Will Elden Ring Get A 2021 Release?

Back at E3 2019, a new game called Elden Ring was teased. Since then, concrete details about the upcoming FromSoftware title have been hard to come by. However, if rumor is to be believed, fans might finally get a chance to see the epic fantasy title fairly soon.

So what's distinctive about Elden Ring? For one thing, it's had conceptual contributions from Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin. It also shares DNA (and a similar look, challenge level, and feel) with FromSoftware's previous offerings, Bloodborne and Dark Souls. The excitement levels are so high, Elden Rings even won the title of Most Anticipated Game at The Game Awards 2020, where fans were disappointed when nothing more was shown about the game.

Starting in late 2020, however, fans have been getting more trickles of news and rumors that indicate the game might be ready for a closer look. Here's what is known right now.

A ResetEra post from October took a poll regarding which highly-anticipated games would launch in 2021. It included a comment about Elden Ring from a source that other forum users considered dependable. This user suggested that Elden Ring would definitely see a 2021 release.

Since then, a leak from a Chinese content creator, which has since been removed but was preserved by other Internet sources, has claimed that the story has elements of both Norse and Celtic mythology, with complex enemy modeling and a larger map than Dark Souls. 

The same leak said, according to Reddit user kevinD6, that the game development stage was completed in the first half of 2021 and it's now being polished. The leaker believes the game will be released in 2021, with a new trailer possibly due after the Japanese New Year, which coincides with the western New Year on Jan. 1, 2021.

Adding more fuel to the fire is the fact that the concept artist for the 2019 E3 trailer, Gabriel Bjork Stiernstrom, has added a section on Elden Ring concept art to his website. While the art is supposedly from the older trailer, it won't be fully available until January. However, eagle-eyed fans have spotted previously-unseen thumbnails and they speculate that all-new concept art could be coming.

Other evidence comes from video game insiders. VentureBeat's Jeff Grub said during a GamesBeat Decides video that, although there was information he could not confirm, "They're obviously working on this game ... the one thing that I will say is — just a little more patience. They didn't show it here; I think they probably could have if they wanted to, I think it's at that state. But let's just give it ... a month or two more."

In addition, Italian journalist Francesco Fossetti told streamer WesaTwitch during a conversation that initial development on Elden Ring has been completed, and is now in the polishing phase. The journalist noted that, based on the original schedule, the game should have been released already, but the COVID-19 pandemic changed internal launch dates.

These tidbits mesh with information that's come out in the past. In November, Xbox head Phil Spencer said that he had played "quite a bit" of Elden Ring. This means that it was in a playable state, even back then. Spencer also called it Miyazaki's "most ambitious game."

On Dec. 29, FromSoftware's marketing and communication Manager Yasuhiro Kitao tweeted a statement which thanked voters at The Game Awards 2020 and other supporters, adding that the players help them "forge ahead with development undaunted and highly motivated."

In the next tweet, Kitao said, "It seems the world might not be mended for a while yet, but please take care of yourselves and enjoy the New Year in good spirits and good health. See you in 2021."

That last bit has some gamers wondering if it's a hint that Elden Ring will indeed see the light of day in 2021. It's by no means a clear announcement, but it's one of the few communications by FromSoftware that can be called anything close to official. Following these rumors and statements, the hype train is certain to accelerate. With any luck, FromSoftware has initiated plans to give fans a bit more of what they want regarding this new title in 2021.