about this show is that there is one character who consistently steals scenes from the main characters, much like when Charles Dance appears in episodes of Game of Thrones. Well, thank you for letting me know, of course. Tommy. Thank you for understanding. I'm sorry. No, I'm sorry. I imagine it must be difficult being dictated to like that by an employee. I wasn't dictated to. I'm missing something. You said this editor was telling you what he was going to print in your newspaper. He is, but I can't keep telling him what to write. I thought that was the point of owning a newspaper. Martin, you've worked at the palace now for what, 3 years? I have. Thought that long enough for you to know the ropes, understand the rules, the way things are done. I think I do. Manifestly not. Following consultation with the government, the Foreign Office, and Her Majesty's press secretary, the decision's been taken to move forward your posting to Brussels with immediate effect. A car is waiting to take you first to your apartment, where you will pack, and then directly to the airfield. The plane for Brussels leaves in just under 3 hours. You know, Tommy, you're an embarrassment to the institution you serve and to the country that institution serves in turn. And I will take a lecture on national embarrassment from many people, sir, but not from you.

The actor we are referring to is Pip Torrens, and the character he plays who keeps stealing scenes from others is Tommy Lascelles. Individuality in the House of Windsor? Any departure from that way of doing things is not to be encouraged. It results in catastrophes like the abdication. Abdicating the throne and choosing my private secretary is hardly comparing like with like. I disagree. I served your uncle, as you know, and it's in the small things that the rot starts. The next in line and the senior of my two deputies and the natural heir is Michael, your man—the right man.

Pip Torrens is so underrated in this show that Wikipedia does not even list him among the cast on The Crown's wiki page. To provide context on how fans of the show view him, here are some feedback from the online community. Tommy is, without any question, the most interesting and incredible character on the series. Once he left, the series was never quite the same. Pip Torrens absolutely stole every scene he was in during his tenure in The Crown. I could watch him perform 24/7, honestly. Pip Torrens would kill if he was given a role in House of the Dragon or a story set in the A Song of Ice and Fire universe. His acting is on par with that of Charles Dance, and he can portray just as intimidating a character on screen.

One of the most memorable scenes in which he is involved is the one where he reveals the collusion of the Queen's uncle with Nazi Germany during World War II. To the Duke of Windsor, made his loyalties clear as soon as he became king, surrounded himself with a new breed of courtier, men such as Carl, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg, a renowned Nazi. He also shared classified Allied documents with the Duchess of Windsor, who was herself, we believe, sharing a bed—forgive me, ma'am—with the German ambassador, Ribbentrop. But the plan was hatched, a plan to reinstate the Duke of Windsor as King of England, effectively betraying and dethroning your dear late father, in return for German forces being given free reign across Europe. When a German aircraft crashed in Belgium, carrying Hitler's entire military plan for the invasion of France, the Duke wasted no time in letting his Nazi friends know that Allied forces had indeed recovered this priceless information, which gave Germany time to change its plans, and in less than a month, Paris fell to German occupation. But perhaps worst of all, the Duke told the German government that resolve in the United Kingdom in the face of the German aerial bombardment was weakening, and its continued bombing—that is, the continued slaughter of his fellow countrymen and former subjects—would, I quote, soon make Britain ready for peace again.

Let's look at the feedback from fans for Pip Torrens' performance in this episode. The best thing about his performance here is that while on the surface it is a dry and dispassionate description of the evidence, you can truly feel Tommy's infinite rage bubbling just underneath. The actor playing Tommy is so perfect, superbly perfect. The control, the understatement, brilliant. The whole series satisfies the ideal of drama to be informative as well as to be entertaining. This actor has the most condescending voice in the world, and I love him for it.

Now you may ask, what is the point of showing all of these scenes? This is to prepare you for what is coming. When Elden Ring held its Network Test, the community discovered one fascinating character by the name of Varre. Oh, yes, Tarnished, come to the Lands Between for the Elden Ring, of course. You have no shame in it, but I'm afraid you're plumb out of luck. You are, Maiden, a bit player, fully divorced from the strength of runes. Feel free to go off and die in a ditch somewhere. Oh, can't seem to wrap your head around your predicament? It's no surprise. You poor, hav—knots are a stubborn lot. Fine then, if you must have a go at it, Maiden as you are, you'll require an education on the ways of the Learned. Tarnished, are you familiar with Grace, the golden light that gives life to you, Tarnished? You may also behold its golden ray is pointing in a particular direction at times. That is the guidance of Grace, the path that a Tarnished must travel. It's nothing short of a miracle that the guidance of Grace can lead you, Maiden as you are, to the perfect place to die in obscurity. Guidance will show the way, most certainly, to—to Castle Stormveil, over on the cliff, the home of the decrepit demigod, Godrick the Grafted. Although I'm afraid you'll never make it that far, rest assured, I sympathize deeply. There's no worse fate than to be Maiden. Oh, yes, by now you should know that Varre is played by none other than Pip Torrens. Frog Nation chose the best actor to call your character Maiden, and later, as his Lampkin. I wish to anoint you a proper inductee, a knight to serve Luminary Mohg, the Lord of Blood, and establish a new Dynasty. Luminary Mohg has strength, vision, and of course, love. So what do you say, my Lampkin? Oh, my, perhaps you misheard me. Nothing wrong with giving you a day or two for your ears to clear out.

Pip Torrens is an English actor and a veteran at playing leading and supporting roles for TV shows and films. He assumed a leading role in the shows Poirot and Preacher. Phase two is in place and awaits your command. Any sign of CA? Not yet. And my reward as well—uh, my looks, my beauty, fully restored? Right, right. It's just that—uh, physical attractiveness has always been sort of a calling card for me.

Before we leave this section, let's listen to the normal speaking voice of Pip Torrens, as shown in this interview clip. You can clearly hear some hints of Varre and Tommy hiding in there. I'm going to be joining uh, an Amazon Prime show called Preacher with Dominic Cooper and Ruth Negga, and I'm off to do that in about 3 weeks, and I've been looking at other actors who are joining it, and um, it's just great to see the quality of—of—of people that you're going to be working with. It deals with some very profound subject matter in a very—um—clever and apparently—um—flippant way, although flippant is not quite the right word. You realize it's getting a lot deeper than you would have imagined as you get drawn into the story. Why do you think, both domestically and internationally, uh, the history of our royal family continues to be such an infinite source of fascination? Perhaps The Crown will bring home to a lot of people that, certainly for the Queen, no one will ever live the kind of life that she's lived again. I don't think it's possible. With the way Monica is developed and things changed, Roderika is one of the essential characters in Elden Ring, as she helps upgrade your spirit ashes. You will meet her early in the game as you head towards Stormveil Castle. Everyone's been grafted. Everyone who came with me, they crossed the sea for me, they fought for me, only to have their arms taken, their legs taken, even their heads taken—taken and stuck to the spider. Did you know if you're grafted by the spider, you become a chrysalis? It's quite the luck when you think about it. You're all on your own, are you, and heading to Stormveil Castle, enticed by the one in the white mask, I suppose. Oh, you've come to be one with the spider? Well, that makes us two peas in a pod, but I don't have your courage. It's scary, you know, having your arms cut off or legs or your head. I want to be like everyone else, but I'm just too scared. I'm nothing but a craven.

The first time I heard her speech in the game, I thought I recognized her voice from the popular TV show Game of Thrones. She reminded me of Ygritte, Jon Snow's lover in Game of Thrones. She was portrayed by Rose Leslie. Is that a—we got it. It's a windmill. Well, I'm Jon Snow, and I'm from Winterfell. My daddy was a fancy Lord and now lived in a tower that touched the clouds. Or do you like girls who swooned on snow? However, I was wrong. Roderika was not voiced by Rose Leslie, but by Helen Monks. Helen is an English writer, actress, and comedian. She is best known for her roles in The Archers, The Last Kingdom, and most prominently in Raised by Wolves—not this Raised by Wolves, but this one. Bikes are knackering. No wonder Lance Armstrong took those drugs. I feel like I've only got one testicle now. Bu—is there a cafe? I would love a frappuccino, just like Ry M, only angrier. She's rage M.

Helen is a mainstay of the comedy show Upstart Crow, where she plays the role of Susanna Shakespeare, the Bard's eldest daughter. From all of these videos, you can clearly hear the voice of Roderika. Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Sorry, Dad. How old's this sad weirdo supposed to be? The made be 13. Say stuff like this, Dad? I'd sound like a complete—turn—it. To be clear, you're going to have to have jul—to say, Romeo, Romeo, why are you called Romeo, a member of a family that I hate? That do it. Before we leave this section, let's hear the normal speaking voice of Helen in this video, prepared for her school. My name is Helen Monks, and I graduated from the School of English a year ago, um, and now I'm working as a professional actor. So I was really lucky that I auditioned for Raised by Wolves while I was still studying at Sheffield, and they let me go away and do that, and then I filmed it the summer after I graduated, so um, I was really lucky to—my career got launched immediately, really. So during my time at the University of Sheffield, there were huge amounts of resources that allowed you to sort of facilitate your own work and your own creation, um, it taught you how to really, really be employable, I think, as a thing—particularly my course, which was English and Theatre, where you had huge amounts of resources to an actual theatre where I like previewed shows for the Fringe—again that I'd written—um, or rehearsal spaces, um, but also just practical things like how to market yourself, um, what kind of fields of study to go into—the Careers Department was so, so helpful, particularly for people who work in—in Humanities or were studying Humanities courses, 'cause you want to work out how you can really be employable. So it gave you kind of huge amount of independence, um, and was a real kind of platform and encouragement for how to then use all the skills you've learned at University and practically apply them in the real working world. I think all of my favorite memories at Sheffield revolve around uh, my participation in societies. That's something amazing about Sheffi—there are so many societies—there's literally something for everybody. And something I'd recommend for people going there is just get involved in everything that you can and do everything that you can, 'cause it's only 3 years, so really make the most of being in this place where everything is available to you—everything's free—um, and it's really a chance to work out what you're good at and work out what you love and what you strive in, um, so yeah, societies for me were like the hub of—of my time at Sheffield. I was so sad when I left Sheffield; it was like really awful and upsetting, and it was for all of my other friends as well, 'cause we just had the best 3 years ever. But something that's kind of—um—ease the pain and offset the pain is the fact that everybody's carried on doing exactly what they're doing, but in the real world, and it's equipped everybody to go off and do amazing things. And so all the stuff they were doing in the little Sheffield bubble, um, is now infiltrated into the real world and I think making the world a better place. And you see the people popping up everywhere, really thriving in their own individual careers, which is really exciting, um, and so I do think that although I'm really sad I've left Sheffield, it's like Sheffield for life, and what I gained at Sheffield I'll carry with me [Music] forever.

Before we unveil the name—name—of the next voice actor and the character he portrays in Elden Ring, let's see if you can guess who he is based on this next clip. Among all the voice actors in this collection, he holds a special place, having been involved in Miyazaki's games as early as the first Souls [Music] game. Hello there. I'm Kobe. I'm the caretaker here at Apple Tree House. I just love the community and helping out. Hi, huh. Is everything okay? We need to find some mangoes. Your daughter kindly suggested that we might chat to the neighbors to see if we can borrow some ingredients for our special recipe.

So were you able to identify the character he represents in the Souls games? If you haven't guessed yet, let's give it another try. Oh, hello there. I'm Kobe. I'm the caretaker here at Apple Tree House. I hope you were able to guess who he is; otherwise, you might fall into the trap of his next trickery. Oh, um, hello. Yes, strange place for a chance encounter, huh? I thought I could use a rest. Don't mind me; go about your business. Right over there, see that? Something shimmering. I swear. Well, if you really are that gble, then stay away from the volcano mana. Bye now. Take care. Okay.

William Vanderpuye, popularly known as Will Vanderpuye, is a British actor, broadcaster, writer, voiceover artist, and producer. Within the Souls community, he is recognized as the voice behind the beloved character named Patches. While he has contributed as a voice actor in various video games, it was with Demon's Souls that he experienced a breakthrough, giving life to an iconic character. His voice became synonymous with this character to the extent that during the remake of Demon's Souls, he returned to reprise the role. Oh, the demons haven't got to you, have they? I'm in luck. We—you see that pit? It's filled with treasure, but I'm having a little trouble getting to it myself. Go on, have a look. There's more riches than I've ever dreamed of. That's it—that pit, just there. Go on, get a little closer. Hey, hey! Don't hold it against me, eh? Take your time, starving to death, then I'll sell every last trinket of your cors.

Despite being primarily known in the Souls community for his voice acting, Will Vanderpuye is actively engaged in martial arts and commenced sports commentary in 2002. Welcome back. He's big, he's bad, he's the Beast. A display of newfound stamina and kicking prowess propelled Bob the Beast Sapp past three opponents and earned the American former NFL victory at the Japan Grand Prix. Love him or hate him, Sapp battled through eight tough rounds to win this tournament, and here Sapp and Takayuki of Japan put on a mono show in the final. So Bob Sapp and Tommy Hera in this final. Sapp desperately listening to his corner. Oh my goodness me, it's a down. Tommy Hera takes a count.

In addition to his voice work, Will commentates live fights and has captivated audiences in more than 50 countries. Hello. [Applause] Poos. Good evening, and welcome to WFC 11, coming to you live from Porto Rose in Slovenia. I'm—s—Will Vanderpuye, O, and tonight we have got a card that is absolutely world-beating. International fighters with standup and MMA presiding over events this evening is world-famous, dare I say it, referee Grant Waterman. Grant, we got a great card here. What have you got to say about the fight tonight? Well, tonight, we haven't just got one main event; we have got nine main events. WFC just keeps getting better and better and better, and it genuinely is an honor to referee this show. Well, I've just looked at the card here, and some amazing fighters. First up, Gregor Herb of Germany, he's taking on Dragon Tanovic from Serbia. Now, I know these Serbian boys—for me—have invented a whole new fighting style. I call it SJJ

Addition to his voice work, he took on the role of Kobe in the BAFTA-nominated BBC series Apple Tree House, a project he co-created, co-wrote, and co-produced. In this show, he showcases his most wholesome version, offering a departure from the deceptive charm of Patches. It's the perfect place to witness Patches, or rather, Will Vanders, in a singing role.

“I’m a big fan of singing,” just look at this. “It’s been a funny old day, but in a very strange way, I’m delighted to say Happy Strange Day.” You see, I forgot I was losing the plot, but you surprised me. You start on a strange day. It’s a strange day. It’s a strange day. You surprised me because it’s my birthday. The best thing about living here is there’s always something new to discover. It’s getting louder. I just can’t hear what it’s coming from. Then we have to listen harder. What is it? I think we’ve got a musical mystery. Thanks for stopping by at Apple Tree House. Bye.

Despite his diverse talents, for those of us in the Souls community, Will Vanders will forever remain our favorite trickster. Much to everyone’s delight, he made a triumphant return in Elden Ring, portraying Patches the Untethered.

“Well, well, well. Thought you’d just help yourself to a man’s personal belongings, huh? You scheming little thief! The gods demand repentance. Cough up your coin—all of it!”

“Wait, wait, please! I surrender, white flag and all.”

“Oh, for Pete’s sake, I concede. No one likes a bullheaded brute, you know.”

“I yield! Yield! You… you can’t harm a yielding man.”

“Finally come round, have you? Well, I knew you would. You’re a man of reason through and through.”

“Ah, well, what do you know? You’re tarnished like me now.”

“How did I get that wrong? I took you for a demigod or some such, but an innocent mistake, I assure you.”

“Well, water under the bridge now. We’re squared up. How about we play nice from now on? I’m Patches, Patches the Untethered, tarnished like you, only free-spirited, nomadic you might say—only for now. Those retired soldiers turned bandits paying for my GR in exchange for my… well, showing them the ropes. But honestly, this looting racket is bloody terrifying. I’m ready to wash my hands clean, maybe set up a legitimate shop. So don’t be a stranger. I’ll be ready to wheel and deal, come next [Laughter] time.”

When the official gameplay trailer of Elden Ring was released, we heard for the first time the voice of Melina, one of the most, most important characters we will meet in our journey in the Lands Between. Her voice is so distinct that it sets the tone and mood of what kind of game Elden Ring is.

The Tarnished will soon return. Guided by Grace once lost, the Golden Order is broken to its core. [Music]

Melina is so important in our Elden Ring adventure that she is among the first characters we will meet in the [Music] game.

“Greetings, traveler, from beyond the fog. I am [Music] Melina. I offer you an accord. Have you heard of the Finger Maidens? They serve the Two Fingers, offering guidance and aid to the Tarnished. But you, I am afraid, are no Maiden. I can play the role of Maiden, turning runes into strength, to aid you in your search for the Elden Ring. You need only take me with you to the foot of the Erdtree. Then, it settled. Summon me by grace to turn runes into strength.”

If you are a big fan of Dark Souls 3 and, in particular, of a non-playable character named Captain Yorska, you will recognize that they share the same voice actor.

“My blade of the Darkmoon, thy deeds merit great worship. I, Yorska, captain of this company, hereby recognize thy service. This is a wonder of the Darkmoon, inherited from my brother, for this very purpose. Please take this, that most deserving of it, as a shade of Father Gwyn and sister Gwynevere. Persevere in thy nightly duty, hunting down the gods’ would-be foes. I would speak to my brother of this one day, of the shining new hope that joined our dear company. I speak of thee, of course.” [Music]

Melina and Captain Yorska are both voiced by Martha MacIsaac. She’s an English actress best known for playing Katie Jackson in the TV comedy-drama series Stella. She has performed in several films, TV shows, and video games. Before we explore her various roles, let’s hear her normal speaking voice as shown in this interview. The context of this conversation is for the 2012 film titled Latvia, 4 years before she joined the Dark Souls 3 cast and 10 years before Elden Ring.

“When I first read the script, she stood out as different to the other characters in… in terms of class, quite honestly. And also when I went in to meet um Barry and Alex and when I auditioned for them, that was a point that they made. And I think that’s what makes her character so interesting, especially in terms of the relationship between Chris and Georgia. That kind of difference in their upbringing actually makes their relationship a lot more interesting, I think. The other thing that um… that’s kind of crucial to the film and what makes it an intelligent piece really is… is her dyslexia, because how her dyslexia actually changes the course of how what she does… um… is that something that you… that you… you picked up on yourself? And did you look into dyslexia as part of your research?”

“Yeah, I mean we did a lot of kind of discussion about all of our characters. There was a lot of that before we even started filming and also while we were filming as well. You know, it’s a constant thing, you know, when you’re on set and you know discussing, ‘Oh, but this is why she does this,’ and then discuss a bit of her background. And I definitely think that again, in a similar way to her class, it makes her… that thing about her stand out… that kind of adds the little, you know, twists or the kind of plot. And it’s not, you know, it’s not so simple and kind of conventional, I guess, in that respect.”

“That’s true. And um… you’re… you’re working with a… with a director who’s written his own script. Did that… how did that also benefit you? Was he open to you coming with ideas and… and maybe improvising a bit?”

“Yeah, absolutely. Um… I think what’s so great is when you work with the director who’s written it himself, he knows what he wants, but then there’s no kind of restrictions, you know. He doesn’t have to go to someone else if you say, ‘Well, actually I’d quite like to do it in this way,’ you know. He was very open to discussion. And there were scenes where I went to him and I said, ‘You know, Barry, how about we do it in this way?’ And he’d either say yes or… or he’d say, ‘Well, yeah, we could do that, but then why don’t we do this as well?’ And I just… it felt a lot more comfortable, you know. Like I said, there it didn’t feel like there were kind of restrictions to it. So more organic.”

“Yeah. Yeah, exactly. It kind of just developed as we went along, if you know what I mean. I mean, there wasn’t just a kind of rigid structure to it, which was good.”

“Yeah.”

The first video game Martha performed in is for the Telltale series adaptation of Game of Thrones. In this game, she played the role of Mira Forester. You can clearly hear the distinct voices of Melina and Captain Yorska in this scene.

“You can do this, ah… Lady Margerie, aren’t you looking lovely this evening?”

“Lord Tyrion, Your Grace. With your permission, allow me to introduce Lady Mira of House Forrester.”

“Your Grace, the girl knows her courtesies. Impressive. You may rise.”

“House Forrester is a northern house, loyal to the king, are they?”

“I beg your pardon, Your Grace. I wasn’t talking to you. I want to hear from the girl. Is your family loyal to the king?”

“Perhaps you should ask the new Lord Forester. He’s not here, is he?”

“She is. Joffrey is the one true king, Your Grace.”

“Hmph. And yet for centuries the Foresters have been loyal bannermen to House Stark, a house of traitors. They were the Wardens of the North. We all served at the pleasure of the king.”

Following her contribution to Dark Souls 3, Martha assumed the role of Yuki in the real-time tactics game Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun in [Music] 2016.

“Oh, that’s easy. That’s a good trick. Keep moving. Keep warm.” [Music]

“Coming. Wake up, little knife. This is [Music] [Applause] fun. Oh, feet! [Music] Hush! [Music] Sneak.”

One year later, in 2017, Martha performed the lead role in another video game called Ruby Ray. This is not a conventional game, as shown in this promotional video.

“Hi, I’m Dean Jacobs, and I’m the CEO of WIU, where we create educational video games—games for the classroom. I’d like to take you through some of the ways that we create fun, exciting, and engaging resources that can help you teach. But first, this is Ruby Ray.”

“Hi, Ruby.”

“Hola! Um… hi. Ruby is the star of our brand new language learning app.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“My spaceship crashed. I survived, but now I’m lost.”

“We’ve put Ruby in a tricky situation where she’ll have to explore an unknown planet, make new friends, and overcome new challenges.”

“Well, I like meeting new people.”

“And that’s Ruby Ray, an immersive, interactive experience where children become emotionally connected to great characters and a compelling story.”

After Elden Ring, Martha performed the role of Reed in the mobile game Ark Knights.

“So many ideals, and the shadow cast by that firelight… that is what I am now. It’s getting dark around this hour. There’d be people walking leisurely along the grey pavements, perhaps foul beasts gathering by the ponds… that is the Tara I remember. It’s no special thing, but neither has it truly existed before. Doctor, I believe everyone should have a home to welcome them back. I can’t make myself out to be a comrade of yours. There are some by your side that surely hate me. But once Dublin no longer needs these raging, burning flames, then I’ll come back here. I want to come back here.”

In 2017, Monolith Soft released the game Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Much to the delight of fans during the first week of its release, players noticed something peculiar about the soldier enemies in the game. Instead of describing it, let’s watch this video clip to gain more context.

“Let’s show him a thing or three. Tor will try not to get under Rex’s feet, man.”

“Thank you. Can take me. You’re done. Don’t you… can take me. Done. Thank you. Can take me. You can take me. You’ll be fine. We can… don’t forget me. You’re done. You’re done. Thank you. Can take me. Don’t forget me. Thank you. Can take… don’t forget me. You’re done. Thank you. Don’t for… me. Thank you. Don’t forgive me… forget… thank you. Can take me. You… thank you. Can take me. Than you can… don’t forget me. Than you can take. You can take… innocent tear… don’t forget… thank you. Can take me. You can take me.”

Many fans of the game found the enemy soldiers to be extremely talkative, constantly shouting their lines, especially when there were multiple of them present. Even the popular streamer Etika found them annoyingly amusing.

“Don’t forget me! Don’t forget me, bro! These dudes sound so annoying! Me God damn it! Don’t forget! Don’t forget! Take me! [Music] You take [Music] me! Don’t… oh my God, this is loud as… don’t forget me! You think you can take me? These just spam that! Oh my God!”

Soon Xenoblade fans began creating memes featuring these chatty enemy soldiers.

“Thank you. Can take me. Don’t for…”

One person even composed a full song featuring their [Music] [Applause] lines.

“Forget! Don’t forget me! Don’t forget me! Don’t forget me! Don’t forget me! Don’t forget me! Don’t forget me! Don’t forget me! Don’t forget me! Don’t forget [Music] me! Don’t forget me! Don’t forget me! Don’t forget me! Don’t forget me! Don’t forget me! Don’t forget… don’t take me. You can take me. Take me. Me. You can take me. Me. You can… me. Me. Me. You can… me. You… me… he… you take me. You take me. Don’t forget…”

After a thorough investigation, the Xenoblade community discovered that these enemy soldiers were voiced by none other than the head voice director of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Jimmy Livingston. He lent his voice to all of the soldiers in the game.

“What? Ah! Thank you. Can take me. Take a look at this. Don’t forget… get me there. How harsh! You’re done! This will shut you up. It’s futile to resist. Here’s how we do things. What is this? It… what? Behave! Let me take care of this pup. Squeak! Eat this! Now…”

You might be wondering what this has to do with Elden Ring. Please bear with me; there’s more to the story. In addition to voicing the enemy soldiers, Jimmy Livingston also provided his voice for a character named Chairman Nira.

“Acting Chairman Nira. Sorry for intrude. Is emergency. So Nira take liberty of drop by unannounced.”

“You certainly look troubled, Chairman. So what is this emergency you speak of?”

“Well…”

Finally, let’s unveil the connection. In the next video clip, you’ll discover who voiced the narrator of the Elden Ring reveal trailer as well as the game’s introduction.

“Thy who has the courage to heed the Empire’s call? Your strong heart today will build a strong, more ardane tomorrow. Of course, you get more than a salary. Pension and benefits are included. Distinguish yourself, and you could even join the nobility, for the glory of the Ardanian Empire and His Majesty, Emperor N. Come, now. Who wants to be the hero of tomorrow?”

“Hmph. What’s the deal over there?”

“Driver recruitment! Driver recruitment! Recently they’ve been recruiting drivers from all over. The pool of potentials is ever shrinking. They must have run out of candidates in the military.”

“What do you mean by potentials?”

“I’m not sure. A follow… just see for yourself.”

“Don’t do it, bro! It’s too dangerous! What will we do if something happens to you? Or look after us, please?”

“I… I know it’s dangerous, but if I can… become a driver…”

“Out of the way! Hip! Squeak! All right! Come on, blade boyo! Show me what you got! Yeah, he’s done for! Indeed! Oh! All bar and no bit! What a sh… G! Oh! What just happened? All that blood… couldn’t handle the Core Crystal’s power. That’s what happens when someone unqualified touches a Core Crystal. Truly lamentable.”

“Wait! You need a qualification to be a driver? Perhaps aptitude will be a better one. Aptitude? Nor is there… nobody else here ready to test their strength for the… the glory of the Empire? Oh, how about you? What say you? Step forward… with a brave heart.”

“Don’t… don’t worry. Your big bro is going to be a driver, and then we’ll be set for life!”

“Don’t do it!”

“The fallen leaves tell a story. The Great Elden Ring was shattered in our home, across the fog, the Lands Between. Now, Queen Marika the Eternal is nowhere to be found. And in the night of the Black Knives, Godwyn the Golden was first to perish. Soon, Marika’s offspring, demigods, all claimed the shards of the Elden [Music] Ring. The mad taint of their newfound strength triggered the shattering—a war from which no lord [Music] arose—a war leading to abandonment by the Greater Will. Oh, rise now, ye Tarnished, ye Dead who yet live! The call of long-lost Grace speaks to us [Music] all! Or Alo Chieftain of the Badlands, the ever-brilliant Goldmask, Fear the Deathbed Companion, the Looming Leater, and Siofra River, the All-Knowing, and one other whom Grace would again bless—a Tarnished of no renown. Cross the fog to the Lands Between, to stand before the Elden Ring and become the Elden Lord.”

When the gameplay trailer Elden Ring was initially revealed, members of the Souls community noted a scene that bore a striking resemblance to Game of Thrones. Later, upon the game’s release, it was revealed that the character in question was named Tanith.

“Aren’t you precocious? We rarely receive visitors to the Volcano Manor without invitation. Fascinating. And not unlike another guest we had long ago. So, Tarnished, have you ever harbored doubts about the burden of Grace and the dogmatic ramblings of the Fingers? If you have, why not join the Volcano Manor and fight with us? Rise with us against the Erdtree. Your decision is most welcome. Now, you belong to the Volcano Manor family. The drawing-room lies down the hall. Make yourself comfortable. I am Tanith, the proprietress of this house, and honored to have you. The drawing-room is through the hall. Use the key I handed you and make yourself comfortable.”

Coincidentally, Tanith was portrayed by Gemma Whelan, an English actress and comedian renowned for her portrayal of Yara Greyjoy in the HBO fantasy drama series Game of Thrones. Before exploring her various roles, let’s take a moment to listen to her natural speaking voice as demonstrated in this clip.

“We’re here to talk about Game of Thrones, and I know you hadn’t actually heard about it when you first auditioned. How do you say… what did you know that? How embarrassing! I have spies everywhere now! How did you… what was your first impression of the show then?”

“Um… my first impression of the show, having not heard anything about it until I got the… the meeting, it was just… I watched it back to back. I watched the whole of season one, just… I couldn’t… I couldn’t wait to get home to… to watch the whole season. I think I watched the whole season in two days, and then I was hungry for more. It just was fantastic. Just sort of ticks all the boxes, doesn’t it? It’s great.”

