Regardless of how fans feel about theDark Soulsfranchise, it is undeniable that its legacy lives on. Between sequels likeDark Souls 2and 3,Bloodborne, and nowSekiro: Shadows Die Twice,FromSoftware is keen on continuing this immaculate legacywhile making just enough changes to make each new game feel fresh. WithElden Ring’s development supposedly well under way, fans are left to wonder about the future of highly anticipated sequels such as aDark Souls 4orBloodborne 2. Digging deeper into the facts, it still isn’t possible to come up with a definitive answer, but an educated guess can be made.
As a brief history,Demon’s Soulskicked off FromSoftware’s “SoulsBorne” franchise back in 2009, but it wasn’t very widely known and didn’t get much traction. After a soft reboot of sorts,Dark Soulscame as a spiritual successor to this title, grasping the masses with its fabled difficulty and mysterious world. Since then,Dark Soulsfans were treated to two sequels in the forms ofDark Souls 2andDark Souls 3, and two spin off games that are essentially brand-new IPs,BloodborneandSekiro: Shadows Die Twice. FromSoftware is keeping busy, however, and is already working on a new IP to add to its extensive list, the elusiveElden Ring.
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Hidetaka Miyazaki on Dark Souls 4
When evaluatingwhether there’s any possibility of aDark Souls 4being releasedat some point, the best place to start is to look at series creator Hidetaka Miyazaki’s words on the matter. In a 2015 interview, Miyazaki was quoted saying this: “I’m considering Dark Souls 3 to be the big closure on the series.” At first glance, this seems to instantly rule out the creation ofDark Souls 4, but theoretically anything is possible. At least back then, Miyazaki made it clear that there were no plans for another sequel; the intent was forDark Souls 3to be the finale.
Miyazaki also mentions thatDark Souls 3is the last game that FromSoftware will make that was conceived before he was president of the company. He continues to say that the next game, which fans now know to beSekiro: Shadows Die Twice, would be the first to be completely conceived and created during his presidency. Continuing, Miyazaki makes it clear thatDark Souls 3is still important to FromSoftware, saying “Dark Souls 3 is an important marker in the evolution of From Software… I just believe that [moving on] is necessary in order for players to continue enjoying our games.”
Hidetaka Miyazaki on Bloodborne 2
In that same interview,Miyazaki also references aBloodbornesequel, but keep in mind that this was just one year after the game’s release. While discussing the popular title, Miyazaki says “I don’t think it’d be the right choice to continue indefinitely creating Souls and Bloodborne games.” While this certainly makes sense forDark Soulsgiven that the franchise has already had three entries, each with multiple DLCs,Bloodbornefans may decry it. There has only ever been oneBloodborne, and fans would love to see this amazing game made into a franchise.
Still, Miyazaki does have solid reasoning for this, stating “I believe that From Software has to create new things… We have to keep creating quality games and be aggressive about doing new things.” Looking back on this interview from over five years ago, it’s clear that this is exactly what FromSoftware has done.BetweenSekiro: Shadows Die Twiceand the upcomingElden Ring, it has gone full sail towards a host of new games and novel ideas. At this point it would almost seem out of character for the company to go back and makeBloodborne 2, but unlikeDark Souls, it hasn’t been outright shot down yet.
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Elden Ring’s Effect on Dark Souls 4 and Bloodborne 2
For those fans that want nothing more than to see asequel to eitherDark SoulsorBloodborne,Elden Ringlikely weighs heavily on their minds. While FromSoftware is certainly a well-known developer, it isn’t a large one by any standards, having under 400 employees according to Owler. Compare that to a titan in video game development like Ubisoft that has over 18,000 employees according to Owler, and something becomes very clear. Although it’s not impossible, FromSoftware is likely to focus on one game at a time, using its limited manpower to create polished products that are beloved by fans.
Given that there’s still no solid release date forElden Ring, there’s no telling when development on it will finally finish.Hopeful fans expect to seeElden Ringat E3 2021, but even if it is shown there, it still may not release until 2022 or beyond. AfterElden Ringis released, FromSoftware would then be faced with a difficult choice: create an entirely new IP and continue aggressively creating new content or make a sequel to an existing IP. Even if it decides to create a sequel, there’s no guarantee thatSekiro: Shadows Die Twiceor evenDemon’s Soulswould get that treatment beforeDark SoulsorBloodborne.
Will FromSoftware Make Dark Souls 4 or Bloodborne 2?
Ultimately, it’s impossible to give a definitive answer about either of these potential sequels, but it would be safer to err on the side of caution and assume that it won’t happen.In the case ofDark Souls 4, Miyazaki has been quoted saying he wants to move on to new things, and it seems unlikely at best that he would go back on this decision.
ForBloodborne 2, the odds are slightly higher. There’s definitely more demand for this sequel as opposed to aDark Soulssequel, and it has the supporting factor of not yet having any sequels. Even if this were to happen, though, it would likely be years before the project was even announced much less released. Instead, fans should look forward to seeing anofficial 60 FPS patch forBloodborneto allow it to run more smoothly on the PS5, or perhaps even a fully remastered version of it for the new console.
