HIGHLIGHTS

Shadow of the Erdtree DLC expands Elden Ring’s arsenal with new weapons and categories.
The future of FromSoftware titles may benefit from a more focused approach to weapon design.
Bloodborne’s smaller weapon selection and Sekiro’s one-weapon focus may serve as a model for the next FromSoftware game.

Ahead of the release of Elden Ring‘s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, one of the more prominent hopes from fans was that the expansion would deliver meaningful updates to the already impressive and varied arsenal of the base game. Not only does Shadow of the Erdtree deliver plenty of new weapons that quickly have become favorites in their respective weapon types, but it also introduces several new weapon categories not previously seen in either the base game of Elden Ring or in any other FromSoftware title, for that matter. So impressive and massive is Elden Ring‘s post-DLC arsenal that it begs the question of where the developer could go next.

The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC makes some important additions to Elden Ring‘s weapon roster that see even further sub-categories of existing weapon types being devised. Elden Ring now has both standard and light greatswords, thrusting shields, great katanas, and other brand-new additions that see the game’s already sizable arsenal grow in terms of both its size and its diversity. But the growth of Elden Ring‘s weapon roster leaves a very small window of opportunity for future expansion in FromSoftware titles. Instead, maybe it’s time for the next FromSoftware game to take a scaled-back approach similar to Bloodborne or Sekiro.

FromSoftware has been quiet on the Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice front these past few years, but that shouldn’t be the case forever.

A Bloodborne-Style Approach Could Emphasize Quality Over Quantity

No one knows what FromSoftware’s next project will be, but comments from Hidetaka Miyazaki suggest that he still has yet to craft his “ideal RPG”, meaning players could see a project even more ambitious than Elden Ring coming from the studio at some point in the future. But within the FromSoftware catalog are plenty of other titles to use as a template for new experiences, including how the studio’s next game approaches one of the cornerstones of its games – buildcraft and character progression. In terms of FromSoftware titles that give players plenty of agency and freedom of expression while keeping the arsenal at a manageable size, there are few examples better than Bloodborne.

Bloodborne Trick Weapons are a Great Formula to Build On

Bloodborne‘s Trick Weapons and offhand armaments can be combined in plenty of creative ways to still afford players freedom of expression in their build and playstyle, but they do so at a much smaller scale than what one would find in Elden Ring. Bloodborne has fewer than 50 total weapons (not counting Hunter Tools), which pales in comparison to Elden Ring‘s hundreds of potential armaments. But where Bloodborne ekes out a slight advantage over Elden Ring‘s arsenal is in each of the game’s weapons having viability with different playstyles and builds. Elden Ring has more weapons and equipment than any other FromSoftware title, but most of them will sit in a player’s inventory unused after they find their favorites.

FromSoftware’s Next Title Could Take a Cue From Sekiro and Focus on a Singular Weapon

Before Elden Ring came along with its expansive open world and incredibly varied arsenal of equipment (allowing players unprecedented freedom in how they choose to approach encounters and navigate through The Lands Between), the studio released a game that many fans still consider to be its magnum opus: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. If nothing else, Sekiro proved that FromSoftware could deliver a game with incredibly challenging and engaging combat that didn’t strictly adhere to the template established by Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls. Perhaps the next FromSoftware game doesn’t need to go bigger after Elden Ring, but instead intentionally scale things back to a singular focus on one weapon or combat style.

Why Elden Ring’s Successor May Be Another Creative Leap

In the interview conducted with Miyazaki after Bloodborne‘s release (collected in Future Press’ Bloodborne guide), the FromSoftware president noted that his approach to making games comes about from having a “virtual pendulum” in his mind, with each new title invariably swinging to the opposite approach of his previous work. Using this admission as a guideline, it’s not hard to imagine that FromSoftware’s next game won’t try to outdo Elden Ring in terms of its weapon selection, instead opting to take a different approach that still plays to the studio’s strengths.