“Yeah. Yeah. And what was it like when you were the new girl on set with an established crew on the…”

“Um… it was great actually, because myself and Patrick, who plays… um… Alfie and my father… um… we were both new, and it was only myself and Al… and Patrick, I think. And Alfie and I had met on the plane, so I sort of… the… the most nerve-wracking, I think, was when I went for the read-through. That was pretty terrifying, because there’s so many people that I recognized from season one. It’s like… just… just try and be cool, just… but there’s like… there’s like all the people for, you know, from the show…”

Among the numerous films and TV shows in which Gemma has appeared, she is best known for her portrayal of Yara Greyjoy in Game of Thrones.

“Look at me! Men died trying to rescue you! Good men! My men! I’m sorry you got away, and you’re never going back. We’ll get justice for you.”

“If I got justice, my burned body would hang over the gates of Winterfell.”

“Justice? Then we’ll get revenge. You want to go to Winterfell to fight for the [Music] Starks? Go!”

This role catapulted her to mainstream popularity, rendering her easily recognizable and highly esteemed.

“Cuz Gemma in Game of Thrones. Yes, you do a lot of horse acting?”

“Yes, I do. Uh… I’m… I’m an alright horsewoman. They taught me to… to ride a horse. But we did have a scene where it was… it was… um… a very… very… FY horse, and it wouldn’t go. Whatever the technical term of making a horse go… a little squeeze with… yeah… what? It wouldn’t… with a kick, it wouldn’t go. But anyway, all the way up… well, Alfie and I were doing our… our lines, and it’s a scene where we get quite…”

“Oh, was it that scene where Alfie…”

“Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And that was one of my audition scenes, which was quite interesting. But no… but hang on… so… but I thought that the audition scene was the other way around.”

“Yes, it was the other way around. So, in the actual scene, it was… um… Alfie working away on me, but in the audition… um… my mother’s watching… working away…”

“She’ll ask me what that means.”

“Has your mother not watched Game of Thrones?”

“She has. She has. She has. But she… something she doesn’t ask about.”

In addition to her portrayal of Greyjoy, Gemma also assumes the role of Kate in all seasons of the TV show Upstart Crow, Eunice Noon in the first season of The End of the F***ing World, and Geraldine in the third season of Killing Eve.

“The most tragical history of Romeo and Juliet. I was hinting that the answer to your Juliet dilemma could be… Oh, Kate, don’t go there. Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much. For saints have hands that pilgrim’s hands do touch.”

Our next featured voice actor, Ramon Tikaram, is an acting veteran with around 30 years of experience in film, theater, and television. He stands out as one of the most accomplished members of the Elden Ring cast, having appeared in some of the biggest media franchises. Interestingly, he was offered a role in the Star Wars prequel trilogy but declined it because it required him to cut his hair. Before exploring his extensive career roles, let’s watch his performance in Elden Ring. It’s best to experience his superb acting skills firsthand rather than just hearing descriptions. For clarity, we’ve intentionally removed background and sound effects to focus on his voice acting.

“Mighty Dragon, there! A true-born heir! Lend me thy strength! Oh, Kindred, deliver me unto greater heights! Well, a lowly Tarnished playing as a lord. I command thee, Knil! I am the Lord of all that is golden! Truest of dragons, lend me thy strength! Forefathers, one and all, bear witness!”

Ramon Tikaram, a British actor, is recognized for his television roles in the BBC series This Life, Dream Team, as Prashant Datani, EastEnders, Fortitude, and the DC Universe series Pennyworth. His film credits include Mischief Night and Endgame. Beyond acting, Ramon possesses singing talent as well. Here’s a snippet of his performance from the 1997 West End production of Jesus Christ Superstar, where he portrayed Judas. Notably, this performance predates his role as Godrick the Grafted in Elden Ring by 25 years.

[Music]

“Every time I look at you, I don’t understand why you let things… you think it so out of hand. You’d have managed better if you had it planned. Now why you… took your back for time and stream land. If you come today, you wouldn’t reach the whole nation of Israel for… for… mun [Music] me. Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ! Who are you? Have you sacri…”

In 2013, Ramon made a single-episode appearance in Game of Thrones, portraying Prend.

“You’re very young to be a captain.”

“He’s not a captain. He’s a lieutenant. Contract is our bond. If we break our bond, no one will hire the Second Sons again. Ride with me, and you’ll never need another contract.”

A year later, he took on the role of Dorian in the game Dragon Age: Inquisition, receiving high praise from critics and earning spots on multiple top character lists.

“He says we’re alike. Too much pride. Once I would have been overjoyed to hear him say that. Now I’m not certain. I don’t know if I can forgive him.”

“Are you all right?”

“No, not really. Thank you for bringing me out there. It wasn’t what I expected, but it’s something… Maker knows what you must think of me now after that whole display.”

“I think you led me on, actually.”

“Ah, the flirting. You’re a remarkable woman, Inquisitor. I mean that in the best way. In another life…”

“I meant no offense. I’ll desist if you prefer.”

“Desist? Don’t you dare! I stand… and so instructed at any rate. Time to drink myself into a stupor. It’s been that sort of day. Join me sometime if you’ve a mind.”

Elden Ring isn’t Ramon’s first venture into the Souls games. In Dark Souls 3, he played a minor role, lending his voice to the Pygmy King in the Ringed City DLC.

“Really? No… help me, please! The Red Hood is come to eat us… to eat our…”

One year later, Ramon portrayed Rav Chadre in the game Need for Speed Payback.

“You and your crew better pull this off.”

“See? What did I say? Lena Navarro is the best damn fixer in Silver Rock.”

“Yeah, I’m liking how she sounds.”

“Rav, you built this all yourself.”

“Given enough time and attention, an artist can turn any pile of scrap into a superar [Music] mhm. Okay, guys. You know what we do now.”

Like Jimmy Livingston, who narrated the introduction of Elden Ring, Ramon also joined the cast of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, lending his voice to the character of the Torin King, Noble Hugo.

“At this time of grave peril, you have afforded us your trusty aid. Your due will be our eternal thanks.”

“I’m scarcely worthy of it, Your Majesty.”

“As the Titans breathe, I merely followed Prince Adam against the bar we face. In truth, it is to him that your kind praise is due.”

“Ah, the trust of the dread Ardanian Throne is a much valued gift to our young Sion of El Lettera. Mark it well; it gladdens me.”

While active as a voice actor in video games, Ramon continued his television work, playing the role of Victor Aziz in the TV series Pennyworth.

“Love, compassion—the liberal virtues are our greatest weapons, not because they are virtues, but because they will win out in the end.”

Following his involvement in Elden Ring, Ramon assumed a significant role in the game Overwatch 2, where he voiced a new playable hero named Ramattra.

“How many more omnics should perish to fuel mankind’s dreams? No more! [Music] I was created to lead omnics into war, but all I have ever wanted is a better life for my people. The fact that we exist is a miracle unto itself. We have studied the ways of peace and harmony. We have meditated on the universe and our place within it. We have tried to coexist with humanity, but humanity is not interested in sharing their world. How many more omnics should perish to fuel mankind’s dreams? No more! Our race is only a single generation, finite and dying all too quickly. We can find our own place, and we must. Join me, and together we will make a better future for all. [Music] Omnics…”

Godrick the Grafted is one of the earliest major bosses that can grant you a Great Rune as a reward. If you experience difficulty fighting this boss, you can summon an NPC named Nepheli near the entrance of the boss arena.

“Be proud. You were a fine warrior. Your only mistake was your choice of master. Let the winds lift you to a higher place.”

“Well, who do we have here? Tarnished, are you? Clearly not one of Godrick’s lot. I am Nepheli, Tarnished, and warrior like you. I’m here by decree of my father.”

“How utterly repellent this is! This grafting of Godrick’s… ill befits a lord. He’s tainted the very winds. If you intend to challenge Godrick, I ask you call upon me. The winds run foul with his deeds. I’m certain Father would permit me aid the fight.”

Nepheli is voiced by Cara Theobold, an English actress known for her roles in various films and TV shows such as Downton Abbey, The Syndicate, Together, and Absentia. While she is relatively new to video game voice acting, the character she portrays in Overwatch is one of the most popular and recognizable in the gaming world.

“There you are! What you looking at? [Music] We done! Woohoo! [Music] Die! Yes! Uh… don’t worry, LS cavalry’s here!”

Cara began her television career with the hit show Downton Abbey, where she portrays the role of Ivy Stewart.

“Is he your type?”

“He is not. I think he’s slithery. If I were Agnes, I’d have gone straight back to London as quick as I could find a bird…”

Before moving on, let’s listen to her natural speaking voice.

“Of course, I mean film club and days like today really inspire that next generation…”

“Who or what was it that inspired you to want to join the industry?”

“Um… I… I think my inspiration for joining the industry was not so much to do with the industry but to do with wanting to be an actress and being excited about um… drama and storytelling and performing. And then going into the industry is kind of a lucky thing that comes on… which I’m very grateful to be part of.”

If you were to survey the Souls community for the most memorable boss encounters in Elden Ring, one that would undoubtedly stand out is Mohg, Lord of Blood. Not only does Mohg boast one of the best boss themes in the game, but during the battle, he unleashes a unique countdown attack and follows it with the chanting of a Latin word that literally means nothing. [Applause] [Applause]

“Dearest Mika, you must abide alone a while… welcome, honored guest, to the birthplace of our [Music] destiny…”

Mohg is voiced by KH O’Neal, an English actor best known for his performances in musicals. While primarily recognized for his work on stage, O’Neal has also made appearances in numerous films and television series, including The Batman and Our Flag Means Death. O’Neal has only done voice acting for two video games, the first being in Dark Souls 2, where he portrayed the character of Titch Gren.

“What is it? Oh, you… TR… long home. This place won’t be any fun… not for you. Oh, welcome! Welcome! Do you have a lust for blood? You’ve done well to find me. Do you seek blood? Yes, of course! Why else would you be here? Do you give yourself… [Music] armor? Do you give your body and souls? Then you will need blood… lots of it. Undead blood, like your own. But it’s not as easy as you think.”

O’Neal’s breakthrough came in the theater world, where he garnered critical acclaim and won a Laurence Olivier Award for his portrayal of Michael Johnstone in the musical Blood Brothers.

[Music]

“My best friend… always at sweets to… sh… knew every word in the… dick… sh… he was clean… eat and tidy from Monday to Friday. I wish that I could be like… workl clothes… talk properly… like to an… history… like my [Music] friend… my friend…”

His most recent film credit is The Batman, where he took on the role of Chief McKenzie.

“You’re protecting this guy, Jim? He interfered in an active hostage situation. Coulson’s blood is on his hands! You son of a… you have any idea what kind of trouble you’re in? [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music]”

If we were to survey the Souls community, the consensus would undoubtedly declare Bloodborne as possessing the best soundtrack. However, there is no denying that Elden Ring’s composers elevated the music of the Souls games to new heights in terms of ambition and scope. They introduced features never before seen, such as music themes in every major location and NPCs producing music, thereby enhancing the immersiveness of the game world. While older games like Sekiro, Dark Souls, Demon’s Souls, and the rest feature some ambient music, Elden Ring executed it on a scale befitting its vast world. In this section, we will explore the four main composers who contributed to the creation of the Elden Ring soundtrack: Tsukasa Saitoh, Yuka Kitamura, Sho Miyazawa, and Tai Tomisawa. However, before delving into the works of the composers and the production details of the soundtrack, let’s first explore the music itself. Some things are best experienced and heard, as no amount of explanation or description can fully capture the essence of a musical piece. Let’s start with what many consider to be the best song of the entire Elden Ring soundtrack: The Final Battle. This piece incorporates the core elements of two equally significant tracks in the game: the Elden Ring main theme and the opening theme. Not only does it encapsulate the essence of the entire game, but it also serves as the music that accompanies the battle against Elden Ring’s ultimate boss, making it even more memorable.

[Music]

We mentioned earlier that Bloodborne has the best soundtrack among all Souls games. However, what makes Elden Ring a strong contender is that it mirrors some of the best entries not just from Bloodborne but also from Dark Souls 3. In a sense, Elden Ring represents the culmination of FromSoftware’s musical achievements, just as its gameplay and mechanics do. In the upcoming section, we will listen to three tracks from Elden Ring that echo some of the best pieces from earlier Souls games. We’ll begin by listening to the original track, followed by the new piece that mirrors it. The first original track comes from Bloodborne, titled Dark Beast. After we listen to this, we will look into the Elden Ring track that mirrors it.

[Music]

The track in Elden Ring that mirrors Dark Beast is titled Omen Illusion. If you listen carefully, you will observe that this piece seems to belong more to Bloodborne than to a Dark Souls game.

[Music]

The second original track is widely regarded as one of the finest pieces from any Souls game, with some even considering it the best. It’s titled Laurence, the First Vicar, from the Bloodborne OST.

[Music]

The Elden Ring song that mirrors Laurence, the First Vicar, is titled Mohg, Lord of Blood. Similar to Omen Illusion, you could easily place this track in Bloodborne, and it wouldn’t sound out of place there.

[Music]

While Elden Ring was in production, Sekiro was also being developed concurrently. Although Yuka Kitamura led the main composition for Sekiro, she also contributed several tracks to Elden Ring, some of which are considered among her best work. One such piece is the ambient theme for Liurnia, which the community regards as the best ambient theme in the entire game. The next piece we’ll listen to, however, is not the Liurnia theme. Titled Millenia, Blade of Miquella, this song mirrors the essence of three previous works by Kitamura in Dark Souls 3: Abyss Watchers, Loran, and Lothric and Dragonslayer Armor. We could describe Millenia’s theme as a culmination of Kitamura’s three most memorable boss themes from Dark Souls 3. Let’s now listen to the next track, where we’ve combined the main segments of these three tracks.

[Music]

Now that we’ve listened to the core segments of the three tracks, let’s hear the theme of

On the release day of Elden Ring, Bandai Namco announced the exclusive limited edition vinyl collection for Elden Ring's soundtrack. Each vinyl has its own color that matches the sleeve and is faithful to the environments of the Lands Between. [Music] [Music]

Over 6 months after the release of Elden Ring, the game soundtrack became available on various streaming services worldwide. To mark this occasion, Sony released a behind-the-scenes trailer showcasing The Budapest Film Orchestra performing the theme of the Erdtree. [Music] [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Music] the [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause]

On December 3rd, 2022, a special musical event celebrated the game, featuring performances by award-winning jazz artist Kenny Garrett and legendary trumpeter Takuya Kuroda. In this exclusive concert experience, fans had the opportunity to relive their favorite tracks and be part of history through this unique fusion of fantasy and musical genres. I pick the one word to describe this project: it's epic. I am Takuya Kuroda; I play the trumpet. I'm Kenny Garrett; I play alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, piano on weekends. The music, my Elden Ring, to me, it's it's huge—sounding like, melody is huge, orchestra is huge, and it's dark, definitely. You know, it's not happy music. I'm excited; you know, it's something different. I mean, Elden Ring is is going to be something different that I have done before, and you know, I learned from my my mentor, Miles Davis—is really, you know, that's how you become a better musician. I'm up for the challenge. Jazz has so much potential to just express what it is or, you know, what you want to express. No one can expect what's going to happen. Those things have in common, the game and the music; that's why I think jazz is a good platform to do. I'm always thinking about that: we take the audience on a journey. I think that's a really important part—is just the experiments. Watching the performance by us, just like, wow, just stunning, you know, and then, wow, this is really the music from the Elden Ring, too—surprise. We're moving together, but they have to know that we're going to move together; it's not going to be what you thought it was. Looking forward to seeing you on December 3rd. Be there; let's do this, Elden Ring—boom! Here's a preview of them performing the main theme of Elden Ring. If you're interested in watching the full performance, it's available as video on demand, but only in North America. We're glad you can be here with us as we take you on this jazz interpretation of Elden Ring. Keep your minds and your hearts open as we take you on this journey. So, without further ado, we're going to start with the main theme. Thank you. [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] oh [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] a [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] for [Music] [Applause] [Music]

One of the significant musical features introduced in Elden Ring is the inclusion of ambient music in nearly all major locations throughout the game. Additionally, players may encounter NPCs who perform music, such as the flutist found in Lell. [Music] Another example is the creature known as the Chanting Winged Dame. This bat-like creature is often found meditating and reciting ancient chants in Latin, surrounded by giant bats in lofty heights or dark places. [Music] [Music] for Lo [Music] [Music] The song sung by this creature is titled "Song of Lament," composed by Tukasa Saito. Here's a preview of this song as performed by the jazz artists. Okay, okay. This next one's entitled "Song of Lament." It's got a little twist to it, so I hope you enjoy it. Thank you. [Music] [Music] a aah [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music]

Earlier, we listened to the song titled "The Final Battle" and discussed how many members of the Souls community consider it one of the best, if not the best, boss themes among the Souls games, closely rivaling Laurence's theme from Bloodborne. Here's a preview of this song as performed by the jazz artists. [Music] [Music] w [Music] [Music] a [Music] a [Music] a [Music] [Music] n [Music] [Music] nah [Music] [Applause] [Music]

On December 19th, 2023, Bandai Namco announced the official Elden Ring Symphonic Adventure, a live orchestral performance to be held at the Royal Albert Hall, London, on April 28th, 2024. The story of Elden Ring is at the heart of this concert experience, which offers the chance to relive the major stages of the game via video montages perfectly synchronized with the orchestra and choir for an immersive experience of rare precision, accompanied by original lighting design and sound effects in immersive surround technology. [Music] [Music] [Music] all [Music]

Now that we have covered game development, localization, and the soundtrack of Elden Ring, we will explore in this section the game design decisions and principles that guided Miyazaki and his team in creating the game. Given that Elden Ring is significantly larger than their previous titles, we have divided the game design topics into three categories: open world, accessibility, and lore and [Music] [Music] gameplay. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. We have discussed in earlier videos that map design is the aspect of game creation that Miyazaki loves most. He believes that the map of a game's world has the biggest impact on the experience and enjoyment of a player with his games more than the lore or story or the mechanics. As early as Demon's Souls, he had been envisioning the creation of a seamless map, which he fully realized during the production of Dark Souls, considered the game with the best map design by the community. With Elden Ring, Miyazaki embarks on a journey to surpass the scale and ambition of their previous titles. Our first topic in the category of open world design is about the influences of Miyazaki in creating the map of Elden Ring. We have established in an earlier video that Miyazaki is a voracious consumer of media and tries all kinds of video games, even those that we might not expect him to be playing, like Marvel Snap and Hearthstone. In an interview, the host asked, "Did any particular open-world games serve as inspiration for your design choices in Elden Ring?" Miyazaki shared, "There wasn't one specific game that served as inspiration, but we've enjoyed many classic open-world games from a player's perspective, and each one has given us a unique and wonderful incentive. There's no end to this list of titles, but The Elder Scrolls series and The Witcher 3 are on there, plus The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as a more recent example." With Elden Ring, Miyazaki introduced a multitude of new features and mechanics to accommodate its expansive scale, such as the inclusion of a mount named Torrent and the implementation of a fully functional map. These additions were all integrated to support the vast open-world design of the game. In an interview, the host asked about this topic, saying, "How did designing for an open world change your creative process from your previous games?" Miyazaki shared, "In terms of overall game design, the sense of accomplishment is a theme that has remained since Dark Souls and the like, as well as that we placed major focus on a sense of adventure that allows the player to engage with this huge world with its many unknowns and threats at their liberty. From an actual production perspective, the game became far bigger than anything we'd made before, so you could also say the responsibilities handed to staff other than myself were much greater this time. To put it another way, there are many staff here now who've grown and gained experience over the years, and the fact that so much could be entrusted to them was one of the reasons we decided to make Elden Ring when we did." Even before the introduction of Elden Ring, Miyazaki's games have possessed distinct characteristics that set them apart from others. We've extensively covered these traits in our video discussing Miyazaki and WAA, noting their shared tendency towards minimal dialogue and NPCs, as well as a rarity of unskippable cutscenes. In an interview, the host inquired about the key features of Elden Ring's open world, asking, "How is the open world of Elden Ring structured? Are locations nearly backdrops for traveling between key points, akin to Shadow of the Colossus, or are there scattered question marks across the map, similar to The Witcher?" Miyazaki explained, "Neither, really. It's hard to say which it's closer to, but Elden Ring's open world won't be an empty field for horseback rides from point A to point B. We wanted it to have character, with interesting discoveries, dangers, and memorable encounters. The map isn't cluttered with distracting question marks; players will have to place their own markers to note points of interest—for example, climbing to a higher point, seeing noticeable areas, and marking down a desire to explore there to uncover the story behind it. We want players to craft their own narrative within these lands. Elden Ring will have a so-called main path, a natural route to follow which players will learn about almost immediately, but there's also the possibility to veer off the intended path and find your own way." The host replied, "It sounds a lot like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild; however, there was an issue with rewards there—exploring the world was fun, but finding substantial rewards was difficult. What rewards for exploring will Elden Ring offer?" Miyazaki explained, "Throughout the world, there are numerous pieces of equipment, weapons, armor, spells, abilities, summoning spirits, and crafting ingredients, so there will be rewards for explorative players, but I would also highlight that encounters with story characters themselves act as a reward, because through them you learn more about the world and view familiar places from a different perspective. They add drama to the journey, contribute to the narrative turns, allow you to build your hero's story, and influence the endings." Since you mentioned Breath of the Wild, "personally, I thoroughly enjoyed completing it, and my reward was the satisfaction of the process, but our approach is somewhat different; we emphasize character development and customization." Ah, C, or some say, "m, do you hear our prayers? No, we shall not abandon the dream. No one can catch us; no one can stop us now." [Music]

In our previous videos, we discussed Miyazaki's favorite among all the games he has worked on. The answer to this question is Bloodborne, beating even Sekiro and Dark Souls 3. However, after Elden Ring was created, Miyazaki's perspective has changed. Not only is Elden Ring now his favorite among his creations, but it is also the closest to his ideal game. In an interview, the host asked, "The open-world action RPG genre features some of the most notable games of recent years, including Breath of the Wild, The Witcher 3, and Skyrim. Stepping into that design space with Elden Ring, where did you feel there was the most opportunity to leave your mark on the genre?" Miyazaki explained, "I don't want to put it in such grand terms as 'this is the mark I wanted to leave on the industry.' Rather, if I was in the mood to play a game, or if I had an ideal game world, Elden Ring gets pretty close to that. I create the games that are my type: tight combat, fantasy, medieval settings with dungeons to explore, and things like that—it's just what I'm into, and so Elden Ring is really hitting all the right notes there. I don't approach it in terms of 'this is the kind of open-world game I want to make'; it's just that the open world enriches this ideal experience I'm trying to achieve. To give some very simple examples: if I was to explore this world, I'd want a map, a proper map; or, you know, if I saw something over there, I'd want to actually be able to go over and explore it, and I'd want to fight with a dragon in an epic arena—things like this. It's very simple stuff, but Elden Ring allows a lot of these things to become a reality for me—creating something that's very close to my ideal game." When creating a game, one of the major decisions you will consider is the placement of bosses within the game world. We have already gained much insight about this topic from our previous video discussing Miyazaki and WAA, where they gave details on their experience in creating the sequence of bosses that players encounter. In the context of Elden Ring, a host asked Miyazaki about this topic, saying, "Are there any design decisions that helped determine which boss was in a particular area in the open world?" Miyazaki explained, "When we start designing an area, the setting establishes from an early stage which boss will appear in that area, particularly for the major ones. In this way, the boss characters' gameplay forms a premise for the area design, and the boss gameplay, too, can be adjusted based on the map in which it appears." When The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was released, one of its key features was the presence of hundreds of shrines scattered in the overworld. These shrines served as incentives for exploration and offered various rewards to players in the form of new armor, weapons, and upgrade materials. Elden Ring introduced a similar feature, but they are called dungeons instead of shrines. In an interview, the host asked about this topic, saying, "By taking detours, players might discover special places like dungeons, right?" Miyazaki shared, "Yes, that's correct. Besides dungeons, there are also places involving NPCs and such." The host followed up regarding these dungeons: "Apart from the large-scale legacies pivotal to the story, are there various exploratory locations scattered throughout?" Miyazaki replied, "Alongside the meticulously crafted large-scale, three-dimensional dungeons known as legacies, there are numerous medium-to-small-scale, elaborately designed dungeon maps. These include fortresses, underground crypts, caves, and tunnels. There are plans for a significant number of NPCs, but as of now there aren't bustling towns or villages where many people reside. Places that were once towns or villages are now ruins infested with dangerous enemies. This decision was made to concentrate our limited resources on areas where we excel." Miyazaki and his team used the term "legacy dungeons" to denote areas reminiscent of the earlier Souls games. These dungeons typically feature one or more major bosses and exhibit varying degrees of difficulty depending on the state and level of the character entering them. The host followed up the discussion on dungeons, saying, "Are the legacies similarly complex and three-dimensional in structure like the dungeons from previous games?" Miyazaki explained, "Yes, that's right. Regarding the legacies, I believe if you picture the intricately designed maps from the Dark Souls series or similar games, it should align with expectations. In fact, the scale has increased, and with new elements like jumping, the joy of exploration has likely been enhanced."

A common complaint among new players of the Souls games is the obscurity surrounding NPCs and their quests, often resulting in their being missed and prompting players to resort to online guides and wikis to uncover these hidden NPCs and quests. As with Demon's Souls and Dark Souls, Miyazaki had admitted that some of these character quests are so obscure that it's almost impossible to discover them without using a guide, which has to be followed strictly to fulfill all the conditions for a quest to complete. In the context of Elden Ring and still on this topic, the host asked, "Depending upon the route players take through the game, it is possible to inadvertently skip many NPC interactions and even entire quests. Is this intended to encourage repeated playthroughs or simply a necessary compromise to preserve the player's freedom of progression?" Miyazaki explained, "As you say, we wanted to preserve player freedom while also rewarding players who purposefully explore the various areas in the form of these interactions and stories. I admit that this did cause problems, such as some discoveries being too hard to find; sometimes it was too easy for story progress to end prematurely due to simple oversights. This aspect is something I feel we need to work on going forward." Many AAA games nowadays adhere to the open-world format, often sharing similar characteristics as if they are all using the same template. This was a primary reason why Breath of the Wild's release was met with enthusiasm, as it provided a new perspective and a novel experience for those fatigued by the conventional template of open-world games. Regarding his approach to an open-world game, Miyazaki shared, "The intricate and confined dungeons featured in our past games were undoubtedly interconnected; however, in Elden Ring, we're introducing environments that are significantly more expansive and open. This vast world forms the foundation of Elden Ring's gameplay, with mechanics tailored to suit such an environment." In Elden Ring, villages will resemble the dark, dungeon-like ruins characteristic of their previous works. Designing a more open game presents them with a substantial challenge; adding towns on top of that would become a bit too much, so they opted to concentrate on their strength while creating an open-world style game. For new players of Elden Ring, one of the joys of exploration is finding the teleporting chests that can bring you to locations that you may not yet be prepared for, and often times the mere fact that you got teleported to a new, strange place is enough to disorient you, adding to the dangers and mysteries of the game. In an interview, the host asked about the possibility of accessing advanced areas during the start of the game, saying, "Is the game designed so that players can travel from one end of the world to the other right from the start?" Miyazaki shared, "No, there are certain checkpoints or locations that need to be surpassed to access the maps beyond them; however, there might not be just one way to surpass them, and this also contributes significantly to the high level of freedom within the game." Years after a new Souls game is released, you will find passionate players who are speedrunning it without leveling and using the most ridiculous weapons to add flavor and challenge to its already high difficulty. This only makes evident how the Souls games were designed with flexibility in mind, considering the level of skills that players can acquire while mastering the game. With the introduction of Torrent in Elden Ring, a host inquired how it affected the design of enemies, saying, "Mounted combat on horseback is obviously a big new feature. Are there any enemy encounters beyond what we saw in the network test that have been designed specifically around the addition of Torrent?" Miyazaki shared, "At no point do we want to enforce horse riding or mounted combat on the player; rather, we want to build situations that may ask for mounted traversal or may suggest that mounted combat is a viable strategy, and it's up to the player whether they want to pursue those strategies. They should never feel as though something is being forced upon them. In terms of map design and encounter design itself, due to the scale and the structure of the world, it's something that should encourage traversal using Torrent, and also the mounted combat will hopefully play into the player's variety of choices and how they approach these various situations with that level of freedom as well. So, in that sense, yes, we've designed the world with that in mind. Also, if you recall during the days when Elden Ring was still being rumored, one of the so-called major features of the game is the player's ability to steal the powers of major bosses to defeat other major enemies, but after the game was revealed, we found out that there is nothing mandatory in defeating any boss in the game that relies on powers or materials from other bosses. In other words, players have the full flexibility to complete the game using any weapon, armor, or skill they prefer." As early as Demon's Souls and Dark Souls, the Souls games have always rewarded exploration, whether by finding new shortcuts, hidden merchants, NPCs, or even powerful weapons and armor. With the scale and ambition of Elden Ring, we can only expect that the team will amplify the joy of exploration. Regarding this topic, Miyazaki shared, "A part of making this new world with this new huge sense of scale was adding enjoyment to that sense of exploration—having players feel encouraged and give them a desire to explore as much as they want, and so that could be through acquiring new weapons and magic spells and abilities, such as the different Spirit summons. We wanted to place these elements so the players will enjoy exploring the map and discovering these elements for themselves. There are cases in which you can buy them at stores or learn them from NPCs, but generally they are hidden throughout the game's world for the player to discover through exploration rather than unlocking them through a skill tree as in previous titles."

