"Elden Ring" only launched back in February, but it has made developer FromSoftware and publisher Bandai Namco some serious cash. The sales numbers are just hard to dispute at this point.
As reported by Push Square, the critically acclaimed, open-world "Soulsborne" title has already shipped 16.6 million copies worldwide in only four months on the market (as of June 2022). This was revealed by Bandai Namco themselves, who mentioned that the game's massive success means there's a ton of money to be made in video games - as expected.
The figures were posted by Japanese language website GameBiz.jp, where there's a deeper look at just how well "Elden Ring" sales have held up this year. This led to the company tallying a 21.5% increase in year-on-year total sales, as well as a massive 77% increase in profit year-on-year. Strip out all the business jargon, and the message is clear: "Elden Ring" is basically printing money for Bandai Namco, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
But 16.6 million copies doesn't really put "Elden Ring" sales numbers into perspective. You might think that for a big-budget game like it, such sales figures are expected. Then you start comparing it to other games in FromSoftware's portfolio, and you'll just how popular it really is.
ArsTechnica literally took this to heart and compared the sales numbers of old FromSoft games to "Elden Ring." In simple terms, it's not even close. Merely a few weeks after release, the game has already outsold each individual game in the "Souls" series. "Demon's Souls" is the most glaring comparison, as that game sold a modest 1 million copies in its first year back in 2011. But compare that to "Elden Ring's" sales and you'll see just how skewed its numbers are.
Either way, the commercial and critical success of "Elden Ring" is obviously music to Bandai Namco's (and their investors') ears. It's a glowing, bright light of optimism in light of the publisher getting hit with a ransomware attack this year, where the company feared critical user data was stolen (via NME).
A ransomware group who calls themselves BlackCat claimed responsibility for the attack, though Bandai Namco didn't exactly name the perpetrators.
What's Next After 'Elden Ring?'
So FromSoftware absolutely knocked it out of the park with its latest triple-A masterpiece. Now what?
ScreenRant shared a few assumptions as to what FromSoft's future looks like once the hype for "Elden Ring" dies down - if it even does. According to them, it could be unlikely that another "Soulsborne" game will come after it. There were numerous rumors, for one, speaking of a sequel to the PS4 exclusive "Bloodborne" - but nothing has ever panned out. Furthermore, Hidetaka Miyazaki hismelf mentioned that "Dark Souls 3" was the definitive end to the trilogy. That's it.
With that, there could be an indication that FromSoft is putting the "Soulsborne" catalog and entirely and focusing on a new game. According to DotESports, "Armored Core" could be that game. The third-person mecha shooter was last seen during the PS3 and Xbox 360 era, so some believe it's due for a sequel.
For now, believe that FromSoftware and Bandai Namco are going to reap the benefits of "Elden Ring's" popularity for years to come.
