When Elden Ring launched in February 2022, it was immediately clear that it was more than just another successful game. Developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco, the title fused the studio’s notoriously punishing “Souls” formula with a vast open world and the mythic storytelling touch of George R. R. Martin. The result was not only a commercial triumph but a cultural and industrial turning point—one that reshaped expectations about open-world design, difficulty, player freedom, and creative risk in modern gaming.