Accessibility, particularly the difficulty level of the Souls games, has long been a divisive topic within the gaming community. While the majority of the Souls fans have embraced and celebrated the challenging nature of these games as integral to their identity, newcomers often feel daunted by their seemingly punishing difficulty. This sentiment is aggravated by the release of Sekiro, which is widely regarded as Miyazaki's most unforgiving creation yet. Unlike previous titles, Sekiro offers no concessions for struggling players; there are no difficulty sliders or options to ease the gameplay experience. Success hinges solely on mastery, with no room for compromise; players must persevere and conquer the game on its uncompromising terms. In this section, we will delve into Miyazaki's approach to designing Elden Ring's difficulty and how he aimed to make it the most accessible entry in the Souls series to date. With regards to the difficulty of Elden Ring compared to previous games, the host asked, "It might be a difficult question to answer, but considering trial and error as a major premise, how does the difficulty of this game compare to titles like Sekiro and Bloodborne?" Miyazaki explained, "That's a tough question, but but I believe the difficulty in terms of pure action gameplay is somewhat lower compared to the titles you mentioned. A comparison with Sekiro might make it clearer: in this game, there are options to increase the level of a threat before engaging, as well as multiplayer. Due to these elements, the closest in terms of difficulty might be Dark Souls 3. Even when compared to that, the game offers more freedom in strategies for progression, such as summoning spirits and employing stealth, and has a lower threshold for multiplayer. So I'd say there's a substantial challenge, but with the sense of 'I can manage somehow.' On the other hand, while assuming high freedom in progression and ensuring that this itself doesn't become a significant obstacle in gameplay, we have indeed prepared some formidable, terrifying bosses. In terms of the game's world and setting, there are enemies that would feel lacking or disappointing if they weren't fearsome in a certain sense. We are always looking to improve, but in our games specifically, hardship is what gives meaning to the experience, so it's not something we're willing to abandon at the moment; it's our identity." As previously discussed, numerous players, including those familiar with the Souls series, expressed the sentiment that Sekiro imposes a more rigid play style and lacks the flexibility of earlier titles. This rigidity often leads to a higher barrier to completion, as players may struggle to adapt to the game's demands compared to previous entries in the series. Regarding this topic of flexibility to progress in the game, the host asked, "How has the ongoing discourse around game difficulty and accessibility impacted the way you've tailored and maintained FromSoftware's trademark difficulty in Elden Ring? Was this something your team has been trying to be more mindful of?" Miyazaki shared, "Yes, we have. It's a valid discussion. I feel like our approach to these games, not just Elden Ring, is to design them to encourage the player to overcome adversity. We don't try to force difficulty or make things hard for the sake of it. We want players to use their cunning, study the game, memorize what's happening, and learn from their mistakes. We don't want players to feel like the game is unfairly punishing, but rather that there's a chance to win a difficult encounter and make progress. We understand that Souls-like games are regularly associated with impossible levels of difficulty, with high barriers to entry, but we try to design the games to make the cycle of repeatedly trying to overcome these challenges enjoyable in itself. So we hope that with Elden Ring and the new options it provides, it will be a success in that respect." In Elden Ring, "we have not intentionally tried to lower the game's difficulty, but I think more players will finish it this time. As I mentioned, the player's level of freedom to progress through the world or return to a challenge later are all elements that I feel will help people get through the game at a more leisurely pace. Also, there isn't a focus on pure action; the player has more agency to dictate their approach against, for example, the field bosses in the overworld and how they utilize stealth in various situations. We've even reduced the number of hoops that you have to jump through to enjoy it in multiplayer, so we hope the players embrace that idea of receiving help from others, and we feel like the overall clear rate will go up this time because of these things." In Miyazaki's earlier response, we can observe that he hints at Elden Ring being the most accessible of all the Souls games thus far. When we delve into the section detailing the new game features introduced within Elden Ring, such as summons, easier online cooperation, weapon skills, more available paths for world progression, and others, it becomes evident that this is indeed the case. Regarding this topic of increased accessibility, a host asked, "FromSoftware titles are often associated with high difficulty, but rather than reducing the action difficulty, the approach is to expand the player choices, broadening the accessibility of the gameplay. Does this approach remain unchanged in this game as well?" Miyazaki explained, "Yes, that's right. In fact, this tendency is even stronger in this game. As I mentioned earlier about the apparitions, besides pure action skill, there are elements for conquering enemies through strategy and ingenuity. In this game, we emphasize this approach to strategic battles." Another evident aspect is the newly adopted stealth mechanics; players can lower their stance and hide in grassy areas, remaining unseen by enemies and seize opportunities to strike. It might diverge a bit, but among the new actions we also have features like riding and jumping. Sekiro is infamous for halting the progress of many players unaccustomed to its new combat style when they encounter Genichiro, which happens to coincide with the midpoint of the game. Consequently, for some players, this marks the end of their journey as they struggle to overcome this formidable boss. Genichiro serves as a significant obstacle, effectively blocking further progression for those unable to defeat him. In Elden Ring, the bosses were designed with this lesson in mind. Regarding this topic, a host commented, "With the increase in choices, the impact of boss battles is likely to be substantial." Miyazaki explained, "Yes, indeed. Boss battles in this game offer a unique experience and serve as one of the climaxes of gameplay simultaneously. In this game, we've tried to minimize situations where players might get stuck due to excessively challenging bosses. As I mentioned earlier, this game is designed with high freedom, allowing players to tackle difficult bosses later or, though not applicable to all, even choose not to defeat certain ones altogether. Furthermore, concerning multiplayer, we've set the threshold lower for players to become hosts and seek assistance compared to the Dark Souls series." Closely related to boss design is progression design, which involves how the character becomes empowered in relation to their environment and location in the game. In Sekiro, you can't simply farm your way to success, unlike in Dark Souls or Bloodborne, where leveling up character attributes allows your character to withstand more damage and become stronger. In Sekiro, it takes only a few hits for Wolf to perish, and empowering him actually requires defeating the same enemies that pose challenges to the player; it's a chicken-and-egg problem. Regarding Elden Ring's progression design, Miyazaki shared, "If we consider boss battles, the necessity to defeat certain bosses is quite limited. The order or timing of defeating bosses allows for a significant amount of player agency while playing Elden Ring. If you feel walled by a boss and blocked from progressing, you can just take another path and continue with your adventure. Later on, you can return to the same boss; this time you might be stronger and can easily defeat this enemy, either by finding new weapons or skills or upgrading your character. You can increase your chance of success against previously insurmountable enemies." Continuing with the topic of character progression, the open-world nature of Elden Ring inherently enhances the game's accessibility as it offers players a multitude of options. When players experience less frustration and instead feel empowered as they progress through the game, they are more inclined to continue playing, leading to increased retention in playtime. In an interview, the host asked about this topic, saying, "Switching gear a little bit, how do you approach leveling up in a game like this, which is much more open than projects that you've previously worked on? Is it a similar system of gaining currency from defeating enemies and potentially losing that level-up currency when you die? Are there any differences in how you're approaching level-ups in Elden Ring?" Miyazaki shared, "So yes, with this increased sense of scale and this vast new map, we had to allow for a certain amount of progression and reward no matter which direction the player took and which path they take. Because of that high level of freedom, you will find those elements to battle and those elements to just exploring the world, which will allow you to keep that going. You can customize and craft items on the go by using materials found in the world. There are also more resources to recover health on the way, as you will be fighting for a longer time than before. The key word, I think, is retention and retaining a sense of progression, so we wanted them to keep going, to keep that flow as they explore and they journey through the map. So to give an example from a previous game, you could call the resurrection mechanic in Sekiro a retention of the sense of progress and not wanting to spoil that sense of rhythm or tempo the player has as they play. So we have a couple of elements in Elden Ring which come from a similar kind of breed—something that will keep them going and keep them encouraged to explore further, but you won't be able to resurrect in this game." We have now covered the design of the open world and accessibility of Elden Ring—how it became the biggest and yet most welcoming Souls game by Miyazaki. In this section, we will deep dive into more specific game design topics related to art, gameplay mechanics, and the lore of the game. Let's begin with the overall design of Elden Ring. In an interview, Miyazaki gave a good summary of the game's design, with the host asking, "So I guess to start, can you just give us a general overview of what's happening in the world of Elden Ring and in the story?" Miyazaki explained, "So it's very difficult to summarize briefly what Elden Ring is, but to us it represents a culmination of all of our know-how, all of our passion across all of these games to deliver a brand new Dark Fantasy IP, and we're extremely excited to finally reveal it. And I think as far as some of its characteristics go, we really focused on bringing something with just an enormous sense of scale and this broadness and openness to the Lands Between—the world that you'll explore. As part of creating this vast world, we wanted to bring on involvement from George R. R. Martin, and he brought things to the table that we couldn't have done by ourselves in terms of that rich storytelling and that sense of character and drama, so we really appreciate his involvement as well. Along with this new vast world, we have created a number of new action systems and game systems to enhance this and to go hand in hand with the vast new world. For instance, the player can jump now; you can ride on horseback; and there's a number of new additions to combat which just raise the level of freedom higher than our previous games, and it all matches with the sense of scale of the world itself. I think another major difference or major point of this title is the number of choices you have available in combat, so while you can just choose to go in head-on, we also have a number of elements such as being able to summon the spirits of deceased enemies and use them as allies in battles, so we have a number of elements that let you approach different situations at a high level of freedom. I think that would pretty much cover everything." As we have discussed in all of our previous making-of videos, there is one key aspect of game design that we always prioritize as it stands foremost among Miyazaki's design principles: gameplay first. In an interview, the host asked about this topic, saying, "I was reading back some older interviews with you, and in 2016 you said, 'I think my philosophy towards game development is first set a certain game system and then apply a worldview that matches that.' Has that philosophy changed at all since then, and if it hasn't, how has that philosophy informed the development of Elden Ring?" Miyazaki explained, "It's still intact largely, but we think one main difference is having the involvement of George R.R. Martin from the start and having him paint that picture of the world's history and the mythos. We sort of had an element of the world-building first to then explore the game systems and the rest of the game from that. This was quite a fresh approach, and rather than imposing new restrictions on the game, Martin himself was very open to us prioritizing the game systems and leaving out anything we didn't want to explore, but it ended up not being like that; it ended up being a huge source of inspiration and impetus for the design of the game, so the world-building and the systems went hand in hand; it was a really great collaboration. We had this initial impetus from Martin's mythos, and we used that to paint the foundation and the initial layers of the game. An example of that would be how key characters are tarnished, and they lost Grace; this is the initial spurring moment for the player character, but then on top of that we're obviously going to build a lot of our own world-building and our own story elements and other gameplay elements that are necessary to the game and necessary to the players' guidance and how they find a footing in the world. Right from the start, we do have elements in place that are going to lead the player down that mainline track that they're free to branch off from anytime they like, but on top of that there are the fragmented pieces of the story that they're able to find and to decipher as they go." This element of world-building and lore has not changed from previous titles, but it's obviously built on that foundation of Martin's lore; so again, the game and the narrative go hand in hand in that respect. As explained by Miyazaki, Martin's involvement in creating the lore had a significant impact on how the principle of gameplay first is implemented. This influence is particularly evident in the level and visual design of Elden Ring. Unlike in previous titles where lore took a back seat and had lower priority, in Elden Ring lore influences both the level design and the corresponding art. During an interview, the host asked, "Can you tell us about the process you go through when you design an area in Elden Ring? How does designing an open-world area like Limgrave differ from creating a level in one of your previous games? Does lore come first, then geography, then enemies and bosses, or does it vary?" Miyazaki explained, "For Elden Ring, area design tends to begin with the lore. This is due to the fascinating mythos penned for us by Martin. For example, Caelid is known for being the land where the demigods fought at the end of the Shattering, so this serves as a starting point for the level design and the visual design as well." This approach to designing the world and its components is unique to Elden Ring and represents a significant departure from their previous titles. By now, the Souls games have established a reputation, on almost a brand, for their approach to exposition of lore and story within the game. Fans of these games have certain expectations of what they will encounter when they play. In an interview, the host asked Miyazaki how this approach has evolved, saying, "Dark Souls presented its story in fragments and semi-transparent hints, whereas Sekiro was more straightforward with dialogues and cutscenes. How is storytelling structured in Elden Ring?" Miyazaki explained, "The storytelling in Elden Ring is closer to Dark Souls; the story will be fragmented, and the player will explore the world gathering scattered lore pieces to later compare and interpret them. This is an important element of the game—gradually discovering the world and understanding it more deeply. However, we do want to incorporate the strong storytelling elements of Sekiro into Elden Ring. As you mentioned, it was more linear; dialogues and cutscenes, in my opinion, are a good way to present the narrative to the player to captivate their interest. In Elden Ring, it's especially important to understand the characters and their motives because essentially the story has several protagonists, apart from your character, who acts as a window into the game world. There are numerous other characters in the script with their own personalities and motivations; they will influence how you understand and interpret the lore." In Elden Ring, two major features related to the map were introduced: the guidance of grace and the availability of a fully functional map. In an interview, the host asked about the map of the game, saying, "I've learned that there are six areas in Elden Ring. Can you go into a little detail about each of them, and is this the kind of thing where you can go to any of these areas at any time, or is there a specific order?" Miyazaki explained, "So the Lands Between is made up mainly of these six large areas; it's divided into six major areas, and these are the domains of the major demigod characters who we just talked about. While the areas are lined up in a way so that you would normally tackle them in a specific order, you don't have to follow it; we wanted to give a free level of progression and

Of bloodborne, which uses quickstep and dashing, or that of Dark Souls, relying on rolling and the use of swords and shields, it was only after the actual gameplay reveal that the community learned that the game follows the style of Dark Souls, leading them to dub this game as "big Dark Souls."

In an interview, the host asked about the topic of combat design, saying, "The Souls games, Bloodborne, Sekiro—they all have a very similar and distinct flavor of combat, even though they're all fundamentally very different in terms of their focus. Can you describe how the combat will work in Elden Ring and how it differs from previous games?"

Miyazaki explained, "We think rather than recommending a specific way for players to tackle each encounter, one of the things we wanted to stress in this game was again that freedom to choose how to take on encounters and how to approach these various situations. So there's a large variety of ways you can approach combat and a large range of abilities you can acquire. We wanted to allow the player to combine these different elements to find their own strategy and even take indirect approaches to combat, that if they wanted to. So yes, this is something that we wanted to explore more so than our previous games and really focus on is this level of variety and this level of freedom in combat."

In our earlier "making of" videos, we discussed in multiple places the guidance Miyazaki provides in designing bosses. He shared that regardless of how disgusting or gruesome a boss enemy may appear, there must be some sense of Elegance or beauty within it. This guidance remained especially true in Elden Ring. You need only look at the design of Malenia, or even that of Radahn or Mohg, to see this balance in action.

In an interview, the host revisited this topic, asking, "In previous interviews, you've said you aim to balance beauty and grotesqueness in boss design. Can you explain how you tackle this using one of the revealed bosses of Elden Ring?"

Miyazaki replied, "What you're referring to in that balance between otherworldliness and a sense of beauty is most associated with Dark Souls boss characters. In Elden Ring, we wanted to take a slightly different approach because we had these brand new characters that Martin wrote, alongside the setting and mythos he provided for the world. He created these very heroic and grandiose designs—essentially these demigods from the history of Elden Ring's world. So we wanted to take what he provided us and create a new core for these characters and how we designed them. From the boss designs that we've revealed so far, the one that I feel is a good match for how we take a heroic concept and twist and misshape it due to the power of the Elden Ring shards is Godrick the Grafted. He is an excellent example of this because he encompasses that feeling of sadness and frustration when a lord comes to the end of his reign, trying to cling desperately to the power he still has left. In this way, Godrick is a great embodiment of that new design approach."

One common complaint about the visuals of the earlier Souls games is how dark and gray they are. However, this changed with the release of Sekiro, where various areas and locations became colorful and even scenic. In Elden Ring, the usage of vibrant colors has been significantly amplified, leading many fans to share that this is one of the most beautiful games they have played.

Regarding this new path for the Souls games, a host asked, "Elden Ring seems more lush, bright, inviting, and adventurous than anything I've played by FromSoftware. Is this intentional, and does the game ultimately descend into much darker territory overall?"

Miyazaki explained, "Yes, this was intentional, though not necessarily to make the game brighter, but giving it a splash of color was necessary this time, particularly considering Elden Ring has a vast open world to explore. We wanted to give a sense that a golden age has passed through this world and that the player can still see traces of it. We wanted to provide the world with a much more painterly look to invoke a high fantasy feeling as a theme. Also, in such a large open world, to have it be dark all the time would be too oppressive. So we're trying to use the broadness of the Lands Between to show the appeal of both sides—you can have these brighter, more colorful moments, but you can also have darker, more intense situations from previous FromSoftware titles. So we hope that players will look forward to that dark side as well."

Though Elden Ring introduced more color and variety in the visuals of the overworld, one thing remained consistent with Miyazaki's previous titles: the usage of apocalyptic settings. When playing a Souls game, players can anticipate that something terrible has already happened to the game world, which is why it is full of dangers and hostilities.

In an interview, a host asked this very topic, saying, "Why is FromSoftware so drawn to apocalyptic settings?"

Miyazaki explained, "I would say there are two main reasons why we tend towards these apocalyptic settings. One is purely due to taste and the preferences of the game director and game developers. I think this is something that, again, has applied in FromSoftware history as well, with our previous CEO, Naotoshi Zin. He directed *The Old Kings Field* and old-school Armored Core games as well, so I think that's where that may be stemmed from. My tastes happen to be similar, so I think that's why you see a lot of that in modern Soulsborne titles as well. So it does depend on the director's tastes and personal idiosyncrasies. I think the second reason would be—this is kind of a technical reason—but I'd say that a lively, bright setting is a little bit beyond FromSoftware's capability or experiences as a developer. So it's easier for us to direct and apply our own resources on what we're good at and what we're used to, and so it is easier for us to express ourselves within these kind of darker and drier and quieter apocalyptic settings than livelier and busier ones."

Among all the Souls games, Dark Souls is known for its beautifully designed map, with the central hub present in the Firelink Shrine and branching outwards from there, making the various major locations available. Dark Souls 2 and Sekiro followed this model of having the central hub present in the overworld, while Bloodborne, Dark Souls 3, and Demon's Souls utilize a central hub that exists outside.

In an interview, the host asked how Elden Ring's world was structured, saying, "Can you relate that back to any of your previous works in terms of how the open world is structured? Is there a central hub like Firelink Shrine from Dark Souls 1 that expands outwards into multiple paths, or is it something different than that?"

Miyazaki shared, "So first, yes—not directly from the start, but there is a hub area that you can access a little later into the game. And as well as this hub, which you can branch out from, there are the six main areas of the Lands Between, and each of these six areas will house its own mainline dungeon map, which is again seamlessly connected to the Lands Between itself. These will be the domains or the areas of the main demigod bosses. From here, you're able to explore not only these mainline dungeon areas but also a wide variety of catacombs, castles, and fortresses which are interspersed throughout the map. These have a range of scale and scope, but the main dungeons are these six—these are the ones that you're going to be heading to on your adventures throughout the main world."

In most interviews, Miyazaki rarely reveals many details about the game's lore and story; however, with Elden Ring, he entertains such questions and provided much information. One of the main reasons could be the participation of Martin and the development team's preference not to keep the lore and story in obscurity as they did with previous games.

In an interview, Miyazaki discussed in detail the background and story of Elden Ring, with the host asking, "I was hoping that you could define some terms that we were just made aware of by the trailer. The player character is known as a Tarnished. Can you explain what the Elden Ring is and the significance of it being shattered?"

Miyazaki explained, "So this may get a little lengthy. First of all, in the world of Elden Ring, the Lands Between are blessed by the presence of the Elden Ring and by the Erdtree, which symbolizes its presence. This has given Grace or blessing to the people throughout the land, great and small. What this represented in them is this sort of golden light or this golden aura that's specifically shown in their eyes, and this symbolizes the blessing or the grace of the Erdtree. However, after a time, there were some individuals who lost this grace, and the light faded from their eyes, and these are what are known as the Tarnished. So the Tarnished, you could call them tarnished individuals who have lost Grace, and this was a long time preceding the setting of the game, a long time before the ancestors of the characters that are present in the world were banished and exiled from the Lands Between. These Tarnished, then a long time after that, the Elden Ring was shattered in a historical event. This triggers the return of this lost Grace and calls out to the Tarnished who were once exiled from the Lands Between, guiding them back. So this is the starting point or the impetus for the game itself—the Tarnished being called by the lost Grace and returning to the Lands Between. I feel like one of the main themes of the game is how the player, the Tarnished, approaches or treats this newfound Grace and this return to the land that they were once banished from—how they interpret this and the meaning. It's not just the player character, of course; it's lots of characters in the game who are all beckoned back and will have their own adventures and motives we want the player to discover for themselves what that means and how they want to begin their adventure."

If you've played most of the Souls games, you would have observed a common theme: the struggle to face challenges and difficulties leading to triumph and a strong sense of accomplishment. Whether Miyazaki's game is about a shinobi wanting to rescue his master or a hunter trying to uncover the secrets of mysterious blood, this theme of struggle is always present.

In an interview, the host clarified this topic with Miyazaki, saying, "A theory suggests itself: the challenging circumstances of your early life, followed by a string of hard-won achievements, provided the template for the emotional trajectory that many players experience in your games."

Miyazaki shared, "I wouldn't say that my life story, to put it in grandiose terms, has affected the way I make games. A more accurate way to look at it is problem-solving. We all face problems, and in our daily lives, finding answers is always a satisfying thing, but in life, you know, there's not a lot that gives us those feelings readily."

When the first trailer of the game was unveiled and the title *Elden Ring* was revealed, many of us initially conceived the notion of a literal ring being smashed and broken by the characters shown in the scene. However, we now know that this notion is incorrect. In fact, unlike the earlier Souls games, there are no rings' functionality in Elden Ring.

In an interview, the host asked this very topic, saying, "Considering the title of the game, it's a surprise that rings aren't wearable items, especially given that historically they've been quite important in the Dark Souls games."

Miyazaki explained, "There are a couple of reasons for this choice. The first is that yes, we explored rings as equipable items a lot in our previous games, Dark Souls particularly, and so Talismans this time allowed us to approach those ideas in a different way with a greater variety of designs. And the second reason is that, of course, rings do exist as physical finger rings in this game, but more as unique items that are involved in the story and unique character events. So we wanted them to have a special positioning within the world of Elden Ring and also to be something different from a design standpoint in relation to the Talismans."

Miyazaki's worlds are renowned for their grim dark fantasies, where monstrosities abound and hostile creatures are plentiful, capable of ending your character's adventure in a matter of seconds. Yet, at the same time, these worlds always manage to feel stunning. Regarding his preference for such kind of beauty, Miyazaki shared, "Light looks more beautiful in darkness. When there is something beautiful in the middle of a wasteland, we are able to appreciate it more. One jewel doesn't look like much when you have a pile of them, but if you find one jewel in the midst of mud, it is worth so much more. Personally, a world that is happy and bright is something that just doesn't feel realistic to me. It may sound like I have a trauma or something, but I believe that the world is generally a wasteland that is not kind to us—that's just the way I see it."

Talking about preferences in creating peculiar areas for his games, it is now a known fact that you will always find a poison swamp, or a variety thereof, in Miyazaki's games, where your characters will struggle wading through it while their health diminishes due to continuous damage. We are fortunate that this topic was raised in an interview in which the host asked, "Why is there always a poisonous swamp in every one of your games?"

Miyazaki revealed, "Yes, there will be a poisonous swamp in Elden Ring too. Maybe it's some kind of trauma for me, I don't know. Something compels me to insert poisonous swamps everywhere. Perhaps it's something in my subconscious. Good question, I hadn't even thought about it."

In another interview, he gave more details on why he loves creating such horrific environments. Miyazaki added, "In terms of how the player feels when they encounter this area, that is a different story, but when making the game, I rediscovered my love for making poison swamps. I know how people feel about them, but you know, suddenly I realize I'm in the middle of making one, and I just can't help myself. It just happens."

For many of us in the Souls community, the boss enemies are the true stars of these games. So before leaving this section of game design, let's find out Miyazaki's favorite boss in Elden Ring.

In an interview, the host asked, "Among all of the enemy and boss designs in Elden Ring, which ones are you most fond of or proudest to have created?"

Miyazaki shared, "It's very difficult to make my mind up, but I'd have to say Radahn. I find him fascinating as an individual character, and I'm fond of the Radahn Festival as a situation, as well as capturing that literal festive atmosphere and sense of exaltation. I suppose it has that lonely and oppressive feeling that you could associate with our games. It feels like only yesterday we were talking about the Radahn Festival idea—no one on the team took me seriously at the time. If I were to give runners-up prizes, they would go to Godrick and Radahn. Both the design and personality of these two characters are right up my alley. Godrick is great because he understands that he's weak and acknowledges the scorn others feel towards him. Despite this, he still does everything in his power to hold on to what he has. It's this state of being, including his distorted, crazy aspect, that feels very human to me. He's a character whom I can sympathize with on some level. As for Reikard, in a way, I feel that his blasphemy represents one of the strongest wills in Elden Ring. To put it in grandiose terms, I find his determination and commitment almost enviable."

"Thank you all for attending this session today, despite your busy schedules. I appreciate your time. The title of this session is 'Introduction to Engineering Initiatives Supporting the Open Fields of Elden Ring.' I'm Ryu Matsumoto from FromSoftware, and I'll be delivering the presentation. Let's begin. Firstly, let me provide an overview of what this session will cover: introducing the engineering efforts undertaken to realize the Open Fields, a key feature of Elden Ring during its development. There won't be presentations on new technologies or conceptual game designs. The difficulty level is mild, and we generally avoid highly technical discussions, so feel free to watch without any reservations. Now let me briefly introduce myself as the speaker. I'm Ryu Matsumoto, the system design director involved in the development of Elden Ring. I oversee not only game systems but also the overall system development. Thank you for having me today. Moving on, let me outline the flow of this session. After providing an overview of Elden Ring and its volume, I will introduce various initiatives from an engineering perspective. Additionally, I'll briefly touch on examples of involvement and initiatives from a design perspective. Let's start by briefly introducing the game title: Elden Ring. It's an open-world action RPG. Relevant to this session, it offers vast adventures in a world even larger than our past works and supports multiplayer with up to four players. Furthermore, there are various means of exploration, such as riding and jumping, expanding the scope of exploration. Moreover, it enables seamless travel on foot from one end of the map to the other without loading screens. These are some of the game's key elements. Before we proceed, I will show you a screenshot. In the bottom left, there's a player riding a spirit horse overlooking an open field. The entire map, with its varying elevations, is accessible for traversal. Towards the left-hand side, there's Stormveil Castle, a meticulously crafted map intended for early-game exploration. In the center, you can see the towering Erdtree, visible from anywhere in the world. You can walk and travel all the way to the base of this Erdtree. The second screenshot shows movement in the open field. You can jump down from high places to lower ones for traversal. Additionally, while riding a spirit horse, you can perform very large jumps at locations with Spirit Spring currents, allowing you to ascend quickly to high places and continue exploration."

