„We do not call them Souls“ – Head of From Software explains which genre Elden Ring is assigned to internally

Soulslikes is a term coined by From Software with Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and also Elden Ring. However, in a recent interview, Game Director Hidetaka Miyazaki talks about the term and how the team internally refers to these games differently.

Elden Ring is back in the spotlight, as the DLC Shadow of the Erdtree has been announced, offering new bosses, armor, and a dark area in June. In this context, IGN conducted an interview with Game Director Hidetaka Miyazaki.

In the interview, the term Souls Series was also discussed. The team behind Dark Souls and Bloodborne significantly shaped this term, creating a distinct genre. However, internally this term is not used for their own games, but categorized into a genre, as Miyazaki reveals.

Regarding the IGN interview, there were also comments on generally known terms alongside information about the DLC. Here, Miyazaki discusses the term Souls Series.

We don’t like to call them Souls series, but I believe we are talking about the same thing when we refer to these dark third-person action games, where the focus is more on melee combat and achievement experiences.

Quote posted by Matt Kim on x.com

At its core, this genre categorization is certainly accurate, as they are slower third-person games. What is interesting is that for From Software, it apparently isn’t its own genre but belongs to the mentioned classification.

Prior to Dark Souls and co., From Software also experimented with many other genres. One of these series was Armored Core, which is already far removed from the Souls games due to its setting and gameplay. Last year, a new part of the series was even released with Armored Core 6, just 1.5 years after Elden Ring and 1 year before Shadow of Erdtree.

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With Shadow of Erdtree, a new experience from the acclaimed studio will arrive this summer. According to their own statements, the game will again offer new bosses, weapons, and armor. If you want to prepare for the DLC and feel inclined to dive back into the world of Elden Ring, our class guide will help you: Elden Ring – The best classes for beginners, intermediates, and experts