Elden Ring billed as the start of a franchise "beyond the game itself"

Elden Ring could be the start of an entire new franchise for developer FromSoftware.

In a press release announcing that Elden Ring has already sold 12 million copies, Yasuo Miyakawa, president and CEO of publisher Bandai Namco, said that "much effort was placed into creating Elden Ring so that we could exceed the expectations of our fans worldwide. In like manner, we will continue our efforts in expanding the brand beyond the game itself, and into everyone's daily life. We will continue to create enjoyment and fulfillment through entertainment, so that we can come closer and connect to our fans around the world."

As noted by Eurogamer, FromSoftware and Bandai Namco have also described Elden Ring's sales success as "a fantastic start for the new franchise."

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It's not clear exactly what shape this 'new franchise' might take. Game director Hidetaka Miyazaki has already claimed that Elden Ring will influence his future projects, but whether that means future Dark Souls games, an Elden Ring sequel, or projects in other media remains to be seen. The inspiration behind much of FromSoft's output since Demon's Souls is a manga called Berserk, so perhaps we'll see Elden Ring go full circle and arrive in print form.

In the shorter term, players think they've already found evidence of some likely Elden Ring DLC in the form of a giant hidden colosseum that could be a perfect setting for some PvP-focused content. While the arena is currently inaccessible, it's fully fleshed-out on the inside, suggesting that an add-on could be coming later this year.