"Now let's discuss the game volume of Elden Ring. As a point of comparison, let's take our game Dark Souls 3. In this game, one of the first areas to explore is the High Wall of Lothric, which measures approximately 216x220. There are around 13 meticulously crafted maps like this that constitute the game. This number excludes the DLC released later, and if we include the DLC, the number of maps increases even further. Elden Ring's open field spans approximately 6,100 by 7,400 from one end to the other, making it truly vast in size. However, this includes areas where movement is restricted, such as bodies of water. Additionally, its density does not match that of meticulously crafted maps. We refer to this open field as the 'open map' in development terminology. Throughout this open field, there are underground maps and small-scale dungeons. Furthermore, similar to the maps in Dark Souls 3, there are meticulously crafted maps as well. Compared to Dark Souls 3, these meticulously crafted maps are considerably larger. For instance, Stormveil Castle, which is initially visited, measures 500x350, making it approximately 3.6 times the size of the High Walls of Lothric. We refer to these meticulously crafted maps as the 'Legacy maps' in development terminology. It's worth noting that both underground maps and small-scale dungeons also fall under the category of Legacy Maps. As mentioned earlier, Elden Ring represents a significantly large-scale title compared to past works. While the gameplay may not change drastically, the sheer volume poses challenges in terms of development. Ideally, we would prefer to utilize the same engine and methodologies; however, due to the volume, this isn't always feasible. For instance, production costs increase exponentially with volume; therefore, areas that were previously handcrafted may need to be automated or streamlined to some extent. Additionally, data management is more complex. Unlike in past works, the open map allows for freedom of movement in any direction, necessitating significant modifications and optimizations in data loading. Debugging is another challenge. Checking factors like frame rate and memory usage through brute force methods has its limitations. Efficiency becomes essential. In this presentation, we'll discuss our approach to addressing these challenges. Since we're dealing with existing systems and their modifications, not all solutions will be universally applicable; however, we hope that sharing our deliberation process will provide insights and inspiration for game development as a whole."

"In Elden Ring, we're introducing innovations in map design and terrain shaping, beginning with the implementation of a system called 'open grid.' Before delving into that explanation, let me first outline the map structure in Dark Souls 3. Dark Souls 3 features intricately crafted maps, with each one meticulously managed as individual data entities. When a player approaches the boundary leading to an adjacent map, the data for the next map is seamlessly loaded in the background while the player continues to explore, often without them noticing. The image on the right illustrates the High Walls of Lothric, the first area players encounter in Dark Souls 1, with its hit models color-coded for visualization. This map is intricately linked to the Lothric Castle map in the upper left corner. As players approach this area, the data for Lothric Castle is loaded, and conversely, moving away from this connection point releases the memory associated with Lothric Castle from the system. Now let's delve into the map structure in Elden Ring. As mentioned earlier, locations like Stormveil Castle appear to follow a design similar to Legacy maps. In Elden Ring, there are seven dungeons structured similarly; however, it's not entirely accurate to say that Legacy maps are limited to seven. Aside from those, there are numerous smaller Legacy Maps, such as underground crypts, caves, and tunnels. The underground world also falls under the category of Legacy Maps structurally. Moving on, in open-world maps, issues are expected to arise, unlike in Legacy Maps. Particularly, there are fewer movement restrictions, allowing players to explore freely in all directions. Moreover, various Legacy maps are scattered across the open world, and seamless movement between them without loading screens poses challenges from a data loading perspective. The image on the right illustrates the northern part of Limgrave, the first area players visit. Here, there are a total of 11 Legacy Maps, varying in size from large to small. To address issues within the open-world map, we have introduced control over an open grid system. Data is managed by dividing it into square units along the east-west and north-south axes, with the minimum size set at 256x256, considering player movement speed and loading frequency. Additionally, we've implemented larger grids at sizes of 512x512 and 1024x1024. Large objects are segmented according to these grids, enabling loading over a wider range. This management addition serves two purposes: firstly, to prevent an excessive number of simultaneous loads by segmenting objects requiring loading over a wide area, and secondly, to maintain quality when viewing distant objects. In addition to these larger grids, there's the concept of the 'furthest view map,' providing coarser information. This ensures players only view this map when absolutely necessary to maintain quality. Therefore, large objects are segmented according to larger grids rather than relying solely on the furthest view map. Furthermore, as large enemies or those covering long distances cannot be effectively handled within small grids, these characters are also assigned to the larger grids. Here's a brief explanation about loading open grids. The diagram here shows the debug display of the loading state of open grids near the player. The blue squares represent the loaded areas. From left to right, it displays the loading state of open grids covering areas of 256x256, 512x512, and 1024x1024 respectively. As depicted, smaller grids load only the immediate vicinity of the player, while larger grids also encompass areas further away from the player to some extent."

"Next, let's discuss the introduction of the asset system. First, let's explore how maps are created in Dark Souls 3. In Dark Souls 3, the playable area for the player is constructed using Map Parts. Additionally, elements that can be interacted with, destroyed, or animated are positioned as objects. This method suffices if you aim to create unique terrain or map structures. In the images provided, the left side displays an aerial view of the High Wall of Lothric, while the right side showcases a debug display image of the same angle with each part color-coded. It's evident that parts are created for each area rather than individual objects being placed, although it may be difficult to see. The points marked represent objects such as doors and wooden boxes. Let's continue with the explanation of how maps are created in Elden Ring. In contrast to Dark Souls 3, where Map Parts are utilized, in Elden Ring, we concentrate solely on the base terrain shape. Other elements, such as buildings, natural formations like rocks, and objects that were interactable, destructible, or animated in Dark Souls 3 are categorized as assets. This approach allows for a reduction in the uniqueness of map shapes, with map shapes created using combinations of assets. By adopting this method, we decrease the number of data points used solely in one location, enabling more efficient memory management. In the images provided, we've included aerial views of Stormveil Castle and Limgrave, along with debug display images color-coded for each part. Contrary to Dark Souls 3, you'll observe that rather than being divided by areas, they're segmented by buildings and overall terrain formations. Next, let's discuss the navigation mesh, or nav mesh support. First, allow me to provide a brief explanation of what a nav mesh is. A nav mesh is a data structure utilized by various NPC characters, such as enemies and allies, to search for movement paths when they attempt to navigate. It's generated in a mesh-like manner near the ground, and pathfinding is executed based on the connection information between these meshes. By leveraging this data, various calculations can be made to find the shortest route while circumventing obstacles, verifying if the destination of a step movement is whole, and so forth. In Dark Souls 3, the nav mesh is created from the shapes of Map Parts; however, for special behaviors like jumping down, graphic designers manually input data for generation. In Elden Ring, while initially it might seem reasonable to utilize nav meshes in a similar manner as in Dark Souls 3, upon further examination, several issues become apparent. Firstly, due to the expansive size of the map, relying heavily on methods involving manual input from graphic designers becomes impractical. Additionally, Elden Ring features maps with diverse elevations, and since players have the ability to jump, enemies must also be equipped to utilize jumping and leaping to effectively pursue players. Moreover, gigantic enemies such as dragons and trolls inhabit the open map, presenting unique challenges in their movement mechanics compared to smaller enemies. For instance, they should move with minimal concern for minor obstacles and possess the capability to destroy obstructions upon contact; however, they do not possess the ability to jump, and their movement rules differ significantly from enemies of standard player size. Furthermore, there are instances where enemies' large heads may become stuck in doors, an issue that needs to be rectified. Additionally, players may encounter scenarios where they need to navigate around moving obstacles like carriages. Given the substantial memory usage of nav meshes on open maps, it's imperative to implement solutions to reduce unnecessary memory consumption. Addressing these issues requires the introduction of tailored solutions, which I'll be discussing shortly. First, let's address jumping and dropping. As mentioned earlier, enemies in Elden Ring need to have the ability to perform jumping and dropping actions anywhere in the game world; therefore, relying on manual data placement by graphic designers as in Dark Souls 3 is not practical. In Elden Ring, we've implemented a system where information such as 'you can jump back and forth between here and here,' and 'you can drop from here to there' is automatically generated. We generate edge data in locations that meet various conditions, including whether the width and distance fall within specified ranges, whether the sizes of both nav meshes are above a certain threshold, and whether there are no obstructing objects in between to indicate that it's okay to use this place. The image in the lower right showcases debug displays of nav meshes and edge data. The green arrows indicate points where bidirectional jumping is possible, while the yellow arrows indicate points where dropping is feasible. This image, taken at the ruins of Limgrave, demonstrates the generation of edge data for various steps and the shapes of the ruins. Additionally, as depicted on the right, more edge data is generated for dropping than for jumping, indicating that there are more points where dropping is possible, as evidenced by the presence of carts."

"Next, let's address the challenge of dealing with giant enemies. Because the movement rules for giant enemies differ significantly from those of regular enemies, such as the need to ignore small steps or obstacles, conventional nav meshes cannot be used. The image in the bottom right showcases a debug display of a normal nav mesh in part of Limgrave. The troll on the right aims to pursue the player at the top of the hill; however, with the normal nav mesh, there appears to be no direct path connecting them except for jumping. Nonetheless, if we were to employ logic that allows giant enemies to move in a straight line without relying on nav meshes, they would encounter obstruction from obstacles in their path or might even fall into the sea, rendering them unable to function effectively as proper enemies. In this example, as illustrated, attempting to move straight ahead would likely result in getting stuck around the cliff in the middle. In previous games, giant enemies were typically positioned at key points, allowing for convenient terrain shaping without the need for nav meshes; however, in Elden Ring, where we aim to incorporate numerous giant enemies throughout the world, such an approach is no longer viable. Therefore, we developed a specialized nav mesh specifically for giant enemies. The image in the bottom right of this page displays a debug view of the nav mesh designed for giant enemies. It exhibits a coarser granularity compared to the nav mesh for regular enemies and generates mesh data with looser restrictions on slopes. Additionally, there are some distinctions, such as the absence of jump edge data and the omission of certain obstacles as ranges. Utilizing this specialized nav mesh enabled the troll to successfully navigate to the player's location. Ideally, we would create variations of nav meshes for each type of enemy encountered; however, due to memory constraints, this approach was not feasible. As a result, we opted to operate with only two nav meshes: one for regular enemies and one for giant enemies. We established permissible size limits for characters that can utilize each nav mesh and instructed enemy planners to adhere to these specifications. This concludes the introduction to the revisions made in map layout and terrain shape. Moving forward to the next section, please note that some images on the following page may resemble a collective entity, so please be mindful if you have any discomfort with such visuals. Next, I'll explain a case where various information was visualized using tools, specifically the Information Map and automatic testing. Let's begin with the Information Map, a web application enabling developers to observe the map status of the game from a bird's-eye perspective, utilizing data from development. The image depicts the Information Map displaying various placed objects in the open map area of Limgrave. Markers representing objects are positioned on the captured map image. Developers can click on these markers to access detailed data, including functions such as warping to the in-game location. Additionally, developers can write comments for development purposes, conduct filtered searches for elements, and integrate with other data sources such as automatic testing play logs and bug tracking systems."

"Next, let me explain about automatic testing. We run tests automatically every morning on the title under development and collect logs. The tests cover all platforms for distribution and all maps. The collected information includes various data such as player character movements across the entire map, frame rates, CPU and GPU loads, memory status, and various error information. Depending on the stage of development and the requirements, we adjust how the player character moves, such as walking, riding, or multiplayer scenarios. We also adjust map conditions like weather and time of day and options such as prioritizing graphics quality or frame rate. We display graphs for each collected data, allowing us to overlay results from multiple days to assess the situation. While this tool is very useful, the data is sometimes difficult to interpret since it's presented only in line graphs. It's not always clear from the graphs alone where issues are occurring in the map, whether they are localized or scattered across different areas. One of our frequent needs was for performance checks and memory checks. Performance checks involve verifying if there are any areas where the frame rate is deteriorating, which is crucial as poor frame rates result in a subpar gaming experience. Memory checks involve ensuring that the amount of memory used by loaded data is not in the danger zone, as excessive memory usage can lead to various issues, including crashes. With the introduction of the Information Map, as explained earlier, we recognized the potential for streamlining these checks by integrating them. Indeed, we experimented with combining them for frame rate analysis, resulting in the diagram on the left. This image illustrates data collected from automatic tests conducted by freely roaming through Limgrave. We marked areas with significant frame rate deterioration with orange pins on the Information Map and used a heat map to visually highlight where frame rates were dropping the most. Areas shaded in yellow-green indicate significant frame rate drops. In practice, for performance checks, we established regular meetings with stakeholders to review the results from the Information Map and automatic tests, identifying issues and implementing various measures. For memory checks, we assigned a dedicated checker to regularly send alerts for suspicious areas, prompting adjustments in placement and data reduction by team members. Since these issues involve various factors and are often deeply rooted, they pose significant risks; therefore, having them visualized automatically proved to be quite beneficial for our development process. That concludes the introduction to visualization through the Information Map and automatic testing. I'll introduce next a tool called a Dependency Database, which serves a slightly different purpose. Throughout development, there are various scenarios where understanding dependencies becomes essential, such as determining 'where is this data being used' or 'what kind of data does this contain.' For instance, after fixing a bug in certain data, it's crucial to ensure that no other issues arise elsewhere; therefore, it's imperative to know where this data is being utilized across maps or cutscenes. Moreover, to streamline the process of deleting unused data, it's necessary to verify if any maps are utilizing specified assets. Additionally, during network tests for Elden Ring, about 6 months before release, it was vital to ensure that the package didn't include any data beyond the scope of the network test; thus, we aimed to construct the package with the minimum necessary data while covering all the data used within that scope. These are just a few examples of the requirements that arise during development. The Dependency Database tool helps us address these needs by providing insights into the dependencies of various data within the project. Traditionally, we've relied on manual efforts to understand such data; however, particularly with Elden Ring being on a large scale, this approach is becoming increasingly challenging. Documenting and managing it is tough in terms of operational costs. Additionally, the approach of searching for each file when needed and listing them up requires extensive work each time, leading to hefty costs and sluggish progress. To address this issue, we've introduced a tool called Dependency Database. I'll provide a brief explanation of the Dependency Database. It's a tool designed to analyze dependencies between data and manage the results in a database. The Dependency Database contains various information about referenced and referencing files. Users can access this information through a viewer, allowing them to browse, search, and output the data. For instance, users can list characters or assets used in specified cutscenes, confirm which maps or cutscenes a specific character is used in, and determine where a certain texture image is used among characters, map models, or assets. The database is updated daily with newly updated data analyzed and dependencies registered in the database accordingly. By leveraging the Dependency Database, we've been able to create dependency information and lists at a low cost. Continuing, although this mechanism is not specifically tailored for Elden Ring, I'll explain the automatic generation of part rendering settings in three-dimensional maps. The complexity of objects and structures increases, leading to a significant rendering load; therefore, it becomes imperative to reduce rendering wherever possible. For example, areas that will never be seen by the player, such as behind walls, are candidates for rendering omission, unless the wall is circumvented. At FromSoftware, we've employed a mechanism called 'rendering groups' in previous works. This involves assigning a flag to the hit Parts where the player is standing, indicating 'this is what the player is looking at.' Additionally, various display elements such as model-based Parts have a flag list indicating from which location these should be rendered. By matching these two, only the elements that should be rendered are displayed according to the player's position. This setup was manually configured and adjusted by our graphics team. This mechanism required adjustments due to changes in map structure and was inherently costly and prone to bugs. During the development of Sekiro, where the player embodies a ninja capable of freely moving through the air, ensuring appropriate rendering even in midair became necessary. Configuring this for aerial sections posed a daunting task for our graphics team, given the complexities involved. Therefore, to address this challenge, the Sekiro development team implemented an automatic rendering settings generation feature. Let me provide a simplified explanation of the logic behind the introduced automated generation. To ensure comprehensive rendering coverage, we conduct a large number of image captures, ensuring that anything visible is rendered. We select capture locations using nav meshes, focusing on positions prone to issues such as those at the edges. In terms of capture direction, we don't limit it to just the six cardinal directions but also capture from various camera angles. This is necessary because our title adopts a third-person perspective, and capturing from only six directions might lead to visibility gaps. Due to the extensive image capture required, the automated generation of these rendering settings takes a significant amount of time. For instance, during the early stages of Sekiro's development, it took approximately 10 hours to complete a single map. Let's return to discussing Elden Ring. Although we didn't implement a method of traversing the skies akin to the grappling hook in Sekiro, the introduction of jumping added a sense of verticality to the map structure. This expanded the playable area and complicated rendering settings. Additionally, the introduction of assets led to an explosive increase in the number of elements placed in the map, further complicating rendering settings. Given these

As potential issues arising elsewhere as a result of implementing desired changes; reaching agreement among relevant parties on the approach concerning the desired changes; given the multitude of desired changes, prioritizing them based on importance and addressing them in order of priority; since mass production tasks exist, progressing with addressing them concurrently—these elements pose challenges as development progresses. Each role becomes overwhelmed with mass production tasks, at FromSoftware.

We address these challenges by incorporating design roles to manage these tasks effectively. Allow me to introduce the design role to which I belong. It's a position that you don't often see outside of FromSoftware, so please allow me to briefly explain. The design role specializes in creating the framework and specifications for games, rather than implementing programs or mass-producing data. When making a game, various specialized professionals come together to create it. This department is responsible for organizing and formalizing the mechanisms of what needs to be done, ensuring that professionals can concentrate on refining their respective areas and smoothly realizing ideas. Therefore, its main responsibility is to organize and formalize the mechanisms of what needs to be done in order to smoothly realize ideas.

The flow of creating and operating a single game framework can be visualized as follows: Initially, the proposer presents their desired concept or idea. The design team delves deeper into this idea, discussing specifications and implementation methods with programmers. Subsequently, programmers proceed with the implementation. The proposer side engages in operations such as data creation and balance adjustments. Finally, the game framework is utilized after going through these steps. This process ensures that the game framework is developed and operationalized effectively, incorporating input from both the proposer and the development team.

In the content I introduced this time, the design position is involved in the following areas: Regarding asset introduction, we conducted a list and organization of the functionalities originally held by each part. We deliberated on how to inherit these functionalities and how to integrate them into specifications. Concerning nav mesh, we identified what kind of responses need to be made in nav mesh based on the desired game content of Elden Ring, such as creating nav mesh for giant enemies, among other examples. Additionally, we oversaw the operation, including parameters and functionalities, to ensure the consistent quality of nav mesh generation.

Additionally, I'll introduce involvement that is not related to engineering. This pertains to the game systems of Elden Ring, so I'll briefly explain them here. Ash of War system: This mechanism allows players to temporarily summon ethereal characters as allies by using items at specific locations on the map to enhance situation-based strategies. There was a demand to make NPCs available for use in various locations. Gathering of signs system: In the Dark Souls series, players can engage in multiplayer by picking up signs left by other users on the ground. This system remains unchanged in Elden Ring, but due to the vastness of Elden Ring's world, deterioration in matchmaking is anticipated. To address this, signs are consolidated at specific locations on the map, and the system allows signs to be sent to locations further away, making it easier for players to send and pick up signs. This is what we refer to as the Gathering of signs system. These are just examples, but we also conduct design work in areas related to game systems like these.

This concludes our discussion on Elden Ring in this presentation. I provided examples of the approaches taken from an engineering perspective to realize the open-world aspect, a characteristic feature of Elden Ring during its development. Implementing an open-world environment was a new challenge for FromSoftware, and the development of Elden Ring was a process of trial and error. Looking back, I believe there were areas where our responses were not perfect; however, constantly considering and consulting on the most appropriate approaches at each stage can contribute to creating a better game. I hope that you may find something useful or inspiring from our experiences, and I would be grateful for any thoughts or suggestions you may have. Today's presentation concludes here. Thank you very much for your attention and participation.

My name is KIRO oawa, and I'm the chief 3D graphics artist at FromSoftware. In this lecture, I'll introduce our production approach to the visuals and world-building of Elden Ring. I'll also showcase examples of the DCC tools, including Autodesk products that we used, along with internally developed tools that we've expanded upon. I'll explain how FromSoftware, despite lacking experience in creating open-world games, managed to produce Elden Ring, detailing our thought process and innovations along the way. Elden Ring is an open-world game developed by FromSoftware, released on February 25th, 2022. As of July 2022, it has shipped over 12 million copies worldwide.

Firstly, I'll explain our in-house graphics development system at FromSoftware. The graphics team collaborates across two locations: the Tokyo headquarters and the Fukuoka Studio. The Tokyo headquarters houses sections for background, characters, motion, movie, and effects, as illustrated in the diagram. Multiple projects run concurrently within the company; each project is supported by dedicated staff from these sections to facilitate development. By structuring our teams into sections, we leverage the expertise gained from one project to benefit others. Moreover, the company encourages technology and knowledge sharing through internal wikis and other channels, with the aim of enhancing development efficiency and overall quality. The tools we use internally are as follows: 3ds Max is used for all development work such as modeling, layout, motion, creating cutscenes, and generating effects materials. MotionBuilder is used for motion capture and creating video storyboards for cutscenes. Maya is used for specific functionalities like generating character hair and other pinpoint requirements. ZBrush is used for general character creation and creating background assets. Marvelous Designer is used for character clothing and various fabric assets in-game, including shape changes for cloth in cutscenes. Substance 3D is primarily used by painters and designers to create textures for characters and assets; it is also employed for expressive representations involving flow maps, such as underwater cosmetics textures and cloud materials. Photoshop is used for general image processing tasks such as creating effects materials.

Next, I will explain the milestones and development personnel for Elden Ring. The game was created over about 5 years, starting after all downloadable content development for Dark Souls 3 was completed. Since it was our first venture into open-world game development, we began by building the foundational environment from scratch to gauge the scale, production cost, and feasibility of the game. We leveraged resources from our previous titles. We then proceeded to address any issues identified in the prototype version, make additional implementations, and prepare for mass production while adjusting specifications accordingly. Following this, we moved on to creating the first playable version. This version introduced new action elements like jumping, riding, and spirit summoning through ashes, while also verifying the mechanisms that connect the open field to legacy dungeons. We then organized what data could be realized given our capacity. Once the first playable version was complete, we entered the mass production phase. Throughout this period, we conducted external reviews every 3 months, incorporating feedback from these reviews to iteratively improve the game's quality. After adjusting data and debugging, we released the network test version before reaching the master version. As for our in-house development team, it comprised the personnel shown on the right side of the diagram. Though the team may appear small compared to the project's scale, it consisted of highly experienced individuals who had gained extensive experience from working on the Dark Souls series.

Next, I will outline four key points that emerged during the development of Elden Ring: Collaboration with partner companies: We effectively managed the division of tasks, such as production ratios between our internal teams and partner companies, to create expansive open-field data. By entrusting high-cost tasks like creating numerous assets to our partners and carefully dividing responsibilities based on work efficiency, we ensured efficient development. Workstyle reform: Ongoing efforts in workstyle reform, including reducing late-night overtime and holiday work, enabled us to sustain development for extended projects like Elden Ring while prioritizing our teams' well-being. Distribution of checks in Elden Ring: We appointed dedicated directors for a wider range of roles than in previous projects, allowing for more detailed assessments and checks to be conducted before director reviews. This proactive approach resulted in fewer revisions and improved overall efficiency. Changes in development structure: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted adjustments to our work structure. By embracing remote meetings and development setups, we achieved efficiency gains. Remote meetings, in particular, offered the advantage of flexibility, enabling individuals to participate from their desks or homes and utilize their time more effectively.

I will explain the differences between open fields and legacy dungeons in Elden Ring, as well as provide background design data. In Elden Ring, an open field encompasses a vast expanse where players can freely roam and explore an unknown world while they encounter individual battles with enemies and stealth elements. Unlike legacy dungeons, players have the flexibility to flee from powerful enemies or postpone exploration. The design emphasizes a high degree of freedom, enabling players to enjoy the adventure through various choices. On the other hand, legacy dungeons are meticulously crafted three-dimensional dungeons where players delve into intricately designed levels filled with battles and tactical challenges against enemies. These environments prioritize high levels of difficulty and strategic elements. As players face multiple setbacks and game overs, they learn enemy attack patterns, leading to the satisfaction of overcoming adversity.

Now let's explore the design of the open field in Elden Ring. The game is set in a medieval fantasy world with a mythology distinct from the Dark Souls series. In terms of design direction, the director and background designer convened numerous meetings to ensure alignment. From the top left, we have maps depicting snowy terrain, grassy plains, highlands, and a lake. These are just a few examples, but during our meetings, we worked to align the imagery for each map. Regarding the design of legacy dungeons, after the field design was completed, specific concepts such as magic academy were proposed for each location, and we proceeded to refine the design individually. From the top left, we have images of Raya Lucaria Academy, the Volcano Manor, Stormveil Castle, and the Royal Capital of Leyndell. Following this, we further refined the unique designs for each legacy dungeon.

Next, I will explain the influence of the Erdtree in Elden Ring. The field design revolves around a colossal tree known as the Erdtree, and its influence is evident in various locations across the game world. The Royal City of Leyndell, positioned near the Erdtree, showcases the most profound impact; it is characterized by a warm color palette and extravagant designs like flags and statues. In contrast, places like Stormveil Castle, situated farther from the Erdtree, experience a lesser influence, resulting in designs portraying faded, desolate areas on the outskirts. This is not specific to Elden Ring, but I would like to introduce three points to keep in mind when designing backgrounds: Since the base is a fantasy work, the design inevitably incorporates fictional elements; therefore, while preserving the worldview, I adjusted the design to have a convincing appearance. The illustration above depicts a castlegate design; as the impression of a gate found in real castles tends to be weak, I modified the design to make it appear sturdy and powerful. While doing so, I ensured that the appearance did not become unnatural by incorporating real-world structures and adjusting the balance between reality and fiction. We aimed to design with various impressions such as fear, eeriness, beauty, and grandeur in mind to evoke different feelings in players. To prevent impressions from weakening due to similarities in different locations, we consciously incorporated dynamic visuals such as changing appearances depending on the location to create a sense of contrast. In the room depicted in the above image, limbs are suspended, and in the background, creepy enemies are lurking; it creates an eerie impression that makes one hesitate to approach at first sight. The image above is a design map structured according to the game's requirements. If we were to directly translate this design map into the actual game world, the visuals might not align with the overall aesthetic; therefore, any structurally discordant elements were carefully integrated into the design by considering how to blend them with the surrounding environment. The image above represents the final game screen; the fallen trees and architectural arches, among other elements, seamlessly integrate the structural design of the map into the natural environment.

Let me explain the process of creating an open-field environment. First, in the planning phase, a blank map resembling the one shown in the image above is created to serve as a general outline of the terrain. Based on this blank map, a rough model is then created. The image above is an orthographic projection of the rough model. We manually adjusted the height from a polygon mesh of approximately 10,000 polygons. Based on this rough model, the director and the lead background artist worked together to refine the terrain, discussing the visibility of various locations and other details. We then divided the terrain into various areas and commissioned the design based on the established imagery. This is the polygon model for the LOD, or level of detail, representing the final field data. Initially, in development, there was a period where height information from a map was used for terrain data; however, however, Elden Ring's open field features numerous changes in elevation and other details tied to the game's requirements, making it difficult to accommodate the director and designers' requests precisely; therefore, we opted to edit using polygon meshes instead of height maps.

Let me explain about representing the era in Elden Ring's fields. We have added elements to enrich the visual aspect, allowing players to imagine past events, histories, and other aspects from the ruins and remnants found in the area. Starting from the top left, there's a road paved with patterned cobblestones leading to the capital city; remnants of the shattered war from the past; burning walls indicating former territories; and an image of a giant's corpse. In creating the open field, the increase in the number of placements became a concern, since the number of placements affects the CPU load; it was necessary to reduce the number of placements. Therefore, for the close range, we displayed multiple asset models, and for the distant view, we reduced the CPU load by displaying a single asset consolidated into a lightweight model. Specifically, this involved a method of baking the texture elements of multiple asset models into lightweight models within the game engine to ensure that the appearance did not change significantly. We assigned elements of textures such as albedo, normal, and roughness to simple shaders. The image above depicts examples of model representations for close-up and distant views within the in-game environment. A similar mechanism is also utilized for distant objects such as trees.

I will explain about inset terrain. For comparison, there is a player character in the bottom right of the image above, and in terms of size, it is registered as one asset. If the size of the asset is large, the efficiency of occlusion culling decreases; however, by creating assets in large units and changing their scale for placement, the monotony of placement patterns can be mitigated compared to placing multiple small assets. The inset terrain, like the one in the image above, is used in most fields except for snow mountains. The appearance is altered by changing the texture of asset materials or combining them with other assets specific to the area, making it less obvious to reuse even when performing quality improvements. By modifying the source assets, changes are reflected in all data, enabling efficient management of open-field data with minimal effort. As a result, we were able to reduce draw calls and memory usage.

Next, I'll explain the quality improvements for the background. The creation of background data underwent numerous quality upgrades from the early stages to the later stages of development. This time, I'll introduce the case of Stormveil Castle, which players visit in the early stages of the game. The image above is a design map created by the map designer's team to confirm game requirements such as the overall size of the map, the structure of buildings, enemy placements, and combat areas. The image above is the map designed by the background artist based on the earlier design map. There was an issue during its creation where the appearance resembled a typical castle too closely, resulting in a weak impression. To address this, we added a touch of fantasy that aligns with the world of Elden Ring while maintaining a balance between realism and fiction. The main elements include design motifs for the castle walls; addition of flags; and erosion by wind and thorns. Each of these designs has been added as shown in the image above. Here is Stormveil Castle, which has been upgraded with the added design elements mentioned earlier. The impression of a lively storm is further emphasized. Additionally, the addition of design motifs to the castle walls has helped to enhance the castle's grandeur. The erosion by wind and thorns not only conveys the impression of a sturdy castle but also creates an eerie atmosphere, suggesting years of deterioration, affliction, and madness.

