Leaked Elden Ring footage shows first gameplay

Elden Ring is the next FromSoftware game, although it has been entirely quiet after the development team went dark after the teaser trailer that was shown at Microsoft’s E3 2019 showcase. Anticipation is high to say the least for the upcoming collaboration between the Dark Souls/Bloodborne visionary, Hidetaka Miyazaki, and Game of Thrones/A Song of Fire and Ice creator, George R.R. Martin. But after leaving gamers with nothing but a dream since 2019, and questions of whether or not the project was still in development, it now appears a new trailer has leaked online giving a very first look at Elden Ring gameplay, and more. Head below for additional details. 

The video footage in question has been seen by the folks at VCG, who aren’t sharing it for legal reasons, with some shorter clips appearing on various Twitter accounts — this one shows some horseback combat and this one showcases some trailer-like boss battle gameplay with a giant dragon.  

This leaked, off-screen footage is part of what appears to be an unreleased trailer labelled “Bandai Namco confidential.” It also marks the very first look at anything to do with the highly anticipated game since its 2019 debut mentioned above, and the first time gameplay has been seen outside of the development and publishing team. 

The trailer reads:

I can only imagine what drives you to seek the Elden Ring… I suppose you can’t be talked into turning back. Very well then!

Along with the horseback combat, those with access to the video claim we are seeing a large open-world of sorts along with what is being described as Soulsborne-like melee fighting. It also looks as though we are in for some Dark Soulsian-like boss battles in the form of a massive red dragon and a giant, sword-weilding knight, very much reminiscent of what we have seen many a time from Hidetaka Miyazaki games. 

Those familiar with the internal development process suggest the game and its official reveal have been delayed several times due to issues of working remotely in the wake of COVID-19. While Xbox has already put rumors to rest that the game would make an appearance in one of its big March reveal events, others have suggested there is strong evidence the game will be shown sooner than later. 

9to5Toys‘ take

Elden Ring is expected to be an evolution of the already established Dark Souls format, and one where George R.R. Martin will be responsible for penning the game’s lore and backstory (as opposed to the actual plot itself). While as far as I’m concerned the last thing Hidetaka Miyazaki and team needs is any help with lore and world building, there’s no denying how exciting this collaboration could be. And judging by the brief teaser footage we have seen today, things are looking great despite the fact that’s it hard to imagine it releasing before the calendar rolls over to 2022. 

Pre-orders are already live on Elden Ring, and you’ll find loads of notable console game deals in this morning’s roundup right here. 

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