Introduction
Elden Ring is a 2022 action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It was directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, with worldbuilding provided by American fantasy writer George R. R. Martin. The game was first released on February 25, 2022, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Set in the Lands Between, players control a customizable player character on a quest to repair the Elden Ring and become the new Elden Lord.
Elden Ring is presented through a third-person perspective, allowing players to freely roam its open world. The six main areas can be traversed using the player character’s steed, Torrent. Linear, hidden dungeons can be
Players can explore linear, hidden dungeons to find useful items. They engage enemies using various weapons and magic spells, and can also use stealth mechanics for non-direct engagement. Throughout the game’s world, checkpoints enable fast travel and allow players to improve their attributes using an in-game currency called runes. Elden Ring features an online multiplayer mode, in which players can join cooperatively to fight bosses or engage in player-versus-player combat.
Elden Ring won several Game of the Year awards and has been cited as one of the greatest games of all time, with praise directed towards its open world, gameplay systems, and setting. It sold over 30 million copies, making it one of the best-selling games of all time. The downloadable content (DLC) Shadow of the Erdtree follows the player character in the Land of Shadow. It was released in June 2024 to similar acclaim and sold over ten million copies. A multiplayer-focused spinoff game, Elden Ring: Nightreign, was released in 2025.
Gameplay
Elden Ring is an action role-playing game played from a third-person perspective. It includes elements similar to those in other FromSoftware-developed games, such as the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The game is set in an open world, allowing players to freely explore the Lands Between and its six main areas, which include Limgrave—an area of grassy plains and ancient ruins—and Caelid, a wasteland.
home to undead monsters. The open world is explored using the character’s mount, Torrent, as the main mode of transportation, though players may also use fast travel outside combat. Throughout the game, players encounter non-player characters (NPCs) and enemies, including demigods who rule each main area and serve as the game’s main bosses. Aside from the main areas, Elden Ring has hidden dungeons, catacombs, tunnels, and caves where players can fight bosses and gather helpful items.
Elden Ring features a multiplayer system that allows players to be summoned for both cooperative and player-versus-player (PvP) play over the Internet. Cooperative play involves placing a summon sign on the ground, which becomes visible to online players who use a corresponding item. If another player interacts with the sign, the player who placed the sign is summoned into their world.
Cooperative players remain in the same world until the area’s boss is defeated or until a summoned player dies and is returned to their home world. In PvP combat, a summon sign is used to challenge another player to a duel, or players can use additional items to invade the worlds of others. World hosts may use a “taunter’s tongue” to increase the likelihood their world will be invaded and to decrease the time between invasions.
Development and release
FromSoftware’s Dark Souls series is noted for its high level of difficulty. Director Hidetaka Miyazaki wanted to create an open-world game, intending Elden Ring as a mechanical evolution of Dark Souls. Elden Ring was designed to have a more expansive environment than the narrow dungeons of FromSoftware’s previous games, with Miyazaki hoping the grander scale would add freedom and depth to exploration. FromSoftware approached American author George R. R. Martin, creator of the fantasy-novel series A Song of Ice and Fire, to provide worldbuilding for Elden Ring. Miyazaki, a fan of Martin’s work, hoped his contributions would produce a more accessible narrative than those of the studio’s earlier games.
Miyazaki remained the lead writer for the game’s main storyline but gave Martin creative freedom to write about events that occurred before the main narrative. Miyazaki compared the process to using a “dungeon master’s handbook in a tabletop role-playing game.” As with many of FromSoftware’s previous games, the story was designed to be minimally explained; the developers wanted players to interpret the story for themselves via flavor text and optional discussions with non-player characters (NPCs).
Miyazaki said he enjoyed writing NPCs with more detail, believing they are more compelling than those in his earlier works. In an interview with IGN, he explained that he gave Martin control over the backstory because FromSoftware’s storytelling method placed restrictions on writers.
Miyazaki noted that by giving Martin oversight of a backstory with which the player is not directly involved, he could allow Martin to freely design his contributions, rather than being constrained by the linear or story-focused aspects of the game. Some staff from Game of Thrones, the television adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, assisted with the game’s development. Elden Ring was revealed at E3 2019 in June. Some information about the game had previously been leaked online due to a vulnerability in Bandai Namco Entertainment’s servers. The game was widely anticipated upon announcement, but no further material was released until a trailer was shown in June 2021.