Here is an example of layout using 3ds Max to enhance the iteration of work. When performing quality improvements, it's crucial to have a working environment where the results edited in DCC tools can be immediately reflected in the game engine; therefore, we have implemented an environment called Map Manipulator, which allows the results edited in 3ds Max to be instantly reflected on the game screen. The advantages of the Map Manipulator include the ability to efficiently perform layout work using scripts prepared in-house and the ability to work while previewing on a game screen with applied cameras, lights, and filters. Next, here is an example of adjustments made using the previously mentioned Map Manipulator. The image above shows a boss-exclusive map where adjustments were made to the brightness and position of lights to create shadows falling from the ceiling and branches in the background. The image above shows an example of arranging candlesticks and small items on a table. These small items were not individually placed but instead utilized preset arrangements to ensure consistency and quality across different team members.

The process of character creation is divided into two main stages: the design concept phase and the data creation phase. The design concept phase involves constructing the concept and creating actual game data; it consists of several steps, starting with the creation of concept art, followed by image-sharing meetings and detailed design creation. Subsequently, the data creation phase involves creating models, textures, animations, and effects. Let's explain the design concept phase step by step. Firstly, character concept art is created. Concept art is usually commissioned directly from the director to the designers. When creating concept art for important characters, designers may base their character designs on texts provided by the director to illustrate. Let's take the character Godrick the Grafted as an example. In the game's lore, there is a text stating, "The weak man sought strength in abhorrent grafts." Based on this text, which describes the reasons and outcomes of the weak man seeking strength, the character Godrick the Grafted was designed. Afterward, multiple rough designs, as shown in the image above, are sketched out. Creating rough designs can be challenging, and for some characters, it may involve dozens of sketches to solidify the image. Sometimes, elements from two different rough designs, let's say Option A and Option B, are combined to create Option C. Subsequently, multiple adjustments are made until the final concept art is completed. Here is Godrick the Grafted, the character who has undergone various stages and processes to reach completion. The image-sharing meeting takes place after the completion of the concept art, where the director and various team members gather. During this meeting, ideas and suggestions for additional concepts, character traits, and imagery are proposed while sharing the character's background, personality, and overall image. Based on the ideas generated in this meeting, additional weapons may be designed and new motions tested to further develop the character's personality. These meetings are held multiple times for each character.

Here are two points to consider when designing characters and equipment: Eliminating preconceptions: We are careful not to become too conventional in our designs. For example, when designing a dragon, instead of simply drawing a typical Western dragon, we think about what a dragon in this world might be like, incorporating the game's worldview and character traits into the design. Infusing emotions and sentiments: A distinctive feature of our designs is the incorporation of emotions and sentiments. For example, items held by players are designed to convey sensations such as texture, weight, coldness, or discomfort. In this game, there are unique equipment items like mushroom-themed gear, which reflects the principles mentioned here. The characters in Elden Ring are designed with relatively reduced memory specifications due to the nature of the open-field environment. The image above depicts a formidable enemy game model. The polygon count ranges from 20,000 to 50,000 triangles, and the textures consist of 3 to 7 images with a resolution of 1024 pixels. The approximate workload for creating smaller enemies is around 1 and 1/2 months. These are the game models of oversized bosses; the largest character models in the game. They consist of polygon counts ranging from 200,000 to 300,000 triangles and textures consisting of 6 to 8 images with a resolution of 2048 pixels. The workload for creating these models can be as long as 3 months, especially for giant or significant characters. The image above depicts the character Tree Sentinel, a formidable enemy encountered early in the game. When creating character models, we make sure to stay faithful to the concept art, avoiding adding or subtracting information unnecessarily. We are conscious not to misinterpret the design to suit our convenience and ensure that the modeling remains faithful to the concept art. We always strive to maintain the impression of the concept art even after it's been converted into 3D. Additionally, we incorporate elements of realism to ensure that the texture and form remain natural and do not appear artificial.

Here is an example of modeling done in ZBrush based on the earlier concept art. In FromSoftware games, many characters wear armor that appears weathered. In the case of this character, I'm conscious of sculpting the armor in a way that retains the level of detail in the relief even as it deteriorates. Additionally, since this character is meant to protect the Erdtree, I incorporate details related to plants into the relief of the armor, aiming for a design that aligns with the game's world-building. While modelers handle these tasks, designers also review the models periodically, ensuring that both parties collaborate on interpreting the design and refining the sculpting to enhance the overall quality. This is a screenshot of work being done in Substance 3D, where the texture details such as the albedo texture of the Tree Sentinel are being created while confirming the texture quality. The image above represents the final game model; it successfully captures the essence of the concept art, conveying the aura of strength and the coolness of the armor. The armor details incorporate organic plant-like lines, exuding a luxurious impression. Additionally, motifs inspired by the Erdtree can be observed in the helmet decorations and the patterns on the cape. Textures and models alone may not be sufficient to reproduce the desired visual representation from the concept art in-game; therefore, in Elden Ring, we reproduce the impressions from the concept art by providing shaders dedicated to each character's texture.

Let's explain the shader representation for the character Malenia, Blade of Miquella. We'll start with the crystal representation in the image above. The character Malenia is depicted with crystals used in the headgear. This shader technique was employed to achieve a visual appearance that mimics assimilation. We adjusted the shader to use parallax mapping so that the appearance changes with the camera angle, creating a sense of depth and making the internal parts appear translucent. Additionally, to convey the impression of containing magical energy, we utilized Fresnel representation, allowing the crystals to take on their inherent colors depending on the camera and normal directions. These shaders are designed with versatility in mind, keeping them simple to minimize performance impact. When it comes to character texture in Elden Ring, let's focus on the shaders used for the player character. The game features a character creation screen that offers a high degree of freedom compared to the traditional Dark Souls series. Several improvements have been made, including enhancements to character modeling and textures. I'll specifically discuss the representation of hair texture. For the hair texture, we incorporated several expressions that were not present in the Dark Souls series. These include bidirectional reflectance distribution function, translucency, shadow bake, rim lighting, and gray hair. Among these, I'll showcase examples of shadow bake and gray hair. Here's the comparison between Shadow Bake Off, displayed on the left, and Shadow Bake On, shown on the right. It illustrates the shadowing effect produced by the hair's structure and form. Additionally, here are the results of adjusting the color tones of the gray hair mask texture using a mask that defines the order of gray hair generation.

From here, I'll introduce some of the player's attack motions with weapons in Elden Ring. There are numerous types of weapons, each with its unique characteristics. We created motions for each weapon type, considering their weight, length, and attack methods, aiming to convey the distinctive features of each weapon. For heavy weapons, we enhance the sense of weight through effects and other means. Since each weapon has its unique combat skills, we needed to create individual specialized motions; therefore, we combined effects and motions tailored to the characteristics of each weapon to achieve the desired result. I will explain the feedback and points to consider when creating player motions. Motion capture: We have an in-house motion capture facility where we utilize motion capture for aspects such as player and NPC idle poses, gestures, and cutscenes to reflect human movements easily. Additionally, we utilize motion capture for special idle animations such as enemy character detection motions or mining motions in tunnels. Realism and adaptation: Directly referencing Japanese and Western swordsmanship movements for creating motions results in movements that are too small. Swordsmanship and martial arts prioritize efficient movements, minimizing unnecessary actions; however, in-game motions, it's necessary to include movements that are clear to the player, such as cues, charge-ups, and vulnerabilities. Sometimes, for creating stylish actions to emphasize character traits, we refer to actual swordsmanship motions merely as a source of inspiration. Efficiency: Efficiency in motion creation is challenging due to the need for meticulous manual adjustments; however, we've devised a method where we first gather all the data and then focus on refining the quality. Initially, we gather motion data, provisionally integrate game elements including character traits, and then conduct reviews. This resulted in precise feedback reflecting the final game requirements. By shifting to this workflow, we achieved efficiency, avoiding cases where characters created with previously used methods became redundant. Interdisciplinary collaboration: The animator and planning team collaborated closely, discussing game requirements while creating character motions. Rather than simply creating motions based on orders from the planning team, we incorporate expressions suitable for the characters. Since motion adjustments are necessary at the frame level, we meticulously aligned adjustments between the planning and motion teams.

Let's now explore the key considerations when crafting the motion for enemy characters. While these points extend beyond just Elden Ring, I'll highlight three important aspects for discussion: Appealing to player emotions: In Elden Ring, providing overwhelming despair and the sense of achievement after overcoming it is one of the goals in combat; therefore, motions are created not only as mere animations but also to evoke emotions such as fear and the desire to escape when facing enemies, offering an experience where players genuinely feel that enemies are coming to kill them. For example, swinging the sword back about one head's length during an attack motion can effectively convey pressure and fear to the player. Considering weapon characteristics: It's essential to differentiate the strengths, weaknesses, properties, and motions of each weapon. For example, comparing a sword and a greatsword, since the greatsword is used more for crushing rather than cutting, motions can be designed to press the blade against the opponent to convey weight and pressure. Differences in enemy demeanor: Even among human enemies, we carefully create motions to express differences in demeanor. Minor enemies appear more reckless, swinging their weapons relentlessly, conveying a sense of fearlessness. Knights, being superior to the player, exhibit skilled swordsmanship, intimidating the player with their relentless pursuit. Giants, vastly superior to the player, are depicted as an absolute terror, displaying a demeanor that pays no heed to the player.

Let's discuss about the character's rig. The rig utilizes 3ds Max's biped feature. The advantages of using biped include stability, portability, ease of motion transfer due to its high stability, clarity of functionality, and clear distinction between what is possible and what is not. Additionally, there is the advantage of being able to leverage the accumulated knowledge of biped within the company. As a result, Elden Ring was able to manage rig operations with a small team. Next, I'll explain the key points we pay attention to during rig creation. We collaborate closely with the animation team to ensure that the rig is created with considerations for accommodating as much of what the animation team wants to do as possible. The rig team prepares rigs in advance that meet the character requirements, and the animation team creates animations using these rigs. Let me describe some examples of rig usage. The image above depicts a character named Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon. In her first form, she is a character floating in the air. Since manually animating all the movements of the floating cloth would be inefficient, we prepared a dedicated rig using multiple modifier features in 3ds Max to handle this. Specifically, we applied mesh deformations using modifiers through constraints to bones and made them usable for the in-game model. We create the behavior of the entire mesh undulating using what's known as the Wave modifier, which deforms the mesh to create a waving effect. We use soft selection in the polygon editing modifier to limit the deformation at the base. We move the mesh to match the shape of the sleeves and use the skin modifier to make it follow the controllers. Here is the actual result reflected in the game model. The image above shows the characters Godskin Duo. During the image-sharing meeting, there were requirements for these characters. The character on the left extends their body to execute attacks, while the character on the right inflates their body to attack without using weapons. However, there was also a request to avoid motions that bend joints unnaturally. To achieve these behaviors, we prepared a dedicated rig. We used Spline IK to achieve the stretching and twisting motion of this character's body. Spline IK allows for unique expressions, so it is widely used for many characters and weapons in Elden Ring. In this installment, we are using splines created with path constraint alone. We have created rigs with twist controls and length constraints added to the controllers as scripts. For characters with a stretching torso, we incorporate Spline IK as the spine. Essentially, we stretch the torso by scaling the spine joints of the biped; however, by using auxiliary controllers on the spine joints, we can also fine-tune the flexibility of the character's body. Here is a game motion using Spline IK. The stretching feature of the rig is also used for expressions such as the elongation and contraction of the torso of the Serpent Soldier and the extension and contraction of whip-like weapons. Additionally, in Sekiro, it is used for expressions like when the centipede emerges from the ape boss character.

Through the development of Elden Ring, we introduced examples of design and data creation processes and workflows carried out at FromSoftware. Please understand that the workflows presented here are specific to the development process of Elden Ring at that time. From the content of this article, I hope you understand that FromSoftware's graphic designers dedicate a significant amount of time to adjusting aspects that influence gameplay, much like the time spent on creating graphic data. We will now try to answer some of your questions.

Can you explain how to balance deadlines and quality as a developer? The honest desire is to improve quality right up to the deadline, but due to the nature of game development, this is often challenging. Game data includes final checks such as processing loads and bug fixes, and graphic designers communicate the deadline minus the time needed for revisions to the schedule manager. In game development, there are always challenges and areas for reflection; incorporating these into the next title serves as a new goal and motivation, leading to positive outcomes.

How did you handle outsourcing asset production, especially in terms of progress and quality control? We handled micro-detailing and simulations like cross-sections of equipment shaders internally, but outsourced basic modeling and texturing work. Outsourcing costs increase with volume, so we aimed to minimize effort. We provided specific retouching instructions on actual deliverables rather than relying solely on verbal feedback to minimize misunderstandings. Additionally, we addressed complex revisions internally to reduce retakes. Overall, we believe we effectively managed costs and outcomes.

How do you communicate with development staff responsible for tasks other than 3DCG? When discussing with programmers developing game engines, we often communicate on common challenges such as how to reproduce expressions discussed in image-sharing meetings using our in-house engine. When consulting with different professions, we use images or videos as examples to facilitate communication, as relying solely on words can lead to misunderstandings. For realistic expressions, we communicate using specific camera values and other information.

How large was the initial development team, and why did you choose that size? We initially worked with a small team consisting of key members to facilitate easier communication of game concepts and reduce communication costs. Larger teams can complicate sharing ideas and transmitting information, so we prefer small teams during the foundational stages of game development.

What new technical challenges did you face regarding graphics compared to previous titles like Elden Ring? We explored new challenges such as using volume forms, referencing terrain height data, and employing vertex animation textures for various expressions including backgrounds, characters, cutscenes, and others regarding effects.

Can you share your experiences with timing player interaction and balance during advanced combat? While flashy effects may look impressive, excessive use can hinder player visibility and comprehension of gameplay mechanics; hence, we avoided effects that could obscure gameplay cues to maintain player clarity.

When translating 2D art to 3D, what challenges or concerns did you face? Designs drawn from various camera angles may appear differently in-game due to differing camera angles and perspectives. We adjust the data to align with the impression of the design, often through discussions with designers. Interpreting designs that rely on touches and nuances during 3D modeling requires careful consideration and interpretation each time.

How did FromSoftware overcome challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic? Given that interactions with the Fukuoka Studio resembled remote work even before COVID-19, we extended this approach company-wide.

What media or games do you recommend for aspiring creators, and what skills are essential for a career in 3DCG design? It's essential to watch or play acclaimed works, as new ideas often stem from combining existing ones. Learning may be limited unless one faces challenges while viewing works or playing games. In terms of skills, the ability to express oneself effectively through chosen tools is paramount.

Does using free tools like Blender disadvantage job seekers, and does it matter whether one chooses Maya or Blender for a portfolio? FromSoftware doesn't specify tools for hiring; it's crucial to use the tool that best showcases your skills rather than focusing on whether it's paid or free.

What educational backgrounds are common among staff, and how do self-taught individuals contribute? The educational backgrounds vary depending on the role, but many graphic designers hold degrees from art schools or specialized institutions. While self-taught individuals are not as common, personal skills, capabilities, and motivation hold greater weight than academic qualifications. Many self-taught individuals excel and even become leaders regardless of their educational backgrounds.

Are traditional sculpting and drawing skills necessary for 3DCG production? While not essential, observation and analysis are necessary when modeling real-world objects. Interpreting designs that don't exist in the real world also requires strong comprehension and interpretation skills; thus, traditional sculpting and drawing skills can be advantageous. Ultimately, knocking on the door of 3DCG game production is encouraged at FromSoftware, where motivation and skills open doors to various roles. If you're interested in game development akin to what FromSoftware does, consider applying to us.

Today's presentation concludes here. Thank you very much for your attention and participation.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedules to attend this session today. This session is titled "Self-Analysis of the Team's Commitment in Creating a Large Number of Character Models for Elden Ring." Rio Fujimaki from FromSoftware will be delivering the presentation. Thank you for your attention.

First, let me give you an overview of this session. This session is about a self-analysis of what the character model team of Elden Ring was thinking while working. There won't be any introduction of innovative technique or cutting-edge tools. This is a discussion about rethinking the obvious. The difficulty level is easy; feel free to watch it casually. As a disclaimer, due to the nature of the title, Elden Ring, some characters included in the materials of this session may be unsettling for some individuals—primarily ants, crayfish, snakes, mushy substances, etc. While I don't intend to include anything extremely radical, please be cautious if you have any aversions.

Allow me to briefly introduce myself. My name is Rio Fujimaki. I participated in the development of Elden Ring as the character art director. I was responsible for the graphics in the game. Thank you very much for having me today.

Here's a brief summary of what Elden Ring is. Elden Ring is an open-world action RPG. It is available on multiple platforms, set in a dark fantasy world. The game features a vast world with numerous characters. I will show you some screenshots that give a sense of the characters in this game. The character in the foreground, riding a horse, wearing armor, and holding a sword, is the player's character. They are facing off against an enemy resembling a wyvern. The graphics are semi-realistic, based on photorealism but somewhat stylized. The cultural setting is reminiscent of medieval Europe. Some characters in the game are inspired by real-life animals. This character resembles a bear. Designs are based on real animals but are altered for the game's purposes. There are also many characters in unusual forms. This character, for example, is composed of countless human bodies interconnected. While creatures like the wyvern or the giant bear mentioned earlier are easier to imagine based on real-life animals, designing characters like this one, which lack reference materials, can be challenging for the modelers. This character is also in an unusual form; it has the body of a large serpent with human faces, limbs, and wielding a sword. The snake's belly is split open with numerous arms wriggling within. The design is unique and, due to its enormous size, presented challenges during the modeling process.

Let's explore the character creation process. Initially, the director introduces the character's visual representation. Following this, the concept artist generates concept art according to the director's vision. Subsequently, the modeler develops models and shaders. This progression sets the stage for subsequent steps such as rigging and motion. Today, our discussion centers on the responsibilities of the modeler. As we move forward, we'll explore everything from the viewpoint of this modeler role.

Let's delve into the relationship between concept art and the modeler within our company. Concept art plays a crucial role as a reference for characters, capturing their unique traits and appeal.

Today's topics: We will discuss three topics related to attention to detail: approaching modeling, and dealing with concept art; approach to expression through shaders; being a team that can demonstrate attention to detail.

The following discussion is truly subjective and merely serves as an introduction of examples. I do not intend to provide an absolute correct answer, so please keep that in mind as you read.

In this section, we will discuss the approach of the modeler and how they deal with concept art. As an example of the approach of modelers, I'd like to introduce three aspects that seem easily communicable within our attention to detail: capturing form and shape; understanding motifs; understanding materials and texture.

This time, I will present an example of how we address these three aspects within our team. First, let's talk about capturing form and shape. It's often easier said than done to carefully consider the shape based on concept art and reference materials, or to revisit the model if the balance or form doesn't seem right. Additionally, there were situations where we tended to rely on imagination to fill in the gaps without closely observing the reference materials. Therefore, we believed that observation was crucial and implemented reinforcement measures.

Let me introduce one of those measures. We'll focus on a character called Giant Ant for this. It's a huge ant, approximately 5 m in length, and appears in places like caves. Our discussion will concentrate on effective observation of concept art, models, and reference materials to create a model based on this concept art. The Giant Ant model appears like this. When it comes to modeling, it's crucial to examine both the concept art and the model itself. How do you capture the character's design? When comparing the concept art and the model, consider how you observe.

Now, as an example of observation, I'll present two pictures. Please consider which one aligns more with your perception. First, here's the image observed in three dimensions. Are you picturing it in your mind with shadows like this? Are you noticing the shadows formed by the light and thinking about the three-dimensional impression they create? Or perhaps you observe in this manner, considering boundaries and spaces, thinking about the overall outline, comparing the sizes of parts and the gaps between parts.

Let's take another look at the model, everyone. Which side do you think people are consciously observing—left or right—or which side do you feel is more noticeable? For those who think it's both, consider which side you're more strongly aware of. We can observe that there are tendencies among individuals when perceiving shapes in sculpture or concept art. Within our team staff, it seems there are two main approaches: capturing three-dimensionality. Some individuals focus on perceiving the three-dimensional aspects of the form, capturing boundaries in space. Others concentrate on perceiving the boundaries of objects and the space around them. While some people can do both, they likely excel more in one area than the other.

Let's list the characteristics of each. First, let's discuss individuals who capture three-dimensionality when observing concept art or reference materials. Some people perceive three-dimensionality through surfaces and shading. These individuals excel in conveying three-dimensionality and form; however, due to the abundance of information, they may struggle with achieving overall balance.

Now let's talk about individuals who perceive boundaries in space. They capture shapes based on the contours and boundaries of parts. They improve accuracy in three-dimensionality by observing from different angles and consider the proportions of parts and the spaces between them. Their advantage lies in focusing on balance and overall impression without being distracted by minor details; however, they may sometimes lack in expressing detailed aspects.

So what are we going to do? That's the question. Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages, so it didn't seem like one was clearly better than the other. However, by consciously choosing between them, we often noticed improvements in the results. Nevertheless, some individuals still struggled with it. For those who find it challenging to perceive in three dimensions, we recommend focusing on the shape of cross-sections by paying close attention to details such as whether the cross-section is round, oval, or rhomboid. Many individuals were able to better grasp three-dimensional objects. This might be because they start to perceive the cross-section as a line. The blue lines represent the shape of the cross-section. In most cases, it's not a perfect circle, but rather distorted. Being conscious of how it's distorted and observing it closely yields positive results.

For those who have difficulty achieving balance, we recommend intentionally reducing the amount of information in the materials. This seems to make it easier for individuals to focus on boundary lines and space. Concept art, reference materials, and model screenshots are processed using software like Photoshop to reduce information. We recommend using posterization filters and converting to black and white. The result will be like the figure on the right. Observing the processed images revealed that instead of seeing three-dimensionality, individuals were able to perceive boundary lines in space. This processing tendency appeared to make it easier to grasp proportions and balance of parts.

We will summarize an example of an initiative to capture form. This initiative involved revisiting the aspect of observation that we usually take for granted, by changing the perspective and being more conscious during observation. The accuracy of capturing shapes improved. This was an example of a routine effort aimed at reproducing the characteristics of concept art as accurately as possible.

Next, here's an example of an initiative to deepen understanding of the motif. Firstly, it's important to establish that in our company, concept art serves merely as a guideline and is not equivalent to technical blueprints. It's necessary to supplement the details not depicted in the concept art. Therefore, by increasing understanding of the subject matter, the accuracy of expression improves, and there is a tendency for versatility in application. This tendency is particularly pronounced when the motif closely resembles real-life organisms. Consequently, I believe that deepening the understanding of the modeler leads to further enhancing the allure of the concept art.

Let me provide an example to clarify this concept. We will focus on a character called the Giant Crayfish for this example. While based on real crayfish, this character has an overall distorted and ferocious vibe. In understanding this concept art and character, let's discuss an example of what a modeler might research or consider. In considering how to capture the characteristics of living organisms, I explored various approaches. Naturally, I consulted photographic references and researched the features of the organisms. In some cases, I even purchased specimens, particularly for insects, to use as references. Among these approaches, considering the method of care for the organism proved to be particularly effective. There was a tendency for individuals to subjectively develop affection and vividly imagine the organism. Those who have experience in keeping or have kept living organisms found this approach especially effective. Additionally, since our team comprised many staff members who were fond of living organisms, we often achieved good levels of empathy. This approach aims to enhance knowledge, expand imagination, foster attachment, and envision details not present in the concept art.

Living organisms are incredibly complex and full of charm. Creating them without thorough research risks not fully capturing their allure. Therefore, these efforts are focused on leveraging the inherent charm of the chosen organisms as the motif. Understanding an organism's dietary habits and hunting methods is crucial as they often define its main features. For instance, the arms of a praying mantis, the jaws of a snake, or the neck of a giraffe are emblematic of how and what they consume. These parts symbolize the essence of the organism and its relationship with its environment. Recognizing this connection allows for meaningful emphasis on their traits. Moreover, various aspects such as habitat, reproduction, movement, temperament, lifespan, and predators must be taken into account when caring for organisms. Each of these factors directly influences an organism's characteristics, and there are underlying reasons for each trait. Raising organisms provides an effective means of understanding their characteristics because it allows for firsthand observation of their behaviors and adaptations.

Here is a model of a Giant Crayfish that was created while considering such things. For its basic structure, it has a large body with two large claws, eight legs, long antennae, and a large tail fin. Among many features, it is primarily modeled after the characteristics of a crayfish, but because it is about 15 m in size, aspects like the thickness of the exoskeleton are also inspired by lobsters. Let's take a closer look at the details of the model. The large claws serve multiple purposes, including catching prey, settling territorial disputes, and intimidating others. Interestingly, using these claws to capture live prey can be quite challenging. This creature boasts eight legs in total, with the front four legs sporting small claws at their tips, which it adeptly uses for feeding. While antennae are crucial sensory organs for crayfish, this particular model features an above-average number of them. Near the mouth, there are small legs utilized for grasping prey like fish for consumption. Inside the mouth, intricate organs facilitate delicate movements. The small circular organ above the mouth serves as an excretory opening, though it's worth noting that the crayfish also employs a water-spitting attack which may serve for excretion purposes as well. The base of the legs harbors a dense population of leech-like parasites that attach themselves and move within the crayfish's legs. Additionally, small legs grow on the underside of the tail, indicating that this crayfish is a female. In actual crayfish, females use these legs to carry and nurture eggs, a feature which has been faithfully replicated in the model. In contrast to shrimp, crayfish typically have a slightly flattened and wider tail carapace.

These are just a few aspects of the model. By examining such details closely, we aim to gain a better understanding of the organism and strive for a more accurate representation. While the information presented may not be entirely precise, it serves as a means to thoroughly consider the character's attributes. With this approach, we're creating models while considering the characteristics of creatures. We believe that grasping and expressing the characteristics of organisms gives depth to characters. Since it's fantasy, there's no strict need to adhere to biological accuracy. By the time the modeling is complete, one might have researched so much that they develop an attachment to the creature. Some staff members even started keeping lizards as pets. With such endeavors, when the characteristics of a creature are effectively portrayed, it adds to the allure of animation and games as well.

As an example, let me introduce a chance time presentation. When this character is staggered, it triggers a chance time. It rears back, exposing its belly prominently. In the center of its abdomen resides a leech-like parasite, which serves as its weak spot in the game context. It's worth noting that although the leech-like parasite in the center of the abdomen moves vigorously, there are no bones attached to it. The modeler utilized vertex animation via shaders to achieve this effect. Furthermore, concerning intricate details such as the sculpting inside the mouth, while the modeler autonomously created them, the animator noticed and added bones to animate them. It's gratifying to see how the attention to detail in the modeling stage propagates to subsequent processes, inspiring further dedication. Such chains of dedication often occur and contribute to bringing out the character's flavor. This exemplifies how attention to detail in modeling can enhance the overall presentation and contribute to the richness of the character's portrayal. As a result of our dedication to understanding the motif, we were able to complement the parts not depicted in the concept art. Each character was imbued with its own personality. The attention to detail in the model led to the attention to detail in the next stage. Through such accumulations, we have created many characters.

Up to this point, I've been explaining using examples related to creatures and organisms, but now I'd like to shift the focus to armor as the subject matter. I will present examples focusing on medieval European style armor. I'll omit the explanation of sculpting approach as it's similar to that of living organisms. The main emphasis will be on explaining aspects such as bringing out the appeal of the original armor along with the allure of concept art, and achieving credibility through intricate details not present in the concept art.

Let's take a closer look at the metal armor of this equipment. In particular, we always imagine from the perspective of how artisans in that world would create this armor, based on motifs from medieval European culture. We would expect flat and thin iron plates to be hammered repeatedly to create three-dimensional shapes. This armor has been carefully polished to remove hammer marks and adorned with fine decorations. If it existed in the Medieval Era, it would likely have been a considerably expensive armor worn by high-ranking knights. The edges of the armor are folded back, possibly to provide strength or to prevent the wearer from getting injured. Each part is secured by screws, belts, or strings, and hinges for detachment are also visible. The gauntlets have a particularly intricate structure, with small plates fixed to the gloves. Overlapping plates slide according to joint movements, allowing surprising freedom of movement.

