Now That Dark Souls Is Over, What’s Next for From Software?

Dark Souls III: Ashes of Ariandel marks the beginning of the end for the franchise; after the second DLC planned for next year, Miyazaki and From Software do not intend to continue the series. They are moving on, leaving behind the titles that made them legendary… However, we shouldn’t feel hollow; in fact, the future might be brighter than ever before.

We are all wondering what From Software is going to do next, after such an exemplary trilogy (and both Bloodborne and Demon’s Souls). With their creative power, and no strings attached, they can work on whatever they want. It is up to us to guess what their next step is going to be. But be wary, some bonfires have been already lit, leaving some hints on what they are working on.

Three New Projects Announced

In an interview with 4gamer.net, which is in japanese and was translated by the fine users of NeoGAF, Miyazaki revealed that From Software is already working on three different games. The translation basically says the following:

The first project is an action role-playing game with a dark fantasy setting similar to Dark Souls, but approached from a “different angle.”

The second project is a reboot of an existing franchise, with ideas inspired by Dark Souls and other previous franchises.

The third project is a brand new IP that’s “something different from what the company has been doing previously” and is “a bit weird.”

Bloodborne 2 and Armored Core?

The first project looks like it could be the sequel to Bloodborne, which would be great for those wanting a spiritual successor of Dark Souls. It could also be another game similar to those two, but placed in a different setting. Could it be set before the middle ages? Or even in the present? A Dark Souls with modern weapons could prove very interesting.

The second project is, in fact, the reboot of Armored Core, From Software’s most prolific franchise. Miyazaki confirmed this in a round table last September. It is the first game Miyazaki worked on, which makes it a special series for him. As stated before, they will take ideas from Dark Souls to give a new direction to the hardcore mecha games.

Finally, the third project is a complete mystery, and probably the most exciting one. It looks like they are going to make a completely new IP, different to what they are known for. This could mean getting into new game genres they haven’t touched, like platforms, shooters, fighting games, or literally most things…

What about Nintendo Switch and PlayStation VR?

Regarding the upcoming Nintendo Switch, Nintendo has confirmed that From Software will be one of the numerous developers on board with their newest hardware. We can probably expect their newest games to release for the console, or even be an exclusive.

Finally, in a promotional video, From Software confirmed that they are working on PlayStation VR. This could mean one of two things: one or more of the new projects could support VR or they could be VR games, perhaps the weird project Miyazaki talked about?

Dark Souls III still has a second DLC planned for next year, but there is no information about it yet. After the great reception of Ashes of Ariandel, we could expect nothing less than good from the last entry in the franchise. In the meantime, we can only speculate, and think positively about a new, brilliant era to come out of From Software.