Without question,Cyberpunk 2077is having a rocky launch month. After a series of delays, the game finally launched and was received with such backlash thatrefunds are being issuedfor the console versions of the game.Cyberpunk 2077was one of the most anticipated games of this year, and after launching in a rough state, especially for last-gen consoles, fans have been left with a sour taste in their mouths that will likely be there for some time.
Elden Ringis another game that is being hyped up quite a bit by its community, but FromSoftware is approaching its highly anticipated title in a much different way than CD Projekt Red did withCyberpunk2077.At least for now, it seems to be working in its favor.
RELATED:One Possible Reason Elden Ring Was Absent from The Game Awards
A Brief History of Elden Ring
Elden Ringwas first announced at E3 2019, but was rumored to be in development for some time. Whispers of a George R. R. Martin and FromSoftware collaboration kept making their rounds every time a major gaming event kicked off. As with most iconic FromSoftware games,Elden Ringis being directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki who is well-known for his work on theDark Soulsseries,Bloodborne,andSekiro: Shadows Die Twice.What makesElden Ringso special is that popularA Song of Ice and Fireauthor George R. R. Martin is working with FromSoftware on the world building for the game. Miyazaki has given Martin essentially free reign on building the backstory for the world thatElden Ringwill take place in, and that thought has stirred up a lot of hype for the game.
Outside of the initial reveal trailer, virtually no news has been given about the game. The drought of information has even caused some fans to startmaking up their own lore forElden Ringto pass the time until FromSoftware reveals more about it. FromSoftware has been radio silent aboutElden Ring, which has unfortunately made the hype surrounding the game grow more and more. Every time a gaming event comes around, fans are quick to jump to forums to talk about ifElden Ringwill be making an appearance and are left disappointed when it has once again not shown up. Despite being in development since 2017, FromSoftware is being especially tight-lipped when it comes toElden Ringnews, and in a way, this manages to keep expectations in check.
Cyberpunk 2077was originally revealed in May 2012 and featured several trailers between the original announcement and the game’s final release in December 2020. The game was initially slated to release on May 20, 2025, but was first delayed to September 17. 2020. After that, it was delayed until Jun 22, 2025, and finally once more to its final release date of July 23, 2025. Clearly, there are a lot of factors at play when it comes to managing a video game’s release, but clearly something went awry when alawsuit is being filed regarding the release ofCyberpunk 2077.
The intricacies of managing video game marketing while also dealing with investors is not something to be taken lightly, but as marketing forCyberpunk 2077continued to be showcased, fan expectations and hype continued to skyrocket. Once CD Projekt Red began showing offCyberpunk 2077in detail, fans began to develop the expectation that the game was going to revolutionize the RPG genre, similar to howThe Witcher 3did. This expectation was further exacerbated by the continual showing of vertical slices ofCyberpunk 2077.
Vertical slices of the game were shown off to highlight and focus specifically on certain aspects of the game, but the problem with vertical slices is that they only show off exactly what the developer wants to be shown off. They do not show how the game runs on different consoles or the various bugs that are present in a live game environment. This is arguably one of the biggest factors that let toCyberpunk 2077’s disastrous launch, and avoiding such issues is perhaps the reason that FromSoftware has been so silent regardingElden Ringto this point.
What FromSoftware Is Doing Right With Elden Ring
A lot can be learned from the marketing and launch ofCyberpunk 2077. First and foremost, marketing plays a huge part in creating and managing fan expectation. With every new trailer forCyberpunk 2077, fans continued to work themselves into a fervor waiting for the highly anticipated game to be released. But only a single trailer has been released forElden Ring,and no other announcements or teases have been officially made. Sure, the hype forElden Ringis still off the charts, but expectations have not been set because there isn’t even gameplay out for the game yet. Reportedly,Xbox boss Phil Spencer has playedElden Ringa bit and had high praises for it, but outside of that, no real clues have been given as to what to even begin expecting from the game.
The second thing to really take away from theCyberpunk 2077fiasco is actually on the heads of the investors in the game. In a perfect world, games would not be announced until the developer feels that the games are in a good spot and delays are not likely. A big issue withCyberpunkis that every delay only made fans expectations rise. The conversation about the game was rarely “the game isn’t in a good spot to release” and rather “we need more time to make the game better” which, when looking at how the game launched, was not the correct way to frame those delays.
Obviously, investors and executives want pre-orders and sales, and pre-orders typically cannot happen without a release window, but the game’s performance and stability should take priority ideally. FromSoftware has only recentreassured fans thatElden Ringis still in development, but again provided no details. So, FromSoftware is doing a fantastic job at keeping the fans in check and not letting the hype overwhelm the game or the studio—a lessonCyberpunk 2077and CD Projekt Red learned the hard way.
Elden Ringwas announced to be in development for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One. No release date has been announced.