Playtesting was facilitated by Bandai Namco, which in November 2021 released a closed beta that players could sign up to test. The game’s full release was originally scheduled for January 21, 2022, but was postponed to February 25, 2022. Elden Ring had performance issues at launch, with players complaining about insufficient frame rates. Bandai Namco addressed some of these problems through software patches and updates. In February 2023, the downloadable content (DLC) expansion Shadow of the Erdtree was announced and was released on June 20, 2024.
Reception
Elden Ring received “universal acclaim” according to review aggregator websites. OpenCritic reported that the game received “mighty” approval, with 98% of critics recommending it. It has been cited as one of the best video games of all time.
The game’s open-world setting received widespread praise, particularly for its exploration mechanics. Tamoor Hussain of GameSpot described the Lands Between as the most expansive of FromSoftware’s settings, noting that exploration and discovery are the game’s main appeal. Mitchell Saltzman of IGN lauded Elden Ring for rewarding exploration in every part of the map, while Simon Parkin of The Guardian called the environments “intriguing and inventive.”
Reviewers appreciated the open landscape for providing opportunities to discover and tackle multiple challenges. The game’s exploration drew many favorable comparisons with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The environments were also praised for their artistic design, with reviewers positively noting their execution in an open-world setting and the design of linear dungeons.
Similarly to many of FromSoftware’s earlier games, Elden Ring’s difficulty provoked much commentary. Reviewers both praised and criticized its lack of easy modes. Other critics considered Elden Ring the most accessible Souls game, highlighting that players can choose to avoid difficult threats and return with more experience. The combat was praised for offering multiple strategies while maintaining a challenging experience. Features such as Torrent and fast travel were well-received, improving the game’s ease of exploration, and the placement of checkpoints was highlighted as helpful to the game’s approachability.
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 10/10 |
| Easy Allies | 9.5/10 |
| Famitsu | 39/40 |
| Game Informer | 10/10 |
| GameRevolution | 10/10 |
| GameSpot | 10/10 |
| GamesRadar+ | 5/5 |
| Hardcore Gamer | 5/5 |
| IGN | 10/10 |
| PC Gamer (US) | 90/100 |
| PCGamesN | 10/10 |
| Shacknews | 9/10 |
| The Guardian | 5/5 |
| VG247 | 5/5 |
| VideoGamer.com | 9/10 |
Awards
Elden Ring received over 300 Game of the Year awards, including from publications such as Ars Technica, Destructoid, EGM, Eurogamer, Game Informer, GamesRadar+, GameSpot, IGN, PC Gamer, and Polygon.
At The Game Awards 2024, the DLC Shadow of the Erdtree received five nominations, including for Game of the Year, which generated controversy as many believed a DLC should not have been eligible for nomination.
| Award | Date | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Academy Games Awards | March 30, 2023 | Best Game | Nominated | |
| Artistic Achievement | Nominated | |||
| Game Design | Nominated | |||
| Multiplayer | Won | |||
| Music | Nominated | |||
| Original Property | Won | |||
| Technical Achievement | Nominated | |||
| EE Game of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Deutscher Computerspielpreis | March 31, 2022 | Best International Game | Won | |
| D.I.C.E. Awards | February 24, 2023 | Game of the Year | Won | [127] [128] |
| Role-Playing Game of the Year | Won | |||
| Outstanding Achievement in Animation | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Achievement in Game Design | Won | |||
| Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction | Won | |||
| Outstanding Achievement in Story | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Technical Achievement | Won | |||
| February 13, 2025 | Role-Playing Game of the Year (for Shadow of the Erdtree) | Nominated | [129] | |
| Dragon Awards | September 5, 2022 | Best Science Fiction or Fantasy PC / Console Game | Won | [130] |
| September 2, 2024 | Best Digital Game (for Shadow of the Erdtree) | Nominated | [131] | |
| Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards | March 18, 2023 | Game of the Year | Won | [132] |
| Best Graphics | Won | |||
| Best RPG | Nominated | |||
| Best Rookie Game | Nominated | |||
| Game Audio Network Guild Awards | March 23, 2023 | Best Main Theme | Nominated | [133] |
| The Game Awards | December 10, 2020 | Most Anticipated Game | Won | [135] |
| December 9, 2021 | Most Anticipated Game | Won | [136] | |
| December 8, 2022 | Game of the Year | Won | [137] [138] | |
| Best Game Direction | Won | |||
| Best Narrative | Nominated | |||
| Best Art Direction | Won | |||
| Best Score and Music | Nominated | |||
| Best Audio Design | Nominated | |||
| Best Role Playing Game | Won | |||
| Players’ Voice | Nominated | |||
| December 12, 2024 | Game of the Year (for Shadow of the Erdtree) | Nominated | [139] | |
| Best Game Direction (for Shadow of the Erdtree) | Nominated | |||
| Best Art Direction (for Shadow of the Erdtree) | Nominated | |||
| Best Role Playing Game (for Shadow of the Erdtree) | Nominated | |||
| Players’ Voice (for Shadow of the Erdtree) | Nominated | |||
| Game Developers Choice Awards | March 22, 2023 | Game of the Year | Won | [140] [141] |
| Best Audio | Nominated | |||
| Best Design | Won | |||
| Innovation Award | Nominated | |||
| Best Technology | Nominated | |||
| Best Visual Art | Won | |||
| Gamescom | August 27, 2021 | Best of Gamescom | Won | [142] |
| Most Wanted | Won | |||
| Best Microsoft Xbox Game | Nominated | |||
| Best PC Game | Nominated | |||
| Best Sony PlayStation Game | Won | |||
| Best Action Adventure Game | Won | |||
| Best Role Playing Game | Won | |||
| Gayming Awards | April 24, 2023 | Game of the Year | Nominated | [143] |
| Gayming Magazine Readers’ Award | Nominated | |||
| GEM Awards | April 25, 2025 | Best Original Score (for Shadow of the Erdtree) | Won | [144] |
| Best DLC/Expansion (for Shadow of the Erdtree) | Won | |||
| Golden Joystick Awards | November 24, 2020 | Most Wanted Game | Nominated | [145] |
| November 23, 2021 | Most Wanted Game | Won | [146] | |
| November 22, 2022 | Ultimate Game of the Year | Won | [147] | |
| PlayStation Game of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Best Visual Design | Won | |||
| Best Multiplayer Game | Won | |||
| Critics’ Choice Award | Won | |||
| November 21, 2024 | Best Game Expansion (for Shadow of the Erdtree) | Won | [148] | |
| Golden Trailer Awards | October 6, 2022 | Best Video Game Trailer (for “Ming Na Wen”) | Nominated | [149] [150] |
| Japan Game Awards | September 15, 2022 | Grand Award | Won | [151] |
| Award for Excellence | Won | |||
| MTV Millennial Awards | July 10, 2022 | Gamer Obsession | Nominated | [152] |
| Nebula Awards | May 15, 2023 | Best Game Writing | Won | [153] |
| June 7, 2025 | Best Game Writing (for Shadow of the Erdtree) | Nominated | [154][155] | |
| New York Game Awards | January 17, 2023 | Big Apple Award for Best Game of the Year | Won | [156] |
| Herman Melville Award for Best Writing in a Game | Nominated | |||
| Statue of Liberty Award for Best World | Won | |||
| Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game | Nominated | |||
| January 21, 2025 | Statue of Liberty Award for Best World (for Shadow of the Erdtree) | Won | [157] | |
| NYC GWB Award for Best DLC (for Shadow of the Erdtree) | Won | |||
| The Steam Awards | January 3, 2023 | Game of the Year | Won | [158] |
| Best Game You Suck At | Won | |||
| December 31, 2024 | Labor of Love | Won | [159] | |
| The Streamer Awards | March 11, 2023 | Stream Game of the Year | Won | [160] |
| December 7, 2024 | Nominated | [161][162] | ||
| Titanium Awards | November 18, 2022 | Game of the Year | Nominated | [163] [164] |
| Best Game Design | Won | |||
| Best Art Direction | Nominated | |||
| The Vtuber Awards | December 14, 2024 | Stream Game of the Year | Nominated | [165] |
Film adaptation
A live-action film adaptation of Elden Ring was announced in May 2025, to be produced by A24 and Bandai Namco. Alex Garland was chosen to direct and write the screenplay, while Peter Rice, Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, George R. R. Martin and Vince Gerardis will produce the film.
Notes
- Shadow of the Erdtree only
- Japanese: エルデンリング, Hepburn: Eruden Ringu
For more
For more exclusive influencer stories, visit influencergonewild