FromSoftware

FromSoftware is a developer and publisher.

FromSoftware Webpage, Facebook

FromSoftware, Inc. (phonetically: Kabushikigaisha Furomu Sofutowea) is a Japanese video game development studio founded in 1986, that specializes in creating games for consoles and PC. Since April 2014, the studio has been a subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, a company that also operates in the publishing and film industries. The company's headquarters is in Tokyo, with a subsidiary studio in Fukuoka that has been operating since October 2015; together, the two branches employ just under 250 people. Hidetaka Miyazaki serves as the president of FromSoftware.

Since its early days in the gaming industry, FromSoftware has primarily focused on console titles. Most of the studio's games were developed primarily for successive generations of Sony consoles, though by the mid-2000s Microsoft hardware had become an almost equally important platform. For a long time, PC players were given the least attention. The situation changed in 2012, when the first installment of the Dark Souls series was released on PC; since then, all of the studio’s multiplatform titles have also launched on computers.

With few exceptions, FromSoftware has focused on two main genres: action games and RPGs, skillfully blending elements of both while adjusting the emphasis depending on the title. The studio’s most iconic franchises include the Armored Core action series, the King's Field action RPGs (developed between 1994 and 2002), and the Souls series, which was conceived as their spiritual successor.

History

Origins and the PlayStation Era

FromSoftware was founded on November 1, 1986, in Tokyo's Shibuya district by Naotoshi Zin, who today serves as an advisor to the company. In its early years, the company focused on developing utility and office software. In the early 1990s the studio started developing its first video games for personal computers, though none were ever released. The studio's debut title reached players eight years after its founding: the first-person RPG King's Field, released as a launch title for the PlayStation, albeit only in Japan. Between 1995 and 1999, Sony released two more King's Field installments, along with three entries in the Armored Core series, which would later become the studio's flagship franchise.

In 2000, the studio released its first - and for many years only - PC title, Sword of Moonlight: King's Field Making Tool, which allowed users to create simple RPGs set in the King's Field universe. In the same year, the studio transitioned to the next generation of Sony consoles and, between 2000 and 2002, released titles such as the RPG Eternal Ring, along with new installments in the Armored Core and King's Field series. Beginning in 2002, the studio expanded to other hardware platforms, producing the Xbox-exclusive action series Otogi and the GameCube-exclusive action RPG series Lost Kingdoms.

During this period, the studio acquired the rights to the popular Tenchu series from Activision and continued releasing installments of its flagship Armored Core series, including, for the first time, on the PlayStation Portable. In January 2004, King's Field was released on mobile phones, marking the studio's first foray into mobile gaming. In 2006, FromSoftware released its first game for seventh-generation consoles (PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) - the RPG Enchanted Arms, published worldwide by Ubisoft. The Armored Core series also made its debut on next-generation consoles. To mark its twentieth anniversary, the studio released the commemorative collections Armored Core: Machine Side Box 1997–2006 and King's Field: Dark Side Box. That same year, FromSoftware launched its first game for the Nintendo DS, and two years later, its first title for the Wii console.

The Souls series and FromSoftware’s big break

2009 ended up being a game-changer for FromSoftware. That year saw the release of the third-person slasher Ninja Blade, which was also the studio's first game aimed at PC players. Even bigger success came with the PlayStation 3-exclusive dark action RPG Demon's Souls, which acted as a spiritual successor to the classic King's Field series. Players loved the game for its tough challenges, deep combat system, and fun cooperative multiplayer. In terms of style, Demon’s Souls didn’t feel like your usual JRPG - it had more of a Western vibe, which helped it win a huge global fanbase. After the game’s success, the FromSoftware team took a bit of a breather and worked on six remakes of their older titles for the PlayStation Portable. In 2010, the studio teamed up with Bandai Namco Entertainment.

In 2011, FromSoftware released the sequel to its big hit, Dark Souls. Unlike the first game, the sequel also came out on Xbox 360 and other popular consoles a year later, achieving huge commercial success and winning a large number of industry awards. In 2012–2013, the studio returned to console gamers with its other key franchise, Armored Core, but their next major success was Dark Souls II, released a year later. It sold nearly 2.5 million copies and once again earned numerous awards and accolades. In May 2014, FromSoftware was acquired by Kadokawa Corporation, which bought the studio’s shares from its former co-owner, Transcosmos.

