FromSoftware returns to mechs with Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon in 2023

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After years of dark fantasy culminating in Elden Ring, FromSoftware revisits a classic

FromSoftware's next game is Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, a return to the age-old, third-person mech action games. 

The not-so-surprising sequel was announced at The Game Awards tonight, many months after reports, leaked screenshots, and job listings set the community ablaze with speculation. We can only glean so much from the trailer shown today, but all of those leaks and breadcrumbs are looking mighty credible now. 

Armored Core is FromSoftware's first post-Kings Field series, dating all the way back to the late 1990s. However, many of the studio's modern fans may not be familiar with the games since we haven't seen a new one since Armored Core 5, which launched in 2012 right on the heels of the Dark Souls hype. 

Armored Core is a futuristic mecha series known for a steep learning curve and eccentric multiplayer – not unlike FromSoftware's dark fantasy action RPGs, in that respect. Of course, the settings and aesthetics could hardly be less similar. Naturally, skating around in a missile-toting mech also feels quite different than dodge-rolling with a claymore in your hands. 

We can reasonably assume that Armored Core 6 is the game FromSoftware teased to have in its "final stages" earlier this year. However, we also know that the house of Elden Ring has "multiple new projects" in the works, with president and Souls director Hidetaka Miyazaki already leading work on a new game. It's not done with Elden Ring, either; Miyazaki teased "several more things we want to do" with the open-world epic as he accepted Game of the Year The Game Awards.

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC (Steam) in 2023. 

Speaking of big-ol' honking mechs: Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores DLC is coming in 2023. 

Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.