The Real Reason George R.R. Martin Didn't Write Elden Ring's Story

Now that players finally have "Elden Ring" in their hands, they're diving in and soaking up every little piece of lore, information and homage the title offers. As is typically the case with FromSoftware titles, the majority of the narrative in "Elden Ring" is explored through item descriptions or player inferences based on the world they explore. While the title has made some strides in presenting its story in a more heavy-handed manner than predecessors before, offering more cinematic cutscenes and dialogue than FromSoftware games typically hold, the real story goes well beyond what's shown at the surface. 

Perhaps what's driving players' frenzied adventures through "Elden Ring" is the thought that "Game of Thrones" creator George R. R. Martin helped write the title's lore. While fans already learned about part of the author's involvement (via IGN) in the long-awaited game, new information has come to light that helps players put into perspective just how much say Martin had in the "Elden Ring" narrative. As it turns out, FromSoftware set some conditions and restraints on Martin around the type of lore he'd be writing (per IGN). Here's the real reason George R. R. Martin didn't write the whole "Elden Ring" story.

In an interview with The New Yorker, the elusive game director Hidetaka Miyazaki revealed some information about how George R. R. Martin was involved with "Elden Ring." While the two got along amicably and went on to become friends, Miyazaki felt there had to be some restrictions or risk the game losing some of its identity. Miyazaki said, "In our games, the story must always serve the player experience," continuing with, "If [Martin] had written the game's story, I would have worried that we might have to drift from that. I wanted him to be able to write freely and not to feel restrained by some obscure mechanic that might have to change in development." 

To eliminate these risks, Martin's contributions were limited only to the title's backstory — not the script for the current events in which players take part. In this way, Martin could freely create characters, relationships, backstories, and the world without worrying about how the player's actions would affect the narrative. Of course, this also means Miyazaki essentially had Martin create the baseline lore for a world that he and his team had every intention of changin and destroying. That said, it seems like Miyazaki's collaboration has paid off, with the title earning critics' praise.