After releasing three major expansions for Dark Souls II, in 2015 FromSoftware launched a completely new game, Bloodborne, featuring a similar dark atmosphere and released exclusively for the PlayStation 4. That same year, a complete edition of Dark Souls II, titled Scholars of the First Sin, was released, along with its remastered version for eighth-generation consoles. At the turn of 2015–2016, FromSoftware opened a new branch in Fukuoka, tasked with providing technological support to the parent studio in Tokyo. In March 2016, the next installment in the Souls series was released, once again earning excellent reviews from both players and critics. A month later, the studio announced it had begun work on a completely new IP, while also planning another installment in the Armored Core series.

Life after Souls

In January 2018, Bandai Namco announced that the first Dark Souls game would be remastered for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The edition for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One was developed by the Polish studio QLOC and released in May, while the Nintendo Switch version, which premiered in October, was created by the Chinese studio Virtuos.

At E3 2018, FromSoftware announced their next project. The game in question was the action title Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, developed for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. But that wasn’t all - in November, Deracine, an original adventure game overseen by Hidetaka Miyazaki himself, was released for PlayStation 4. The game was designed specifically for virtual reality headsets.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was released on March 22, 2019, and published by Activision Blizzard. Like the Souls series, the game was notable above all for its exceptionally high level of difficulty. This didn’t deter players, and just a month after its release, the publisher proudly announced that it had sold over two million copies in “less than ten days".

Elden Ring shatters records, and Armored Core makes a comeback

Naturally, Hidetaka Miyazaki’s studio didn’t rest on its laurels and unveiled its next project to the world at E3 2019. This time, the developers decided to venture into the open-world action RPG genre. Elden Ring, as this then-mysterious title was called, was set to be the result of a collaboration between FromSoftware and George R.R. Martin - the author best known for A Song of Ice and Fire. Shortly after the official announcement of Elden Ring, the project went quiet. As time passed without any new details, fans began to grow concerned.

On June 10, 2021, the wishes of Hidetaka Miyazaki’s fans were finally answered, as Elden Ring was revealed to the public. At E3, the game received a detailed trailer along with several concrete pieces of information. It was revealed to be an action RPG featuring an open world, complete with a dynamic weather system, a full day-night cycle, and four-player co-op, maintaining a difficulty on par with Dark Souls III.

Elden Ring launched on February 25, 2022, for PCs as well as eighth- and ninth-generation consoles. Elden Ring received extremely high praise from industry critics. To put it simply, the game scored impressively on Metacritic, averaging around 95–96/100, depending on the platform. Gamers loved it too, which is reflected in its “Very Positive” rating on Steam. The game was a commercial hit as well - by mid-March 2022, it had already sold over 12 million copies. In February 2023, the studio announced the expansion Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. However, the premiere was still far off, so in the meantime FromSoftware managed to announce and release another game.

Armored Core 6 and Shadow of the Erdtree

Rumors first surfaced in January 2022 that the studio was planning a return to its roots with a new Armored Core installment. However, it wasn’t until spring 2023 that FromSoftware officially announced Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. The game, which lets players pilot massive mechs, was released on PC and consoles on August 25, 2023. The game was an artistic success, earning "very positive" reviews on Steam and receiving average scores from industry media ranging between 79 and 87/100 on Metacritic, depending on the platform. Moreover, the game had a very strong launch, setting an impressive Steam record on its release day with 129,285 concurrent players.

Fans had to wait until February 21, 2024 to get the first details about Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. At that time, the gameplay trailer for the expansion was released, along with its release dates: June 20 for PC and June 21 for consoles. Interestingly, it was meant to be the only DLC for Elden Ring. Moreover, the creators didn’t plan a sequel, though they left the door open to possibly reconsider in the future. Seizing the moment, Bandai Namco Entertainment proudly announced that the base game had sold over 23 million copies by February 2024.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree launched to critical acclaim from industry media, earning an average Metacritic score of 92–95/100, depending on the platform. Players’ reactions were noticeably more mixed: on Metacritic, they gave it an average score of 7.9/10, while on Steam the game earned a “mostly positive” rating. Still, on Valve’s platform, the DLC proved extremely popular at launch, drawing nearly 800,000 players to the base game simultaneously at its peak.

Additionally, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree became the first DLC ever to be nominated for the Game of the Year award at The Game Awards - previously, only remakes and remasters had received similar recognition.

Potential transition under Sony's wing

In November 2024, unofficial reports surfaced suggesting that Sony was planning to acquire Kadokawa Corporation, the parent company of FromSoftware. Shortly afterwards, they were confirmed by Kadokawa itself.