We approach crafting this armor with the perspective of how artisans would realistically create it. While not entirely faithful to historical accuracy, we aim to create armor structures that are as convincing as possible, drawing inspiration from real armors and manufacturing methods. However, excessive attention to detail can increase costs, so we prioritize incorporating elements that are particularly effective in leaving an impression. This is the state where the parts are disassembled. While they are not all made entirely accurately, they should have a reasonably convincing structure. Since the shoulders are areas that move a lot, I pay attention to splitting the plates. In actual armor, there are leather straps on the inside, fixed with screws to connect and hold the parts together, but I haven't replicated such structures on the backside in the model. However, I do consider the position where leather straps would be and place screws accordingly. The cylindrical parts for the arms are imagined to have a structure where they can be attached and detached by opening and closing with hinges. While ideally there should be belts or clasps on the opposite side of the hinges, I haven't gone into such detail for completeness. Still, by separating the parts with the awareness of such structures, I believe I've achieved a satisfactory level of convincing detail. The visor on the helmet is designed to be openable. Although I also wanted to add clasps or protrusions to make it easier to lift the visor even when wearing gloves, since it's ultimately fantasy, I prioritize a clean form over correctness. Overall, I am conscious of how the parts are composed and how they function with various mechanisms when creating the model. However, the goal is not to pursue strict accuracy, but rather to bring out the inherent charm and convincing elements of the armor motif.

There's another aspect of the armor that I pay particular attention to, and that's the condition of the armor itself. It's not just about making it dirty for the sake of it, but rather to portray the character traits of either the armor or the person wearing it. Depending on the maintenance level, the condition of the armor can reflect how meticulous or sloppy the person wearing it is, or whether they value their belongings or treat them carelessly. Showing signs of aging can indicate how long the armor has been worn and whether the wearer has the financial means to maintain it. Damage and wear can suggest what kind of battles the wearer has been in and how intense those battles were. The impression given by the armor can change significantly based on its condition. By intentionally adding wear and tear, I aim to contribute to character portrayal rather than just making it look dirty. When creating armor, I consider things like that.

Now I'll talk a bit about applying that to fantasy armor. The armors I've introduced so far have been relatively close to historical designs. Even with fantasy designs far removed from reality, I think about how craftsmen in this world would create them. Lies are necessary, but I make sure to mix in believable elements. This armor here is unmistakably fantastical. It combines armor with biological parts. However, if we look at, for example, the helmet, the visor appears to have a structure that would open and close properly, and the positioning of the screws suggests how fasteners might be arranged on the back. Additionally, if you examine the spiky formation on the back, upon closer inspection, you'll notice that it's not just a mass of metal, but rather thin metal plates bent and rounded at the edges. These characteristics are the same as those of the basic armor I mentioned earlier. By incorporating the same structures and manufacturing methods as realistic armor into some parts, it not only becomes simply a product of imagination but also gains credibility, ensuring it fits seamlessly into the world without seeming out of place.

Here's a summary of the armor preferences. I believe researching how artisans in that world or cultural sphere would craft it and considering the structure necessary for movement while wearing it adds persuasiveness to its expression. Given the cost, it was necessary to selectively choose which elements contribute the most to the overall impression. The condition of the armor can also express the wearer's personality, which is an important aspect. The goal is to use these means to draw out the allure of the armor motif. Sometimes it's necessary to tell lies, yet still maintain persuasiveness. With these considerations in mind, the armor was crafted.

The previous example illustrates efforts to deepen understanding of the motif. Examples like crayfish and armor were introduced to illustrate that both living organisms and artificial objects carry meaning in their characteristics. Our goal is to convey that meaning through modeling. This serves as an example of modelers' endeavors to enrich the appeal of characters.

Continuing on the theme of understanding materials and textures, this relates to our previous conversation about armor. For instance, let's delve into what iron represents. If the equipment is crafted from iron, we aim to acknowledge that materials undergo changes in appearance, and there are explanations for these alterations. Since this aspect is usually not illustrated in concept art, we believe it becomes the responsibility of the modeler. Furthermore, comprehending the properties of materials enhances the depiction of characters. We want to offer a glimpse into what we're mindful of and actively addressing. Many medieval armors are fashioned from iron, so let's start by understanding what iron is. Iron is a metal produced by extracting oxygen from iron ore. It's a versatile material because its hardness can be adjusted by regulating the amount of carbon. However, iron is highly prone to rusting. Rusting occurs when iron reacts with oxygen and moisture. If left untreated, it will continue to rust. As rust corrodes the internal structure of iron, its strength is likely significantly diminished at this stage. Due to its tendency to rust rapidly, iron is safeguarded by applying oil or paint for rust prevention or by forming an oxide film through heat treatment. Understanding the characteristics of iron prompts discussions such as considering the condition of the armor. For instance, if the armor is well-maintained, it may signify characters like wealthy nobles who possess ample resources or professional warriors who highly value their armor. Conversely, if the armor is heavily rusted, it may indicate factors such as residing near the sea or possibly even mental instability, suggesting a reason for the neglect in maintenance. In this manner, it can convey aspects of the character's personality and the circumstances they are facing.

Here's some information about another metal compared to iron, specifically silver. Silver has a brighter metallic sheen compared to iron and stands out as the most reflective metal. It's relatively stable and doesn't rust when exposed to air or water, although it may darken over time due to chemical reactions with sulfur or chlorine in the air. Unlike iron rust, it doesn't corrode internally and disintegrate. As an additional point, it's worth noting that silver is often used in spoons and other utensils because any attempts at poisoning would result in noticeable discoloration due to chemical reactions. This feature helps detect any tampering.

Finally, let's talk about brass. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, with a zinc content of over 20%. Its color can vary depending on the proportion of zinc. It has a visual appearance similar to gold and is also used as a substitute for gold due to its ease of processing and high corrosion resistance. Over time, its surface gradually oxidizes in the air, resulting in blackening due to copper oxide. Furthermore, as oxidation progresses, a rust called verdigris occurs. This is a characteristic of the copper mixed in brass. The reason the Statue of Liberty in the United States appears green is also because the copper has oxidized. Both copper and brass may rust on the surface, but this forms a protective film that protects the interior, unlike iron, which can corrode internally.

Here's a summary regarding understanding of materials and textures. Understanding the characteristics of materials allows us to express what kind of equipment it is. These characteristics can also become elements that portray the character's personality. So while realism is necessary, it's also an element to be conscious of as part of the presentation. Although I introduced metal as an example, the approach is similar for leather or fabric. This is an important aspect of the modeler's work that is not depicted in concept art. I strive to aim for appropriate representations that match the atmosphere of the concept art.

Up until now, I have explained three points as follows: capturing the form; understanding the motifs; understanding materials and textures. These were particularly emphasized elements in character modeling for Elden Ring. Each of these aspects represents a commitment to making things more appealing by leveraging the characteristics of concept art while adding further charm through the hands of the modeler. While some of these points may seem obvious, I hope there is value in reconsidering them.

The next topic I will discuss is about the approach to expression through shaders. The reason why we are discussing shaders is straightforward. Firstly, modeling alone often falls short in fully expressing characters; therefore, we combined the functionalities of shaders to enhance the expression. Secondly, we regard shaders as an integral part of character representation.

Taking into consideration the points raised so far, let's introduce the shaders implemented by the modeler themselves. While the processing itself may seem mundane, I aim to convey the mindset and attention to detail that went into it. From here, I will introduce some shaders, starting with the basics. They will gradually become more advanced. Rather than detailed explanations of processes, these introductions will focus on the concepts and intentions of implementation. I also want to convey the attention to detail and common aspects in expressing the characters introduced so far.

Firstly, we have the basic shader for blending materials and dirt. The processing involves standard blending operations. This includes creating a mask and applying a generic texture to it. This aligns with our focus on considering the characteristics of the material as discussed earlier. Let's examine the metallic parts of this armor more closely. The areas are delineated by the mask as depicted here. A subdued steel generic texture is applied to the blue areas, while a rusted generic texture for steel is applied to the red areas. This structure enables modelers to achieve texture representation simply by drawing masks based on the material. This method enables them to concentrate solely on how the material's texture changes, leading to both time efficiency and quality improvement. Additionally, the mask utilizes the alpha channel of the normal map, allowing separate masks to be drawn for the white and black sides. This means there is no increase in memory usage for the mask, and the texture can be tiled, contributing to overall memory savings.

Next, we have the shader for overlaying fur texture. This involves freely placing hair polygons and then overlaying them with color using another texture. Currently, the hair card is in a state with only gray texture. Now we will overlay the color. Here, as you can see, the color variation has been applied. This functionality is implemented with shaders. Regarding the texture and UV mapping, the texture of the hair card is a generic one reused for many characters. We are overlaying a color texture on top of this. This texture is the same one used for the horse's base. UV mapping is done to match the base. This allows for expressing variations in fur color and dirt in detail. By using the same texture as the base, we aim for advantages such as reducing memory size.

Similarly, here's a shader for fur, introducing layered fur as well. We duplicate the polygons of the skin and layer them, then use a texture resembling noise with alpha blending to easily represent fur. Zooming in, let's take a closer look at the fur. Here's the basic model. It might resemble something from PlayStation 2 or 3 era in terms of appearance. It's just the model with textures applied. Adding layering results in this. It looks fluffy, doesn't it? This technique itself dates back to around the PlayStation 3 era, so it's quite an old method. Additionally, features like tapering the tips of the fur and adding ambient occlusion towards the roots are included. While this technique may not offer very high quality, it's quite easy to apply within any desired range with minimal effort. It's commonly used for cases where fur representation is needed. There are also tricks such as setting it to be hidden in LOD or avoiding casting shadows, which mitigated performance concerns. Since the texture prepared specifically for this purpose is only a vector map, it barely uses any memory.

Here's a shader that adds seams and other details using a separate UV map. It involves preparing a texture specifically for seams and applying it using UV channels dedicated to seams. While discussing how the equipment is manufactured, we also talked about the importance of paying attention to details like seams. For the seams here, they are created by blending a separate texture just for the seams. This allows for easy customization of the seams. Let's try changing to another type. As for the type of texture used, it's a tiling texture like this, and we have specific UV mapping for it. This approach is easier than drawing seams manually and helps maintain high resolution. Depending on the material, the appearance of the seams varies, allowing for a wider range of expressions. However, since we can't spend too much time on this, the idea was to at least provide a selection of appropriate seam presets for convenience.

Similarly, in Elden Ring, players can add additional details to characters' faces during customization. When doing so, they can specify the position and angle as desired. This feature differs significantly from the earlier seam functionality. Here, the position and angle are specified at runtime by rotating the UVs. Typically, rotating UVs for normal maps would break the direction of normals, but with additional dedicated processing, the correct appearance is maintained with collaboration from engineers. This feature was implemented, widening the range of expressions possible.

From here, I'll introduce shaders that place more emphasis on character representation, showcasing simplified examples of spiritual essence and refraction effects. Given the fantasy setting, we wanted to portray objects with a sense of transparency. As the character resembles a jellyfish, we also aimed to incorporate refraction effects. These are examples of such cases. You will see it in the video. Instead of making it normally translucent, we use a process that pastes the background scenery and makes it transparent. Also, when it gets angry, it turns red and attacks. If you look closely, the parts it uses to attack darken to black. Usually, it looks and moves without much presence, so it doesn't pose a threat to the player. However, since we wanted it to be a threat only during attacks, we added this effect. Additionally, although it's modest, we've also included some distortion in the background. After pasting the background scenery, we apply a simple distortion based on the angle of the polygons seen from the screen. You might notice that the buildings in the background appear distorted, but we've kept the expression subtle enough not to detract from the ghostly feel.

Next up is the abdomen of an ant. In some ants, there are individuals with significantly swollen abdomens. We wanted to portray a mysterious content inside—something unknown. These are examples of such cases. In this video, let's take a look at the large abdomen of the ant. By changing the texture depending on the camera position, the contents inside the abdomen appear to be moving hazily, expressing depth. Unlike the jellyfish example from earlier, the aim here is not to express character traits through the processing itself, but rather to achieve subtle representation for biological realism. Originally, the abdomen was of normal size, but it swells due to storing something in large quantities. Considering this, we imagine that the skin is thin and stretched, allowing the contents to be faintly visible. It's likely that the contents inside are liquid or amorphous. From these considerations, we implemented this representation to create a sense of depth.

Here's an example of a glow effect triggered by contact detection. Areas of contact with the background or characters will illuminate. This is aimed at creating a spiritual representation. This character ship is a spiritual-like entity. To convey this, we incorporated a glow effect on areas that come into contact with the background or other characters. You can observe this at the boundaries between the water surface and the ship, as well as between the player character and the ship. I also utilized vertex animation. It enables animation on a per-vertex basis. This mechanism stores movement information of vertices in textures and moves the vertices with shaders. I am using it in both morphing-like and bone animation-like ways. We are simultaneously performing a process where the face becomes flat and replacing the texture. We create animations using morph targets in 3ds Max, which we then use as vertex animations. In reality, we also use bone animations in conjunction, which makes it blend more naturally. This character undergoes a transformation in form midway through, and we use it for that dramatic effect. There are countless arms growing from the body's crevice, and they are wriggling intricately. This is an animation done with bones, so there's no need for bone or rig setup. If we need to increase or decrease the number of arms, we just need to edit the model, making adjustments very easy. Because such characteristics are very convenient for modelers when adjusting impressions, we chose this method. You can see these vertex animations in this cut scene as well. Afterward, the face slowly turns to the front, and at the same time, the facial sculpting appears through the shader effects. When the whole scene is shown, the sense of scale is emphasized by the wriggling countless arms. We also controlled the intentional movements and silhouettes with models and shaders. From the mouth of the serpent, a sword is pulled out, and numerous tentacle-like appendages are wriggling. While we didn't create variations in models or animations for the tentacles themselves, we produced a complex impression through controls such as randomizing the placement, angle, scale, and starting frame of the animation.

Finally, let me introduce an example of modeling based on shaders. We achieved a representation resembling the darkness of space. We worked on shaders and models concurrently. This character has a body resembling the darkness of space, with shining spine-like structures surrounded by space or darkness. To achieve this representation, modeling based on shaders was conducted, and conversely, shader creation based on modeling was also necessary. Here are some insights into what was considered and how the structure was designed. Let's take a closer look at the torso area. The bright crack in the abdomen is designed to be visible only when approached closely. It's created with some depth to ensure recognition even when viewed from the side. The surface is covered with a representation resembling darkness overall, with some star-like objects or structures resembling spines or veins visible within. Upon entering inside, the model is actually constructed like this, with shaders assigned to it. The shaders are used to depict something akin to the flow of power along the spine. The stars are attached to flat polygons and floated. While using VFX might have resulted in a richer appearance, this time having a single person responsible for both the modeling and shader work allowed for efficiency and ease of trial and error. Let's take a brief look at the composition. First, there is a black polygon serving as the base. It's blurred because the outline is too sharp. A gas-like substance is represented inside. Shining bone-like structures are added. Shining stars are inserted. Eyes are added to complete the look. All elements are implemented with shaders in mind, and their combination creates the appearance. By the way, the polygons for the shining bones and stars are shaped like this. Shining stars are represented using two different approaches. In summary, this character is an example where there's no boundary between modeling and shading when expressing its characteristics.

Thus concludes the presentation on shader examples. Let's summarize our approach to expression through shaders. We categorized shaders into those designed based on principles for general use and those tailored specifically to realize unique images. However, the common thread remains: shaders are employed for character expression and depiction. Shaders serve as a means to bring out the individuality and characteristics of characters. Consequently, shaders are recognized as an equally important element akin to modeling in portraying characters with meticulous attention to detail. In addition to the shaders presented here, we have created numerous others for various character expressions.

In retrospect, considering the discussion so far, let's reflect on what obsession meant. Obsession in the character model team of Elden Ring was about not misinterpreting the character's role or characteristics and interpreting the concept art as accurately as possible; deepening understanding of biology, culture, natural phenomena, etc., to provide modelers with additional credibility and charm. I believe these were the two main aspects of obsession. These may seem obvious, yet they require corresponding efforts. Furthermore, I believe that drawing close to the character deeply can bring out their charm.

To summarize what has been conveyed, what was our focus? An example of a specific initiative to demonstrate that. However, we believe there is no correct answer as situations vary depending on the field. Please understand that this is just self-analysis based on our case.

Finally, concerning the goal of being a team that demonstrates commitment, I'd like to briefly discuss the areas of focus and team management that align with the commitment we've discussed so far. This part will be more from the perspective of management. Firstly, let's discuss the size of the team and the scale of the data we produce. Our team consists of up to a dozen members. We manage the production of all player characters, enemies, and end NPCs within this team, which includes tasks such as shader development and skinning. We have developed over 100 series of equipment for player characters, totaling over 600 types of data, including over 350 types of weapons. For other entities like enemies and NPCs, we have created over 300 basic types, and when considering variations, the number exceeds 500. It became apparent that managing this situation solely through determination was not feasible. We recognized the necessity for a stable system that could sustain consistent production regardless of specific circumstances.

There is another thing I would like to consider here: who is the one who holds on to these details? Of course, managers also have their own preferences, but it is essential for each staff member to have their own preferences. Simply saying, "pay attention to the details" isn't enough. As indicated by the preceding content, knowing how to be particular is essential. Since not all staff members are seasoned professionals, staff growth is also necessary. However, it is difficult to address this in a development environment driven by tight schedules. From these points, as a manager, I wanted to provide an environment where staff could focus on their details without being overwhelmed by heavy workloads. I believed that this directly contributes to the success of the project.

Taking such circumstances into account, we managed the team to bring out their preferences. I'll spare you the details, but I'll share the principles we adhered to. To be particular, one needs time and mental space. We didn't demand unreasonable preferences. It's too harsh to expect staff chasing deadlines to be particular. Therefore, we secured the time to put into practice the know-how of being particular. With that premise, we managed operations with a focus on a way of working where growth can be achieved in daily tasks, and then we thoroughly implemented zero overtime and weekend work. Personally, during the development of Elden Ring, I didn't work on weekends even for a single day. We maintain this regardless of the phase of development. This management approach might have been the ultimate focus.

As artists, we also need to consider cost-effectiveness. Certainly, we can't expend an infinite amount of time and money. It's not just about personal satisfaction; there needs to be a commitment to the project. Specifically, what we were mindful of was whether it effectively communicates to the viewer. In other words, does it stand out in the actual situations where it will be used? Whether it contributes to the significance of what we're creating. For instance, while we emphasize the horror of zombies, we maintain the attention to the quality of zombie shoes within reasonable bounds. This might seem quite obvious, but I believe it's something that modelers themselves might not readily notice; hence, communication on this point was deemed necessary.

Considering the aspect of cost-effectiveness, there have been compromises I've had to make, and there are still challenges ahead. For example, the overall quality of the data content is currently lacking. Additionally, there are areas where there's a lingering attachment to meticulous attention to detail. There are various other regrets as well. Looking ahead, the next challenges include developing a mechanism to enhance the quality of the data and further streamlining work processes for more efficient time management. I feel it's necessary to create an environment where artists can express their preferences more effectively.

Above all, this story is about being a team that demonstrates commitment. Despite encountering various challenges, we managed to maintain our dedication, leading to the creation of a vast number of characters with a medium-sized team. We sustained development over a long period without overwhelming ourselves because we had a sustainable structure in place. By managing operations in a manner that enables staff to focus on their tasks, each individual was able to showcase their commitment. I believe these factors played a significant role. Moreover, we achieved invaluable results in the growth of our staff. This was the most gratifying outcome of all.

Finally, this was a self-analysis of what the character model team of Elden Ring had in mind while working. If any part of it resonated with you, even just a little, and if it proved helpful to any of you, I would be truly grateful. My lecture for today concludes here. Thank you very much for listening.

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We have now covered the core content related to game development and game design for Elden Ring. In this section, we will continue with the events that transpired leading to its worldwide release. Earlier, we explored the long journey of the Souls community as they survived the Great Hollowing, finally culminating in the release of Elden Ring's gameplay trailer on October 18th, 2021. Bandai Namco announced a change in the release date of Elden Ring, moving it from January 21st, 2022 to February 25th, 2022. In their press release, they explained the reason for this change, stating, "We have been diligently developing towards the release, but due

Same day that the delay was announced, Bandai Namco also announced that it would be launching a closed network test for the game in November. Selected players can try Elden Ring in just a few weeks to help stress test the servers and other systems, as the game features co-op and online play. The test will be available on current and last-gen PlayStation and Xbox consoles, but not on PC, and players have to sign up for a chance to participate.

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In an interview, the host discussed with Miyazaki the value of such events, saying, "Congratulations on the warm reception to Elden Ring's closed network test. What reactions from fans and press stood out to the team most following this extensive hands-on test?" Miyazaki shared, "Thank you. Overall, we saw some relatively good reactions from the network test, which was nice. I don't tend to look at the raw user reactions; that can be a little scary. I typically get filtered feedback that comes down through various sources on the team, both on our side and the publisher side, so I get to look from a more holistic view as to what was particularly valuable. We mostly found things that we tend to take for granted as game developers and might consider obvious stuff that the users found difficult to figure out or didn't gel with them immediately, were helpful pieces of feedback. For instance, regarding the new summon pool mechanic, users can place their signs and have them collected into a group of available players to summon. Things like this weren't immediately apparent to players, so this sort of feedback was beneficial in fine-tuning these features."

Two weeks after announcing the game's delay, Bandai Namco released multiple videos about Elden Ring, much to the delight of the Souls community. The first video is a trailer inviting the community to pre-order the game: "The Tarnished will soon return. Someone must extinguish thy flame. They will fight, and they will die. A Elden Lord is a champion to be born."

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The second video unveils the pre-premium collector's edition, which includes a statue of Malenia, an exclusive steelbook, and a 40-page hardcover art book.

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The third video is a gameplay preview of Elden Ring. The release date of this video was shared in advance with the Souls community, causing the Elden Ring subreddit to go into a frenzy. "Hello everyone, thank you for taking the time to join us today. In this video, we'll show some footage of our new action RPG, Elden Ring. We hope it helps to convey a little of this title's mood and gameplay. Elden Ring is set here in the Lands Between. This is a Site of Grace, acting as a place of rest for the player. Occasionally, Grace will manifest rays of guiding light. Of course, we're free to choose whether to follow this guidance or head off to explore in a different direction."

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"He… hello, can you hear me? Help me, I'm stuck."

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"Hello, please, anyone? Oh my stars, I'm so happy to see you. I am Alexander, also known as the Iron Fist, and as you can see, I'm stuck here. Please, can you help me out of this?"

"Put those doubts to rest. I'll be just fine. I'm very well trained. Give it your all, I say."

"Ah, well played, good sir, well played. Oh, that mighty wallop of yours almost spelled the end of me."

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"Ah, the map can prove useful when exploring the world and is populated by acquiring map fragments."

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"We can use markers to customize the map, such as setting reminders for the location of crafting materials or dangerous enemies. Beacons can also be placed to help with orientation. Beacons placed on the map appear in the world."

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"Spirit Springs can be used while on horseback to launch high into the air. This allows for stress-free traversal of areas with a great deal of verticality."

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"The carriage over there is carrying treasure, an opportunity too good to pass up. We'll prepare for combat with some item crafting, using materials found in the world."

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"Enemy stances can be broken with heavy strikes, such as when attacking from above. A variety of unique attacks can also be interchanged between weapons. In more perilous situations, we can summon spirits to assist us in battle. Spirits vary greatly in type, so we look forward to players experimenting and finding their personal favorites."

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"Online multiplayer can also be enjoyed with players from other worlds, from cooperative to PvP and invasions."

"Hey, deadly creatures stalk this forest, so we'll use stealth to avoid detection."

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"We've come across a boss guarding this area. We'll take it on with the help of our co-op partner."

"Catacombs, caves, mines, and other dungeons can be found while out exploring the world. These dungeons each hold their own secrets, from hidden treasures to fierce bosses."

"Greetings, traveler from beyond the fog. I am Melina. I offer you an accord."

"We've reached Stormveil Castle, a large-scale dungeon which connects seamlessly with the surrounding Limgrave region."

"You there, come over here. Would…"

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"You… you're… you're Tarnished, aren't you? I would advise against taking the main gate into the castle; it's tightly guarded by hardened old hands. Oh, try the opening right here; the guards don't know about it. You'll breach the castle undetected."

"Fair enough. You certainly don't have to trust me. Well, if you must go through the gates, I'll signal them to open, but of course, I'd advise against it."

"The gates open! The main route seems risky, so we'll try entering through a back way. Extra care should be taken when moving through dungeons as visibility and terrain differ from when in the open. We hope players enjoy getting a feel for the different types of areas and coming up with suitable strategies for each. Dungeons are complex and multi-layered, meaning they can be tackled from a number of routes."

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"Ah, nice to meet you."

"The pleasure's mine. Ryer is the name, a sorcerer, as you might have guessed. I'm looking for a little something here in the castle, when I'm not hot-footing it from the troops, that is. But enough about me, what are you doing here in Stormveil Castle? This place is bristling with Tarnished hunters, you know. They sacrifice our kind for grafting. Not exactly a place I'd stroll into without a purpose in mind."

"In this next boss fight, we challenge one of the demigods, ruler of Stormveil, Godrick the Golden. Mighty dragon, a true-born heir. Let me thy strength, oh kindred, deliver me unto greater heights."

"Well, alone. Playing as a lord, I command thee. Now I am the Lord of all that is golden."

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"He… got… Thank you for watching. This was just a brief introduction to Elden Ring's fundamentals, but more details will be revealed at a later date. There's not long to go now before release. In the meantime, we greatly appreciate your continued support."

In a very rare move from both Bandai Namco and FromSoftware, on December 9th, 2021, they released a story trailer for Elden Ring. It has long been a fan expectation that players would have to uncover the story details for themselves in a Souls game, relying on environmental storytelling instead of non-skippable cutscenes. Interestingly, this trailer was not made available within the game itself, which is something truly unexpected and typically associated with FromSoftware's approach. Consequently, if you played the game while avoiding any trailers and videos for Elden Ring during its release, you most likely missed this video. Personally, I believe that this trailer should have been included in the game itself, or in an edited version.

"It happened an age ago, but when I recall, I see it true. On a night of wintry fog, the Elden Ring was stolen, and the demigods began to fall, starting with Godwyn the Golden. Queen Marika was driven to the brink. The Shattering ensued, a war that wrought only darkness. The Elden Ring was broken, but by whom and why? What could the demigods ever hope to win by warring?"

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"The Conqueror of the Stars, General Radahn, and the blade of Miquella, Malenia, the two were the mightiest to remain and locked horns in…"

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"…combat, but there would be no victor."

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"And so we inhabit a fractured world, awaiting the arrival of the Elden Lord… unless, of course, thou should take the crown."

During our section on the impact of COVID-19 on the development of Elden Ring, we highlighted how the worldwide pandemic affected gaming events, leading many to transition to online formats. The Taipei Game Show 2022 was no exception. However, much to the delight of the Souls community, Elden Ring's promotion and community manager, Yasuhiro Kitao, participated in the event and offered an exclusive interview about the game's mechanics. He discussed the core aspects of the game, ranging from its open-world design and character customization to its intricate dungeons. Here is a short preview of the event from FromSoftware.

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"We are now in the month of Elden Ring's release and are 25 days away from its availability to gamers worldwide. Excitement is building up among the members of the Souls community, especially in the Elden Ring subreddit."

Credit to the surprise of many, on February 19th, 2022, Bandai Namco released another detailed video about Elden Ring, titled "Overview Trailer."

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"Elden Ring is an action RPG set in a dark fantasy world. Enter the Lands Between, a place of boundless scale and untold mystery, where your journey to reveal the fabled Elden Ring unfolds. Thou shouldst take the crown. The Lands Between is ruled by great heroes, those who have inherited the blood of Queen Marika the Eternal. Someone must extinguish thy flame. You play as a descendant of the Tarnished, a group of heroes once banished from the Lands Between when the Elden Ring was shattered. The very source of the Erdtree's blessing was disrupted, and eventually, the exiled Tarnished found themselves being led once more by long-lost Grace. I offer you an accord. As a Tarnished, you'll set off on a journey to the Lands Between, rich with mystery and fraught with danger, to face the former heroes of this world. The Lands Between comprises massive, dense play spaces, teeming with threats and brimming with the unknown. You'll face many fearsome enemies, meet a wide variety of characters, and discover hidden dungeons. Those who brave these catacombs, mines, and caves will find themselves adequately rewarded."

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"Travel far enough, and you'll eventually reach a legacy dungeon, a complex and intricately built dungeon map that connects seamlessly with the surrounding landscape. These sprawling environments offer their own style of tension and exploration, creating a different feel from that of your journey through the overworld."

