Elden Ring was one of the biggest console success stories of 2022, and it seems that Tencent wants to replicate that success on mobile devices. The same year the game was released, the Chinese company purchased 16.25% of developer FromSoftware, and has apparently been working on a mobile version since. According to reporting from Reuters, “a few dozen people” have been working on the prototype for this version of the game but “progress has been slow.” The report goes on to say that the game would follow a similar free-to-play format that we’ve seen with mobile titles like Genshin Impact.ย
At this time, Tencent has not confirmed development on Elden Ring mobile, and we don’t know when (or if) we can expect to hear an announcement. Shortly after Elden Ring‘s release, FromSoftware confirmed its plans to expand the game “as an IP.” Since then, theย Elden Ringย IPย has expanded into toys, tabletop games, manga, and more. A mobile game would definitely seem to fit with all of that, but it remains to be seen whether Elden Ring fans would embrace the free-to-play format.ย
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Tencent’s Struggles
Tencent is one of the biggest video game companies in the world, but the tech giant has struggled to grow this aspect of its business lately. In a separate report last month, Reutersย covered a speech from Tencent CEO Pony Ma, in which Ma apparently stated that the company finds itself “at a loss, as our competitors continue to produce new products, leaving us feeling having achieved nothing.” If those comments are accurate, it’s not surprising that the company would be investing a lot into Elden Ring‘s mobile version, and looking for ways to expand what’s already a very popular name in the video game industry.ย
The Success of Elden Ring
Elden Ring debuted on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on February 25th, 2022. The game immediately received critical acclaim, and won several awards, including overall Game of the Year from The Game Awards. The critical success of Elden Ring wasn’t too surprising given the talent involved in its development, but its commercial popularity was unexpected to say the least! The game has now sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.ย
Last year, a DLC expansion titledย Shadow of the Erdtree was announced, but there has been no word on a release date. Clearly, FromSoftware is hard at work on development, and fans will know more when the company is ready to show it. At this rate, it’s possible we could end up seeing Elden Ring mobile before Shadow of the Erdtree. There’s no way of knowing for sure, but with the second anniversary of the game a few weeks away, it’s possible we could hear more about both of these projects then. ย ย
Do you think Elden Ring would work on mobile? Do you think it would be a success on iOS and Android? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter atย @Marcdachampย or on Instagram atย @Dachampgaming!