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"The Lands Between are vast and offer a high level of freedom for explorers. Use the map to assist with navigation. Place beacons and markers for places that catch your eye, or fast travel to previously discovered checkpoints for faster traversal. Summon Torrent, your trusty spectral steed, at any time, anywhere outside of dungeon areas. Torrent offers excellent mobility, making it possible to venture further and higher into the Lands Between. Throughout your journey, you'll meet with many characters, each with their own motives and goals. I am the Lord of all that is good. Help them pursue these goals to reveal their backstories and learn of your shared place in this world. Player freedom extends far beyond exploring the Lands Between. Your character can be fully customized, from appearance to armor and ability. Become a warrior specializing in close-quarters combat, a caster that excels at sorcery or incantations, or of course, you could attempt to master a little of everything. An extensive lineup of equipment, weapons, magic, and skills are waiting to be discovered, allowing you to develop your character in whatever way you wish. A keen adventurer may find item crafting useful, using materials picked up along the way. Many different items can be crafted on the fly, from arrows and firebombs to cured meats and other consumables that offer a range of…"

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"…benefits. The player may call upon spirits to fight alongside them. Spirits vary in type and behavior, so summoning them according to the situation is key. In particularly dangerous situations, you may choose not to engage the enemy, using stealth to outflank or escape. You can also join with players from other worlds to journey, explore, and challenge tenacious foes together. The expansive world of the Lands Between is abound with danger and mythological drama. Begin your adventure and reveal its secrets for yourself. Rise, Tarnished, rise and become the Elden Lord."

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On the same day the overview trailer was unveiled, Sony hosted a special event in its Japanese stores to celebrate the upcoming release of Elden Ring. During the event, gameplay footage and trailers for the PS5 version of Elden Ring were showcased on Sony's 4K OLED and LCD TVs from the Bravia XR series. Additionally, sections were set up where attendees could experience surround sound using Sony's soundbars and home theater systems. At the photo spot, a life-size statue of Malenia, the Blade of Miquella, was featured, allowing visitors to enjoy gameplay footage of Elden Ring enhanced by the impressive combination of the X95J, boasting the largest screen size in the Bravia XR series, along with the 7.1.2 channel soundbar and subwoofer, providing an immersive experience. With just under a week left until the eagerly awaited release of Elden Ring, those unable to contain their excitement were undoubtedly enticed to pay a visit to their nearest Sony store.

On February 22nd, just 3 days before Elden Ring's worldwide release, Bandai Namco unveiled the official launch trailer. This video received praise and appreciation from the long-awaiting Souls fans.

"Make of thyselves that which ye desire, be it a lord, be it a god. But should ye fail to become art at all, ye will be forsaken, amounting only to sacrifices. Thy kind are all of a piece: pillagers emboldened by the flame, champions welcome a celebration of war, the Tarnished Festival."

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"I pray that the guidance of Grace abandons you. Why accept the burden of their Grace, or be fooled by the dogmatic ramblings of the Fingers? Rise with us against the Erdtree! Never met someone with a taste…more…or…can't trust it. Make good mates, a Tarnished. I bid thee travel the path of the Lord, and once all is done, we shall see each other once more. Now go forth, become Elden Lord."

During the development of Sekiro, Activision produced several official "making of" videos where key members of the development team were interviewed, sharing insights on the production process for the game. This was also true for Dark Souls 2, where Bandai Namco produced multiple videos highlighting various aspects of game development. Similarly, for Bloodborne, Sony took the initiative and produced an official "making of" video. It is unfortunate that we didn't receive a similar approach for Elden Ring, considering that the scale and scope of this game's development dwarfs that of earlier Souls games. One primary reason for this is the impact of the COVID pandemic. However, we did receive a sort of "making of" video, albeit from the perspective of the production staff, though we didn't have the opportunity to hear from members of the design or programming teams. We gained some insights from the producer and marketing manager of the game.

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"I know…ent…for…for…for…for…"

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[Applause]

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"Collab…for…for…us…"

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"PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, Xbox…"

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Just a day before the release of the game, Bandai Namco surprised the gaming community by unveiling a high-made commercial depicting the events of Elden Ring as a family drama. Elden Ring's official advertisement in Thailand is a live-action portrayal that effectively explains some of the game's lore. The trailer doesn't show any gameplay until 3 minutes in; instead, it initially unfolds as a family drama where Grandma's sacred ring is destroyed, throwing her family into turmoil. Meanwhile, a prodigal son journeys home, reminiscing about his childhood, which includes a surprising number of…

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…Elden Ring references.

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"Hieeee…fore…spee…spee…"

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"NE…foreign…foree…foree…spee…fore…"

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"For…yeah…spee…spee…"

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"Fore…play…Dark Souls…fore…spee…for…"

In our earlier "making of" videos, Miyazaki has shared that he experiences release jitters whenever his new game approaches the live date. He admitted that this is one of the most challenging stages of game development for him. This is also the case for Elden Ring. Regarding how he feels days before the release, Miyazaki explained, "It's not a pretty state of mind. I will tell you that this is a tough point in the development of any game, not just Elden Ring. At this point, I really start to have regrets and doubts about releasing the game into the wild and seeing what everybody thinks. I start thinking, 'I could have maybe done this better. I could have maybe approached this in a different way.' There are a lot of these thoughts that build up just on the cusp of a game's release that are involuntary, and they plague your mind a little bit as you're finishing off work on the project, so it is quite tough. It's a tough time, and it doesn't get easier with experience. But particularly looking at Elden Ring as its own piece of work, I'm really looking forward to people playing it and seeing how they react. It's a big moment in our development history."

Just a few days before the release of Elden Ring, Miyazaki shared a message to the players in an interview, saying, "There's not one specific area from the network test that players overlooked, or a part of the game that we want to push on them. Mainly, we want players to feel the importance of the level of freedom that we're focusing on this time. We want them to enjoy the game in their own way and feel liberated in this new open world that they can explore at their own pace. If possible, we want players to try and steer clear of spoilers or guides and go in with a completely fresh, open mind and enjoy that initial sense of adventure. That's how we'd want to experience the game if we were going into it for the first time, and that's how we hope our players can experience the game comfortably, at their own pace, with this new sense of wonder."

Now that we're in the release week of Elden Ring, let's explore the major features that were newly introduced in the game. We can confidently say that this title presents players with the highest number of enhancements and changes within a Souls game. Among all the new features that Elden Ring introduced to the Souls games, the biggest and most defining new feature is the spectral steed named Torrent. During the reveal of the gameplay trailer, Torrent is one of the key highlights and definitely increased the hype of the game for the excited fans. Do you still remember when he did the double jump while facing the then-unknown dragon, which summoned lightning to attack the hero? That was truly memorable for most of us and kept us motivated for the game during the hollowing. You will be able to summon Torrent to your side after you receive an item called the Spectral Steed Whistle. Not only is he a great help for traversing the world, but also a great help during combat, especially when fighting dragons or mounted enemies. When Torrent was first revealed, many fans noticed his obvious similarity to Yakul, the red elk of Ashitaka from Princess Mononoke. Regarding the design of Torrent, Miyazaki shared, "The spectral steed needs to be able to move in three-dimensional space, so we knew it shouldn't look like a prize thoroughbred. Actually, its design has a few little touches that aren't horsey at all, but rather take inspiration from donkeys and antelopes, which are perfectly at home on crags and other rough terrains."

If you are wondering about Torrent's origin and introduction to the gameplay, Miyazaki shared that he has been planned for Elden Ring from the very start. He said, "Torrent was intended from the very beginning to serve as the player's primary mode of traversal in the open field. We tried to focus on gameplay and ease of use when implementing Torrent, rather than strict realism or how it feels to ride a horse, which I think adds to the game's unique quirks. Essentially, the fact that Torrent is a spirit steed also stems from this fundamental pursuit of player comfort and convenience."

Torrent was primarily designed for exploration in the overworld and could not be summoned within minor dungeons or legacy dungeons. Miyazaki added, "Mounting and riding are actions limited to open fields, and it feels quite satisfying. With the use of jumps, you can smoothly overcome small obstacles, dash down steep cliffs, execute large jumps in specific areas, providing a dynamic and three-dimensional joy in exploration."

Miyazaki prefers to give freedom to the players and let them decide if they want to do combat in the overworld while riding Torrent. He said, "Primarily, the horse is intended for riding; players will likely prefer to dismount for battles. However, in certain situations, there might be conflicts to resolve while mounted, or perhaps avoid risky situations altogether. We will give players the choice of how to utilize the steed. Although mounted riding isn't available in certain locations where you can mount the horse, it's all in your hands."

Next to Torrent, the second most significant and game-changing feature introduced in Elden Ring is the addition of Spirit Ashes. Suddenly, the Souls game transformed into something similar to Pokémon. You will be able to collect creatures that can help you fight enemies, even upgrade them so they can assist you in defeating even the strongest enemies. There are even some instances where the spirit summon can deal more damage and become more effective in defeating enemies than your main character. The introduction of the Spirit Ashes is one of the main reasons why Elden Ring became the most accessible and flexible in terms of how much you want the game to become easy or difficult. There is no doubt that utilizing them makes the combat less difficult. Regarding the introduction of this new feature, Miyazaki shared, "Spirit Ashes are primarily enemy-based, each with distinct characteristics. Players can utilize them strategically; for instance, summoning a shield-bearing apparition to support the rear guard, summoning an archer to aid in an assault, or using an apparition as a decoy while attacking enemies from behind. There are various strategic ways to use these apparitions. There are also growth elements for them, similar to weapons. Players have the choice of which apparitions to develop. I hope players can select based on their own strategies or preferences. There are even apparitions that might not be very useful but still somehow end up endearing to players."

In a separate interview, the host asked regarding the design of the Ashes, saying, "How did you design the different types of Ashes you could summon?" Miyazaki shared, "The Spirit Ashes were essentially picked from enemies, but it came down to how they worked in gameplay, where possible during their selection and design process. We tried to remain conscious of each summon's unique qualities and what they brought to the game. Then, on top of that, a layer of personality was added from a role-playing perspective. While this wasn't true of every single one, I personally have a bit of a thing for the role-playing aspect, so it's something I hope players can enjoy in that sense as well."

Ashes of War are special items that allow you to grant your weapons and shields new skills and affinities. They're integral for creating builds and adapting to the many enemies and bosses of the Lands Between. If you recall in Dark Souls 3, the idea is already present there, but it was fully realized in Elden Ring. In Dark Souls 1, the skills are locked and attached to specific weapons, but in Elden Ring, they can be equipped and unequipped as desired. Most can only be applied to a specific weapon type, but this further adds to the variety since all of your equipment can be buffed in numerous different and unique ways. Collecting those Ashes of War and working out which ones work best with your build definitely adds to the joy and variability of combat in the game. Much like the Spirit Ashes, the Ashes of War are collectibles in the game and contribute to the joy of exploration as they often come as rewards while exploring the world.

In an interview, the host asked regarding the design of the Ashes of War, saying, "What was the thinking behind the Ashes of War system? Was it designed with flexibility in mind?" Miyazaki explained, "Flexibility was definitely part of it. We wanted to put emphasis on giving the player more freedom in various ways, and the Ashes of War represent a link in a series of such efforts. The goal was to increase the degree of freedom in the context of strengthening your weapons and customizing them in your own way, and I think this feeling of weapon customization ended up being something quite expansive and fun. Also, this skill system itself was created with Dark Souls 3 as a means of improving the distinct characteristics of each weapon category. It entrenched the nuance of power necessary for battling in a high fantasy world of myth and legend, which resulted in a greater range of ostentatious or idiosyncratic skills in Elden Ring."

When exploring in the earlier Souls games, you would often encounter obstacles like rocks or debris blocking your path, requiring you to find alternative routes to proceed. This changed in Sekiro, however, with the introduction of the jump feature for the first time. This jump functionality is also present in Elden Ring and has opened up a world of opportunity for both mobility and combat. Some bosses are even designed to be countered by executing a jump to avoid damage that occurs on the ground. Regarding the introduction of the jump feature, Miyazaki shared, "Yes, jumping is indeed possible. Attacks from a jump carry significant weight, and for lower attacks, it's also possible…possible to evade by jumping. Moreover, I feel that it greatly enhances the freedom of exploration in this game. Alongside vast open fields, there are meticulously crafted maps, such as castles akin to the Dark Souls series, providing a three-dimensional design. We refer to these as legacies. The freedom while exploring these maps is significantly expanded through jumping. This aspect might feel particularly refreshing to users who are avid players of the Dark Souls series."

Though some form of stealth was available in Bloodborne, we first experienced fully featured stealth functionality in Sekiro. This game enabled us to crouch and perform stealth kills on unwary enemies. It also provided us with a user interface to detect the awareness of enemies about our presence while doing stealth. Though it's not as fully featured as the one in Sekiro, stealth returns in Elden Ring, allowing us to sneak around and defeat enemies without engaging them in combat. Regarding the introduction of stealth in the game, Miyazaki shared, "We think it's a relatively simple implementation of stealth, but it has a wide variety of uses, and again, it contributes to this level of player freedom we feel. So you're able to crouch, you're able to sneak and be less easily detected in long grass, for instance. You're able to use that to your advantage to sneak up on the enemy, get a backstab, get a stealth attack, but you're also able to use it to bypass certain areas and to assess situations from afar. We wanted to create these opportunities for players to see what lies ahead of them and below them and around them and to assess how they're going to confront that or not, as the case may be. So stealth, while again it's a simple implementation, it allows for a lot more of these possibilities."

As early as Dark Souls, we already had the functionality of dual-wielding weapons. However, things were significantly improved with Dark Souls 2 when it introduced power stancing, the concept of using two related weapons with a move set that is different from just…just dual-wielding two incompatible weapons. Many members of the community missed this feature from Dark Souls 2, and a lot were surprised when it returned in Elden Ring.

Passage of time and weather changes are two standard features present in big-budgeted AAA open-world games. Though some of the older Souls games can also be considered open-world, it is only with Elden Ring that we gained a feature that contains a dynamic weather system and has a true day-night cycle. Bloodborne, Dark Souls 3, and even Sekiro change their time based on certain in-game events, but they are not truly dynamic. Regarding the introduction of these new features, Miyazaki shared, "Yes, both time passage and weather changes are present, evolving in real time. They have implications in the game; for instance, during the night, visibility decreases for both the player and enemies, altering the experience of engaging with foes and strategies for progress. Additionally, there are special clues and aspects that become more visible at night, and terrifying enemies that only appear during nighttime."

Elden Ring introduced a full crafting system that is more in-depth than any of the upgrade or boss weapon creation systems in previous Souls games. This means that you can scour the Lands Between for important materials so that you can create consumable items. Many of the plants and animals you'll encounter in the world can be killed for the crafting resources and materials they provide, much like in other open-world games. Regarding the introduction of this feature, Miyazaki shared, "The item crafting system was considered from an early stage in Elden Ring's development. Materials gathered throughout the world serve as a reward for exploration, while crafted items serve to help the player continue to explore and engage in combat. From the start, crafting always felt like a good fit for the open field we were designing."

The Souls games have been consistent in not having fully functional world maps, and in our "making of" videos, we have considered this as one of the defining features of these titles. It's hard to imagine a Miyazaki game being a Souls game if it includes a world map. Familiarizing oneself with the layout and attributes of various locations in the overworld is one of the defining experiences of playing a Souls game, so some members of the Souls community were surprised when a fully functional world map was introduced for Elden Ring. For the majority, however, this was a welcome change. In an interview, the host asked about this topic, saying, "Compared to previous titles, the world seems notably vast. Is there a world map available?" Miyazaki explained, "Yes, for the open fields, there's a so-called world map provided. It allows players to set objectives on the map, venture into uncharted territories, and relish the enjoyment of uncovering and filling in the map. On the other hand, for the legacies, similar to the Dark Souls series, there isn't a map here. We emphasize the pleasure of exploring blindly, understanding the structure, and the satisfaction that comes from comprehending its layout."

In the game Ghost of Tsushima, the creators introduced a mechanic to provide guidance to players without being too intrusive while keeping the gameplay immersive. This mechanic is called The Guiding Wind. It helps Jin Sakai discover the island of Tsushima and its secrets and collectibles. This feature is reminiscent of The Guiding Sword in Shadow of the Colossus. In Elden Ring, Miyazaki introduced a similar feature called Guidance of Grace. It is helpful yet unobtrusive, maintaining the game's immersion. This feature directs players to the next Site of Grace along the main story progression. Though this feature was introduced, Miyazaki shared that it is not mandatory for playing the game. He said, "Yes, players have a significant degree of freedom for exploration. Something might unfold, or further objectives might be presented as you explore different areas. On the other hand, there's the fundamental choice of the Guidance of Grace that I mentioned earlier. There are NPCs and elements in place to prompt this choice, so players shouldn't feel lost regarding what they should do. However, this guidance isn't compulsory. The freedom in this game primarily exists as the freedom to deviate from that guidance."

In the game Sekiro, the team removed online cooperation, preventing players from summoning help to fight major enemies. However, Elden Ring not only reintroduced this feature but also improved it, making online cooperation much easier. Regarding the changes to the online features, Miyazaki explained, "Overall, we aimed to reduce stress in multiplayer and make it easier for players who want to play together to participate in multiplayer. We reduced the number of resources required. Previously, players needed Humanity or other rare items, which discouraged some players. Now we want to achieve maximum accessibility, giving players as much freedom as possible in this regard. Secondly, since the Elden Ring world is vast, finding summon signs can be challenging; therefore, we've designated special locations where players can leave their signs or see who is currently available. Additionally, to prevent battles from turning into endless hide-and-seek, we've added interface elements that provide enough information to both participants in the confrontation."

Miyazaki's goal in improving the online features is to expand the fan base. He added, "Playing games with someone else is always enjoyable, so I want to make that achievable in a relaxed manner with low barriers. Games like this, including the feeling of accomplishment, tend to feel somewhat daunting. However, in the online world, there are many reliable companions or friends who enjoy hardships together; thus, the barrier to start playing with these people is very low, and it can be casually and lightly considered. I hope many new users will join in. With some exceptions, multiplayer is available even in vast open fields. You can directly enter boss battles together. However, please note that riding won't be available during multiplayer, so be mindful of that."

Finally, Elden Ring was released worldwide on February 25th, 2022, receiving widespread critical acclaim. Many critics praised Elden Ring as the most expansive of FromSoftware's settings, calling exploration and discovery the game's main appeal. Its exploration drew many favorable comparisons with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Similar to many of FromSoftware's earlier games, Elden Ring's difficulty provoked much commentary. Reviewers both praised and criticized its lack of easy modes. However, most reviewers considered Elden Ring as the most accessible Souls game, saying the player can choose to avoid difficult threats and return with more experience. As proof that FromSoftware has indeed finally reached the mainstream audience and is no longer a niche reserved for hardcore gamers, Elden Ring drew nearly 900,000,000 viewers within 24 hours of release on the live-streaming platform Twitch, putting it among the most popular debuts on the platform. In terms of review scores from critics, Elden Ring finally broke the record previously held by both Dark Souls 2 and Bloodborne by a wide margin. Elden Ring achieved exceptional sales figures, boasting the strongest first-week sales of any FromSoftware game, with over 270,000 units shipped in Japan alone. It emerged as the best-selling game in several regions between February and March 2022 and stands as the fastest-selling FromSoftware and Bandai Namco game of all time.

On March 16th, 2022, FromSoftware issued a press release announcing an incredible milestone for Elden Ring, revealing that the game has sold 1 million copies in Japan and 12 million worldwide, all achieved in less than 3 weeks. Within this press release, Miyazaki included a message expressing gratitude to the fans and everyone who supported and contributed to the production and development of the game. He said, "It's astonishing to see just how many people have been playing Elden Ring. I'd like to extend our heartfelt thanks on behalf of the entire development team. Elden Ring is based on a mythological story written by George R.R. Martin. We hope players enjoy a high level of freedom when adventuring through its vast world, exploring its many secrets, and facing up to its many threats. Thank you for your continued support."

Three days after the release of Elden Ring, George R.R. Martin wrote a new blog post titled "Grab for the Ring," where he shared the game with his fans. Martin said, "The wait is over. Years in the making, Elden Ring was released last week and has been taking the gaming world by storm. But don't listen to me; FromSoftware brought me on to do their world-building, so I can hardly pretend to be objective. Take a look at a few of the reviews, and…well, there's more, lots more. 'Once in a generation masterpiece,' 'beautiful and brutal,' 'sumptuous open world,' 'music to the ears.' Of course, almost all the credit should go to Hidetaka Miyazaki and his astonishing team of game designers who have been laboring on this game for half a decade or more, determined to create the best video game ever. I am honored to have met them and worked with them and to have…have played a part, however small, in creating this fantastic world and making Elden Ring the landmark mega-hit that it is."

The next day, Martin shared his blog post on his Twitter account and posted a picture of himself wearing Malenia's helmet.

Two days after Martin posted his tweet, Bandai Namco released a live-action trailer featuring Ming-Na Wen, titled "May Death Never Stop You."

[Music]

"You claim the bad crab, work in a hospital, topple a dictator, save a dynasty, seek the Elden Ring…never let success get to your head; arrogance is failure. The quest for the Elden Ring will be no

Of Elden Ring, Miyazaki said, "Honestly, I don't know. Sales are high, of course, but what are the reasons? I do not know yet. That's why I'm surprised and lost when people ask me why. But I have no intention of changing my way of doing things. I try not to think about it too much, because if I do, it will become a distraction."

In our next piece, however, I am very grateful and feel honored by these feedbacks. However, looking at player reactions, it appears that there were many who played this genre for the first time with Elden Ring. It makes me nostalgic. I remember how happy I felt when I first played Demon's Souls. Hearing their reactions, but I try not to look directly at user feedback because you can't listen to everyone's feedback, and if I do, I'm afraid it will have too much influence on my future decisions.

Talking about the impact of Elden Ring's success on Miyazaki and his team, an interviewer asked, "Has Elden Ring's hit status had any effect on your mental state?" Miyazaki shared, "As a member of the production team, the fact that such a huge number of people are playing Elden Ring brings me enormous joy and has come as a great surprise, speaking both for myself and on behalf of everyone at FromSoftware. As game developers, we've always felt exceedingly fortunate, and this time has really driven that feeling home. I'm not sure if you'd call it a mental state, but our stance towards game production hasn't really been affected. Up until now, we've made the games that we ourselves find fun, and I don't imagine that'll change going forward. We will continue to make new fun games in this way. I believe that's the best method of conveying our delight and appreciation to the players."

One theory widely shared by members of the Souls community regarding the reason for Elden Ring's massive success is its enhanced accessibility, offering players a greater degree of freedom and flexibility in progressing through the game. In an interview, the host asked about this topic, saying, "Elden Ring's increased accessibility, for example, friendlier checkpoints and friendly summons, was credited in part with improving its sales. What was your takeaway?" Miyazaki replied, "Yes, one of our objectives when creating Elden Ring and creating this new open field style was offering more freedom in approaching accounts and more player freedom in general. This was a major concept that we had in mind when approaching that game, and we hoped that this would open it up to more people and more players. We didn't want to lower the level of challenge or dumb it down, so instead we wanted to increase the level of freedom. We wanted to introduce more people to that style of game and wanted more people to enjoy that. So I don't know personally if it was successful or if it had a hand in that, but that's what we set out to do."

In most gaming companies, the common practice is to continue replicating successful formulas or producing sequels until they are no longer profitable. However, as we've learned from our video on the making of Dark Souls 3, Miyazaki is not one to succumb to this mindset. He prioritized his passion for crafting exceptional games over chasing profits. This principle led him to conclude the Dark Souls series with Dark Souls 3, serving as the logical endpoint.

Due to the immense success of Elden Ring, there's a concern that this achievement might influence Miyazaki's stance on sequels and tempt him to pursue safer, more secure options. Regarding this topic, Miyazaki explained, "What we have seen is that players seem to enjoy our games, and so they're giving us that chance to continue making what we enjoy and what we like, and it helps us to not have that feeling of being trapped. I think once you go down that avenue of making something purely because it's successful, that's when you may start to see less success."

With the success of the Souls games, especially Elden Ring, an increasing number of gaming companies are developing similar titles, often referred to as "Souls-likes." Two notable examples that emerged after Elden Ring are Lords of the Fallen and Lies of P.

During an interview, the host questioned whether Miyazaki feels any pressure due to the growing number of competitors in the same genre. He asked, "Do you feel that the influx of Souls-like games has added pressure, especially for your future titles?" Miyazaki explained, "There are many fantastic games out there, and we don't like to see that as a sort of pressure. We don't like to feel pressured by what other studios are creating or what is considered the next big game or the next big Souls-like. We simply want to continue to make games that we enjoy in our own way. I think there's definitely something to be gained in having this collaborative, peer-based environment where we can all create and participate in that general discussion. I think this is not something where we feel pressured, but it's definitely something where we feel motivated and inspired."

In our video on the making of Dark Souls 3, we dedicated a significant portion to discussing Miyazaki's preference for crafting new worlds and intellectual properties rather than focusing on sequels. We emphasized Miyazaki's commitment to his creative vision, even if it means forgoing the potential success of sequels to Dark Souls 3, which at the time was the highest-grossing title developed by FromSoftware.

With Elden Ring, Miyazaki continues to adhere to this vision. He said, "Obviously, Elden Ring is a commercial success; everybody's aware about that, but it doesn't really affect what we are going to create next. We basically keep creating the game that we want to create, and that's our policy. It's very simple."

Working on Elden Ring was undoubtedly a rewarding experience for me and my fellow team members. There were moments of immense excitement as we delved into our work, but there were also instances where we encountered challenges, particularly when implementing certain aspects into the game. Nevertheless, regardless of the hurdles we faced, the overall journey was incredibly enriching. Our collective goal is to continue creating games with expansive, richly detailed worlds that immerse players in the spirit of adventure. [Music]

Elden Ring didn't just achieve massive financial success; it also garnered widespread critical acclaim and earned numerous prestigious awards. In this section, we'll highlight some of the most significant recognitions that Elden Ring received. The first award we will feature is the Golden Joystick Awards. If you recall our video on the making of Dark Souls, they previously held the award for the Ultimate Game of All Time, which Dark Souls claimed at the 2022 Golden Joystick Awards. Elden Ring competed for the title of Ultimate Game of the Year against other major hits like God of War and Horizon Forbidden West. Every game on this list deserves the top spot, but only one can truly take it. So, without further ado, it's time to countdown the top five and crown the Golden Joystick Awards Ultimate Game of the Year for [Music] [Applause] 2022. At number five, it's Return to Monkey Island. At number four, it's Xenoblade Chronicles [Music] 3. At number three, we have Horizon Forbidden West. And at number two, it's God of War Ragnarök. But the winner of Ultimate Game of the Year 2022 is Elden Ring. The Elden Ring! Oh, Elden Ring! Shattered by someone or something. Don't tell me you don't see it! G for… for… for… [Music] [Music]

In addition to winning the Ultimate Game of the Year, Elden Ring also secured awards for Best Visual Design, Best Multiplayer Game, and the Critic's Choice Award. Here is Miyazaki accepting the award for Studio of the Year. Let's start with the Studio of the Year. The nominees are Roll7, Terrible Toybox, Half Mermaid, FromSoftware, Interior Night, and Tribute Games. And the winner is From [Music] Software!

For among all the awards that Elden Ring participated in, the most anticipated is definitely The Game Awards. If you recall, both Dark Souls I and Sekiro were first unveiled in these events. Elden Ring competed for multiple awards in the ceremony and won Best Art Direction and Best Role-Playing Game. For Best Game Direction, one of the strongest candidates was God of War Ragnarök. He drops by every December, just like Santa. Give it up for [Applause] Reggie! Hey, so this year, I'm here to present the Best Game Direction category, and it's a particularly exciting award, especially in our industry. Games are constantly pushing the boundaries of creativity, innovation, and artistry, and to be nominated, you need to have created an experience that is incredibly special to the players, to the teams represented behind these titles. You have my utmost respect. Here are the nominees for Best Game Direction. Best Game Direction: The Tarnished will soon return. War is not the only way. The land is dying. I'm running out of time. 5B. Take one. He… sh… 20,000 girls… he pick you… [Music] And the Game Award for Best Game Direction goes to Elden Ring! [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause]

"It's a great pleasure receiving this such a wonderful award as a director. I'm very honored about that. Elden Ring is our, you know, um, the biggest game that we have ever worked on, um, so we have worked with uh several co-directors including Mr. Tanimura and Mr. Ishizaki. Um, without their support, um, it's it would be almost impossible to, you know, um, finish working on this project, um, so we really want to share the this great joy of receiving this award with them. Thank you. So once again, thank you so much for your support." [Music]

If you recall, in our video on the making of Sekiro, it won Game of the Year in the 2019 Game Awards. In 2022, Elden Ring is one of the most anticipated nominees to win. Please welcome the director of Hazelight Studios and last year's Game of the Year winner for It Takes Two. Here's Josef Fares! Yeah, really nice being on stage again, actually. It feels really good. I know, I know a lot of people are nervous, but don't be. I'm going to be super cool and short. So uh, let's see now. Yeah, I… I remember recently uh last year winning Game of the Year. It's a fantastic feeling. So obviously, as a nominee, you should be very happy and very proud, but trust me, you do want to win because it's a great feeling. But however you do actually win something, the game… or… is super cool because you know this beautiful orchestra when they play the music from your game. I mean, I was sitting over there, and trust me, the hair… all hair on my body was all over the place. Uh… no… goosebumps! I mean, it's really awesome. So uh, please give a big applause to the beautiful orchestra and conducted by Lauren B. [Music] [Applause] [Music] o… [Music] oh… [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] h… goosebumps! I told you. All right. Game of the Year winner is Elden Ring! [Applause] w… [Applause] Thank you so much! [Applause]

"I would like to share this great appreciation with our entire team members, everybody at FromSoftware, our partner Bandai Namco, all collaborators, and last, but not least, Mr. George Martin, who created the great mythos for this game. We have faced so many difficulties while developing this game, so as a director, I'm really relieved, and this might not be the, you know, light thing to say at the, you know, the on the occasion of the um receiving the GOTY award, but I have made up my mind to create even more interesting games than this." [Applause]

"One, as for Elden Ring, we still have several more things we want to do, um, so this getting this GOTY award really encourages us…" [Applause]

"And finally, um, we would like to, you know, um, express our utmost gratitude to all the fans uh who played, who enjoyed, and who supported this title, um, and we create the games we want to create and do our best because of you, um, thank you so much. Thank you."

Hey, Mar, you know, real quick, I want to thank everybody and say that I think I want to nominate this award to my reformed Orthodox Rabbi Bill Clinton. Thank you, everybody.

Elden Ring continued gaining awards and recognitions from 2022 to 2023. Almost a year after its release, on February 24th, 2023, Elden Ring won five awards at the annual DICE Awards. As Miyazaki attended this event, we will present here four of the awards in the sequence that Elden Ring achieved them. Here is Miyazaki receiving the award for Role-Playing Game of the Year. Please welcome to the stage Andrea Rene, host and co-founder of What's Good Games! [Applause]

"It can be easy to forget that the gameplay elements we used to consider the domain of RPGs have spread into just about every other genre. I mean, think about it: what game these days doesn't have stat allocation and skill trees? Whether you're tuning up your car in a racing game or you're upgrading your loadout in first-person shooters, we're all more than used to leveling up and choosing new abilities. But traditional role-playing games exist for a reason. We become more than just numbers; we become epic heroes and grand tales where our decisions guide the fate of distant lands, whether on Earth, space, or even the Lands Between. The nominees are…"

The nominees for Role-Playing Game of the Year are Citizen [Music] [Applause] Sleeper, but we find this… that's knife on the eye… Elden [Music] Ring, Weird West, World of Warcraft: Dragon [Music] [Applause] Flight, Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Let's go! And the winner of Role-Playing Game of the Year is Elden Ring! [Applause] [Music] [Applause]

"It's a… a great pleasure receiving this wonderful award, and obviously we are… uh… action RPG team, uh… we are really, really addicted to this J, so it's really, really great that we received this [Applause] award. Thank you very much." Thank you.

Next, let's look into the award for Outstanding Achievement in Game Design. Welcome to the stage co-founder of the MIX and Black Voices in Gaming and the lead advisor on the Black Game Developer Fund, Justin [Music] Woodward! "Y'all are lit right now, for sure! Game design is central to everything we do here. It's the way games stay fresh and exciting. It's also hard to describe. How do you define a job that carries the weight of everything from balancing weapons to designing maps to making sure players feel connected to the story and everything happening around them? Game design shows us that if a way of doing something doesn't exist, you can and must create it. The category of Outstanding Achievement in Game Design celebrates the desire to always find new ways to give players a fun, compelling experience. Those nominees are…"

The nominees for Outstanding Achievement in Game Design are Elden [Music] Ring, God of War [Applause] [Music] Ragnarök, Marvel Snap, It's cling time… [Music] Tunic, Vampire Survivors. And the winner is Elden Ring! [Applause] [Music] [Applause]

"It's a pleasure receiving this wonderful award. Obviously, this is the biggest challenge we have experienced so far, so um… it's like… it's an honor to receive this wonderful award. And when it comes to game designing, I am obviously uh demanding, so I need to say my great thank you to the members of the game designing team uh including Tanasan, Isakinasan, Alanasan, and Dan. I really want to share this joy with them. [Applause] I think they're also happy, um… I believe they're watching it in Japan. So once again, thank you so [Applause] much."

Finally, Elden Ring achieved two awards in a row, both for Game Director as well as Game of the Year. Right now, though… true… well… please welcome to the stage from Bethesda, the director of the highly anticipated Starfield and Hall of Fame recipient, Todd [Applause] [Music] Howard! "Everyone here knows that game development is never a straight path. It can sometimes be a winding and rocky road as designers, artists, programmers, and producers all travel together to create something special. Tonight is a reminder that making video games is a collaborative journey, but everyone needs a guide down that path, who makes sure that everyone's work comes together into something greater than the individual parts. Here are the nominees for Outstanding Achievement and Game Direction."

The nominees for Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction are Elden Ring [Music] [Music], God of War Ragnarök, "In your lifetimes, has anyone ever worshiped you? Can you even imagine that kind of love? We don't care about anything…" Horizon Forbidden West [Music], Immortality, Rehearsal scene 43 through 44. "When I saw Miss Marcel, she had a spark. I see great things for her future…" Tunic. And the winner is Elden Ring! [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause]

"It's a pleasure to receive this award. Uh, as a director, I'm really, really happy about this, but I'm myself alone not able to complete this project. Of course, I worked with so many, you know, colleagues, especially those two called directors, um… T Maran and Is Zakan. Uh, without their support, without their big help, it's almost impossible to complete this project, so I really want to share this joy of this award with them. Thank you very much." [Applause] [Music] [Applause]

Distinguished guests, the founder of Respawn Entertainment, makers of the upcoming Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Vince [Music] Zampella! "Hey Tim, can I get a wave? [Music] Too… all right, uh… welcome everyone. We finally reached the culmination of the evening. I could go on about the importance of games. I think we all know how lucky we are. This collection of amazing games and creators here tonight. I feel so lucky to be up here. I don't think I'm supposed to curse… oops… um… I could go on about how every game nominated deserves its own award. I could go on about how much video games have changed all of our lives and given us opportunities we never thought possible, but right now we all want to get to the after-party, so let's do this. Let's see the nominees for Game of the Year."

The nominees for Game of the Year are Elden Ring, "Greetings, traveler, from beyond the fall…" God of War Ragnarök, "On the monster who kills without [Music] cause… is it a God of War? You can't just [Music] find…" Horizon Forbidden [Music] West [Music] me… Stray [Applause] [Music] [Music], Vampire Survivors [Applause] [Music] [Applause]

"All right… all so good, but let's see who you picked. The winner is Elden Ring! [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] Thank you so much again. I would like to share this joy of this great award with all Elden Ring team members, including all members at FromSoftware, our partner Bandai Namco, as well as many collaborators uh such as Frog Nation, and last, but not least, George Martin! [Applause] And finally, I would like to express my utmost gratitude to the many users who have played, enjoyed, and supported this work. I'm afraid I'm talking about this same thing over and over again in occasions like this, but I feel that no matter how many times I say it or how… how much I emphasize it, I can never say enough about our gratitude to our users." [Applause]

"W… you know, Elden Ring is not user-friendly, you know, in the first… in the first when users look at it for the first time, so you know, I really, really appreciate… want to appreciate once again to the users… uh… you know, a lot of users keep playing that game, and that we will continue working on a great game. Thank you very much." Thank you so [Applause] much.

The next prestigious video game awards ceremony we will feature is the Game Developers Choice Awards. This event holds particular significance as nominations and winners are exclusively chosen by actual game creators, making it one of the most exclusive and esteemed awards in the industry. Continuing its streak of success, Elden Ring secured the most coveted recognition, starting with the award for Best Game Design.

"Tens of thousands of games are released every year, and while it's true that probably half of them are those bizarre mobile games you see in ads where you have to mow down 20,000 monsters with a semi or pull the right pin to prevent Peter from Family Guy from getting covered in lava for some reason, but a lot of new games are original and inventive and fun. Only a handful of games become greater than the sum of their parts thanks to truly inspirational design. Here are the nominees for Best Design [Music]."

The nominees for Best Design [Music] are Elden Ring, developed by FromSoftware, Inc., published by Bandai Namco Entertainment; Marvel Snap, developed by Second Dinner Studios, Inc., published by; "Let me show you how it's done…" Neon White, developed by Angel Matrix, published by Annapurna Interactive; Stray, developed by BlueTwelve Studio, published by Annapurna Interactive [Music]; Tunic, developed by Isometric Corp Games, published by Finji [Music]. And the winner of the Best Design award is Elden [Music] Ring!

"Thank you everyone. On behalf of the publisher, Bandai Namco Entertainment America, we wanted to thank all the fans here, and uh… unfortunately FromSoftware couldn't travel for this particular award show, uh, but they've sent a video for you guys, so thank you for…"

And as anticipated, Elden Ring claimed the highest honor of the night: Game of the Year. [Music]

"What makes a game great? It seems like a nearly impossible question to answer, because how do you compare the widely different experiences games offer? Just look at some of the past winners of Game of the Year: The Sims, Shadow of the Colossus, The Last of Us, Inscription. These games are so divergent, from what they're like to play to the context of their development, and yet every year has a Game of the Year. Ultimately, we have to judge the year's best games by how they impact us. These are the games we couldn't stop playing, we couldn't stop thinking about. These are the games your game director couldn't stop name-dropping in meetings as justification for throwing your roadmap into complete and utter disarray. Here are the nominees for Game of the [Music] Year."

The nominees for Game of the Year are Elden Ring, developed by FromSoftware, Inc., published by Bandai Namco Entertainment; "For all of us…" God of War Ragnarök, developed by Santa Monica Studio, published by Sony Interactive Entertainment; Immortality, developed and published by Half Mermaid Productions, with special thanks to Sam Barlow, Natalie Walson, and Conor Carson; Pentiment, developed by Obsidian Entertainment, published by Xbox Game Studios [Music]; Stray, developed by BlueTwelve Studio, published by Annapurna Interactive [Music]; Tunic, developed by Isometric Corp Games, published by [Applause] Finji. And the winner of Game of the Year is Elden Ring! [Music]

"All right, uh… on behalf of the publisher, obviously this has been um an amazing journey for us, uh… so we'd like to thank first of all all our fans. Um, the engagement that we've seen for this game worldwide has been pretty unbelievable. I've been in the industry for about 25 years, never thought that this would happen. Um, in particular, uh all our teams, uh Bandai Namco Entertainment worldwide, all the marketing teams, the social teams, the PR teams, um digital sales, retail sales, uh that have done an amazing job. We hope to be able to deliver some great content in the future, uh and obviously uh last but not least uh we'd like to thank FromSoftware for delivering such a masterpiece this year, uh and obviously congratulate all the nominees. It was a very difficult category this year, Game of the Year, uh so congratulations to everyone. Thank you." [Applause] G for… for… [Music] [Applause]

The final award ceremony we will feature is the BAFTA Games Awards. You might recall our video about the creation of Bloodborne, which won a BAFTA Award for Game Design at the 2023 BAFTA Games Awards. There was high anticipation for Elden Ring to win both Game Design and Game of the Year, considering its strong performance in other ceremonies. However, during the event, Elden Ring surprisingly took home two awards in separate categories. The first award was for Original Property.

"Creating a brand new character or IP is no mean feat, but not for the nominees of Original Property. And to present that award, please welcome one of Gamespot's most beloved Go hosts and a man who had to be dragged away from a Loam Dung Eater to be with you tonight, it's Lucy James and to… more Hussein!"

"There's nothing more exciting than when a truly new concept comes out of nowhere and dominates the industry, and being able to experience the work of some of the most original and creative people in the world is a true privilege, which is why it is such a pleasure to present the next award."

The nominees for Original Property are [Applause] [Music] [Applause] you… [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] "This… you can… REM… make yourself… here… they don't own you anymore…" And the BAFTA goes to Elden Ring!

"I mean, it's not surprising at all. I mean, like, I don't think I've ever seen like the entire world be so gripped… oh yeah, it was like we all went into hibernation. No one was really going outside… talk March… don't talk to me… the Lands Between… yeah, it is… I mean… I mean… yeah… just absolutely stellar work there. I think a couple of people still playing… I'm still playing. Let's see what they have to say. Congratulations [Music] to…"

"Thank you very much for this wonderful award. It was a big challenge for us, and in fact, we had to work very hard on this title, and as a director, I'm very happy to see such a great result. We will continue to create new games that everyone will enjoy. I hope you will continue to look forward to it. Thank you very much." [Applause]

Elden Ring's second and final BAFTA came in the Multiplayer category.

"Multiplayer games allow you to connect with some incredible people from across the world to inspire you, help you, or constantly kill you the moment you respawn. Yes, I'm talking about pretty much everyone on Twitch right now. Give me a chance; I am begging you. I am 34, and I do not have the reflexes to…"

To present the award for Multiplayer, please welcome actor, streamer, and star of The Inbetweeners, James [Music] Buckley!

"It's exciting, isn't it? Um… one of the amazing things about gaming is the ability to share your experience with others. The titles in this category have all shown an incredible dedication to the multiplayer aspect of the industry and prove that experiences are always better when there's someone to share them with. Let's take a look at the nominees for Multiplayer."

Absolutely brilliant technique, and it feels like there's more goals coming in this one… oh, silty from Vinicius… smart dribbling from Son, weaving into [Music] space… give me back my kn… [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] "World behind us… got K out… enemy healer…" And the BAFTA goes to Elden Ring!

"Elden Ring takes it! There we go, for Best Multiplayer Game. It's not the first one you like think of within the category. I mean, OB… you have to find like the weird finger… yeah… the singer thing… well, you know, it's… it's all about the… the cryptic messages that people leave as well. Love that as well, cuz you don't know whether to trust them… or… I would say don't… mainly… never trust TR… TR… the message there… we go… game tips from Julia there… I don't know…"

"Again, thank you very much for the wonderful award. I would like to express my utmost gratitude to the many users who have played, enjoyed, and supported this work. It is only with the support of so many wonderful users that the Elden Ring multiplayer has been able to achieve such a high level of success. We still see a lot of potential and fun in the multiplayer, and we will continue to pursue in our own way. Thank you very [Applause] [Music] much."

On February 28th, 2023, Bandai Namco and FromSoftware surprised the gaming community with the announcement of an expansion for Elden Ring, titled Shadow of the Erdtree. As anticipated, this announcement stirred excitement among fans and sparked their imaginations, particularly among those active in the Elden Ring subreddit. If you recall from our earlier discussions, we delved into the hollowing that occurred within the Elden Ring subreddit. This resulted from both Bandai Namco and FromSoftware withholding significant information for almost two years, compelling the community to fabricate their own Elden Ring content in the absence of official updates. With the announcement of the expansion, the wait was not as long; however, a second wave of hollowing emerged among some members of the community due to another drought of information regarding the DLC following the announcement. Fortunately, the Second Great Hollowing was not as severe as the first. Finally, on February 21st, 2024, the official gameplay trailer for Shadow of the Erdtree was [Music] revealed.

"Pure and radiant, he wields love to strive, clean the hearts of men. There is nothing more terrifying [Music] [Applause] in that forsaken place. Blood must spill, blood of your fellows. They are truly [Music] faithful. They will never sink. They just happen to be on the losing side of a wall. Mother, would thou truly lordship in one so bereft of light? I presume you too are King to know just what kind Miquella is doing here. Those stripped of the grace of gold shall all need death. The new grace of Blasphemous Flame… come now, touch the withered arm and travel to the realm of Shadow. I will not be far behind. May we meet again…" [Music]

In our earlier videos about the making of the Souls games, Miyazaki mentioned that they start working on DLCs only after completing the main game. Even if they plan to create expansions in advance, they don't have enough people to develop both the main game and DLC simultaneously. This was true for the Dark Souls series and Bloodborne. Additionally, Miyazaki thinks that working on expansions at the same time affects the quality and attention needed for the main game to make it truly exceptional.

In the case of Elden Ring, despite Miyazaki being at an advanced stage in his career and having full access to company resources as FromSoftware president, they still followed the established process of creating DLC only after completing the main game. Miyazaki shared, "I believe we started to vaguely imagine the development of the DLC toward the end of the main game's development. Within the overall concept of Elden Ring, there were clearly parts that couldn't be included in the main game, and we thought it would be great to release such content as DLC. However, at that time, it was just an idea, and we were still focused on the development of the main game. The actual development of the DLC began after the release of the main game, once things like updates had settled down to some extent."

We've previously discussed Miyazaki's remarkable pace in developing new games, particularly evident in the creation of Elden Ring, which coincided with the development of Sekiro, and amidst a global pandemic. Miyazaki has consistently excelled in managing simultaneous projects, as seen with the parallel development of Bloodborne and Dark Souls 3. On top of all these directorial duties, he was also managing FromSoftware as the company president. In contrast, many other gaming companies require several years to develop just one title. Regarding their game development speed, Miyazaki explained, "I don't know if it's some great secret, but generally we are just blessed with a great staff who love to create these games and who I think you could say are efficient at doing so. I think one area is we're able to understand quickly what we want to make and are able to make these decisions early on in development. We're able to iterate, and we're able to leave things on the chopping board. We're able to go ahead with ideas at a quick pace. We're able to quickly change and quickly decide on the kind of game we want to make."

Earlier, we dedicated a large section about the role and participation of Martin in the creation of Elden Ring. We learned that he was responsible for the foundational mythology of the game. With regards to the expansion, Miyazaki shared that the core of Shadow of the Erdtree was also based on this mythology. He said, "The way George Martin's story has been incorporated is the same as it was with the base game with Elden Ring. And to avoid misunderstanding there, we just want to point out that he hasn't written anything exclusively and new for the sake of this DLC, but it would still be fair to say that he and his mythos that he created for us are involved in the creation of Shadow of the Erdtree in the same way. And the reason for that is that in making the base game and making Elden Ring, we took from that mythos, but we only took one part of it. We took from a part that created the story of Elden Ring and created the world that we wanted to envision, and Shadow of the Erdtree is yet another part of that original mythos that he wrote and that has inspired us to create the story of this DLC."

During the creation of Elden Ring's lore, Miyazaki and his team traveled to North America to meet with Martin. The majority of their work was conducted in person, allowing for face-to-face collaboration. Following the successful release of Elden Ring, Miyazaki expressed his anticipation of meeting Martin, despite not having had the chance to do so yet. He said, "Martin and I have at least exchanged emails since the release of Elden Ring, but unfortunately we haven't been able to meet and speak in person. It's something I've wanted to do since the release and talk to him again and share in our joy for the game, hopefully. But unfortunately, he's just been so busy that we haven't had that chance yet, but I'll keep looking for an opportunity."

Many members of the Souls community agree that some of the best content in Miyazaki's games arises from their expansions. This sentiment held true for every installment in the Dark Souls series as well as Bloodborne. Consequently, fans eagerly anticipate expansions to the games, which is why, to this day, some still hold out hope for a Sekiro expansion.

In terms of the size of the Elden Ring DLC, Miyazaki has confirmed that it will be their largest expansion yet. He said, "In terms of the volume of the DLC, it's significantly larger than DLCs from the Dark Souls series or Bloodborne. Without a doubt, it will be the largest DLC we've produced. When we thought about providing an Elden Ring experience in the DLC, we felt that the current volume was necessary. It includes the sense of adventure characteristic of Elden Ring, with challenges to overcome, freedom to tackle them, excitement in exploring the unknown, and the discovery and encounters waiting at the end of exploration. In terms of pure… pure surface area, you could think of something larger even than Limgrave in the base game."

In our video on the making of Dark Souls, we explored Miyazaki's struggles in finding a suitable name for the game. It took him multiple attempts before ultimately settling on the title Dark Souls. As for the naming of sequels, there has been notable improvement since the use of the title Prepare to Die Edition. Games like Bloodborne and subsequent Dark Souls installments feature engaging titles that draw players in and encourage them to try out the DLC.

When the trailer for Shadow of the Erdtree was released, many community members speculated on its meaning. Regarding the title, Miyazaki shared, "Erdtree refers to the Golden Tree that appears in the main game, so if we were to translate the subtitle of the DLC directly, it would be Shadow of the Golden Tree. In the concept art revealed in February 2023, you can see the towering figure of the Golden Tree's shadow in the background, often referred to as the Shadow Tree. The setting of the DLC is not in the Lands Between, symbolized by the Golden Tree, but rather in the Land of Shadows, symbolized by the Shadow Tree."

If you observe the expansions of the earlier Souls games, you'll notice that most of them take place in a setting separate from the main game. Additionally, you'll observe that the expansions don't affect the base game; the story and endings remain unchanged. Regarding the Elden Ring DLC, Miyazaki shared that it will follow the same approach. He said, "First of all, the setting of Shadow of the Erdtree is a brand new land; it's a brand new map separate from the Lands Between. It is a land that is overshadowed by the particular shadow of the Erdtree as opposed to the Erdtree in

Challenging boss enemies in the Souls games. You will undoubtedly receive feedback that they could be found within the expansions. Iconic bosses like Lady Maria, Sister Friede, Slave Knight Gael, Ludwig, Artorius, and the Orphan of Kos. These were all from the expansions. Not only were their boss fights well-designed, but they were also among the most demanding regarding the design of difficulty in the DLC.

Miyazaki shared that it will meet the expectations of the fans, saying, "Our general approach to difficulty has, of course, not changed. To Elden Ring, we want to create a challenging experience that tests the players and that gives them a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment when they get through these struggles. However, we do want to stress that there's still a freedom of approach and a breadth of strategy to these encounters. And that means both how you approach them—if you want to face these challenges or come back to them later and circumvent them and find another way around and come back when you're ready." This same philosophy is taken in Shadow of the Erdtree, and again, to our more hardcore players, they will find optional bosses who have been tuned in a similar way to the likes of Malenia, who I'm sure you remember from the base game, who are not crucial.

During the reveal of the Shadows of the Erdtree trailer, numerous new enemies and bosses were showcased. Among the most prominent bosses featured was a character named Mesmer the Impaler. He was also depicted in the artwork that Bandai Namco shared with the media following the reveal. Regarding this new character, Miyazaki shared, "Mesmer is a key figure of this DLC and has this important element of Shadow to him, which is a key theme throughout the DLC as well. And you may have seen at the end of the trailer, there was this piece of key art where it shows Mesmer sat in this throne-like chair, and people who've played the game may recognize this Throne to be one of those from the boss room where you battle Morgott. This represents the Thrones at the base of the Erdtree; it's supposed to symbolize that Mesmer stands on equal footing with these other demigods and children of Marika who sat around in these Thrones and held the rooms of the Erdtree. So he is an important figure who rivals these other demigods. As you play the DLC, you will learn a little about why he wasn't featured in The Legends of the Erdtree, the Lands Between. You'll realize why he exists in this Shadow, this land of Shadow."

One of the exciting reasons for playing the expansions, in addition to fighting new boss enemies, is collecting new weapons, armors, and skills. In the previous titles, especially with Bloodborne and Dark Souls 3, some of the best weapons in the game could be obtained within the expansion. Regarding the Shadow of the Erdtree and the introduction of new DLC items, Miyazaki shared, "Yes, there will be many additions including weapons, spells, and combat techniques. It's one of the highlights of this DLC. Particularly with weapons, we're adding eight new weapon types along with additions to existing types. Firstly, there are relatively conventional additions like large-sized Japanese swords or reverse grip swords. Additionally, we've prepared more distinctive and innovative additions to diversify the arsenal. For example, it could be something like a fighting style inspired by what is commonly known as a monk, or something like a dueling shield where offense and defense are integrated. There are also throwing weapons such as throwing knives where all attacks become throws. I believe that even those who have tried out all the weapon types in the main story will be able to enjoy it."

In most of the Souls titles, the expansions don't alter the mechanics or gameplay established in the base game. So the Souls community was surprised when they learned that there will be new mechanics exclusive to the expansion. Regarding this topic, Miyazaki shared, "In terms of gameplay mechanics, we've added a leveling element exclusive to the DLC. Think of it as something akin to attack power in Sekiro. In addition to traditional leveling, there's a separate attack power that is only effective in the DLC fields. This is designed to enhance the freedom to tackle threats. It allows players to experience scenarios like, 'This boss is tough, so let's explore elsewhere, get stronger, and then come back for another attempt, even at higher levels.' On the other hand, by limiting the increase in attack power, players can also experience challenges by confronting threats at lower levels."

Earlier, we discussed in a separate section the fondness of Miyazaki in adding poison swamps in his game. He already added a huge poison swamp in the base game of Elden Ring, so the next question is, will he add a new one in the Shadow of the Erdtree? Regarding this question, Miyazaki shared, "In a word, yes. But this was actually a point of introspection for me after creating the base game. It was only after creating it that I realized I really like to create poisoned swamps, and this was a little place of introspection and reflection for me. So maybe when players reach the poison swamp in the DLC, they will feel a little bit of this retrospection."

Elden Ring stands out among the Souls games as it truly allows players to explore anywhere in the game world while still maintaining its signature difficulty and challenge, leading to a strong sense of accomplishment. Despite its massive scale, which surpasses that of most earlier Souls games, Miyazaki and his team were able to deliver it in record time, even amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic and the simultaneous development of Sekiro. Regarding this topic, a host asked, "So do you still have the desire to create games on the scale of Elden Ring in the future?" Miyazaki shared, "Yes, I do. Whether I can start right away or not, I'm not sure, but if given the chance, I would like to take on the challenge. I believe all the staff feels the same way, wanting to make use of the experience from Elden Ring more than anything. Creating a vast world and adventure is really enjoyable and exciting."

Earlier, we dedicated a section to Miyazaki's reflections on the development of Elden Ring and its eventual success. We are fortunate that he also did the same for the expansion. Miyazaki shared, "Whether it's the main game or the DLC, whenever we're making it, we're always desperate and wishing for more development time, but when it's all over, I realized we really spent a long time working on it. Of course, there were a lot of struggles involved, but above all, it was a very enjoyable time. The staff of the development team and everyone involved were all wonderful people; it was just an amazing team, and collaborating with Martin was a great honor and very stimulating. I might get scolded for saying this, but for me, making games isn't just about work; it's also a part of my purpose in life. So, in that sense, Elden Ring was an invaluable experience. We were blessed with many wonderful users, and I truly feel fortunate. I can't help but feel grateful all the time."

Within 10 years, Miyazaki ascended from an outsider to the company president of one of the most beloved gaming companies with a passionate fan base. Since assuming the role of FromSoftware president in 2014, the company has consistently achieved remarkable success. Meanwhile, the gaming industry has been marked by employee layoffs and failed games as the norm. When asked about the state of the gaming industry and FromSoftware, Miyazaki shared, "I'm aware that the current situation in the games industry is quite harrowing. Speaking to specific occurrences like layoffs and closures at other studios is challenging for me as I may not fully understand the exact circumstances; therefore, I won't delve into those specifics. Speaking on behalf of FromSoftware, I believe we are fortunate to have many talented and up-and-coming developers who have grown within the studio and have risen to director positions. They are capable of leading projects such as the recent Armored Core 6. We have several of these emerging directors to whom we can delegate projects, allowing us to work on multiple projects simultaneously. In light of the challenges facing the games industry, I foresee a future for FromSoftware where games can be directed by individuals other than myself. Despite the industry's current struggles, I see this as an opportunity for us to continue growing, nurturing talent, and releasing games for as long as possible."

In our earlier section involving The Insider and the redditor, one of the leaks shared by The Insider with the redditor suggested the possibility of Elden Ring becoming a trilogy. However, with the latest information available, this is no longer the case. Miyazaki has confirmed that there are currently no plans for additional DLCs or a sequel. He stated, "We don't want to definitively say that this is the end of the Elden Ring saga for now. We expressed a similar sentiment at the conclusion of Dark Souls 3. At that time, we didn't want to limit the possibilities or close the door on future developments. The situation with Elden Ring is similar; we want to keep the door open for possibilities. There may be more ideas in the future. Currently, we don't have any plans to create a second DLC or a sequel; however, we certainly don't want to rule out that possibility."

As the final topic in the making of Elden Ring and its expansion, let's take a glimpse at Miyazaki's future works. In an interview, the host asked, "Please share what you're aiming for as a director. Elden Ring has been completed as a culmination, but do you have anything you'd like to try or are curious about in the future?" Miyazaki shared, "As a director, plans for the next title are already in progress, so I'll avoid spoilers for that. Speaking in the medium to long term, I'd like to delve into a fantasy with higher abstraction compared to previous works." The host commented, "Abstraction, huh? I'm having a bit of trouble imagining that." Miyazaki added, "During the creation of fantasy titles in the action RPG genre, including Elden Ring, ideas and images of fantasy that don't fit the format have continued to accumulate. Somewhere along the line, I'd like to gather and express those ideas as a whole." The host replied, "I see. Certainly, since it has been predominantly within the action RPG format, there are likely many things you wanted to do but couldn't. It seems like a concern born from continuously creating within that framework." Miyazaki concluded, "Well, it seems it might become something that aligns with my particular tastes."