As momentous as Elden Ring‘s launch was back in 2022, it suffered a big problem that games of similar hype and stature usually do: spoilers running rampant due to YouTubers and streamers.
In a bid to show off their skills and, in some cases, speed run the action-RPG, streamers inadvertently took away the exciting feeling of exploring the game for the first time. This obviously isn’t fair to those who waited for years, and the same risk stands again as we approach the launch of Shadow of the Erdtree. Even director Hidetaka Miyazaki has acknowledged this problem.
Miyazaki Gives Total Freedom To The Players In Elden Ring
In an interview with PlayStation Blog, Miyazaki was asked about the one thing in Elden Ring he wants to ensure isn’t overlooked in its reception, to which he answered:
There’s not one specific area from the network test that players overlooked or a part of the game that we want to push on them. Mainly, we want players to feel the importance of the level of freedom that we’re focusing on this time. We want them to enjoy the game in their own way and feel liberated in this new open world that they can explore at their own pace.
Hidetaka Miyazaki‘s answer emphasized the true freedom of the game’s world. He doesn’t want players to be told where to go or what to do. Instead, he wants them to forge their own path through the Lands Between, set their own goals, and experience this enormous, lore-rich world with fresh eyes.
But sadly, that didn’t happen for a lot of people, as streamers and YouTubers with spoiler-y titles and thumbnails ended up giving away a lot of Elden Ring‘s secrets at launch. And as Shadow of the Erdtree inches closer to its 21 June release, the same issue is bound to happen.
Shadow of the Erdtree Might Get Spoiled In The Same Way
The argument can be made that these streamers and YouTubers are simply doing their jobs, and that they aren’t being malicious. However, the millions of people who watch their videos are inevitably going to spread spoilers in other circles, ruining the game for others. Miyazaki realizes this as well:
If possible, we want players to try and steer clear of spoilers or guides and go in with a completely fresh, open mind and enjoy that initial sense of adventure. That’s how we’d want to experience the game if we were going into it for the first time. And that’s how we hope our players can experience the game comfortably at their own pace with this new sense of wonder.
Elden Ring‘s success came partly from its world being a shared experience, but there’s a big difference between recounting your own experiences, and outright revealing crucial bits of lore or locations of important in-game items. Sharing experiences makes people want to play the game more, while spoilers take away the whole point – the fun of not knowing what’s coming next.
Miyazaki’s message about keeping things spoiler-free may not have worked entirely for Elden Ring, but should be personally enforced by everyone looking forward to Shadow of the Erdtree. The story tends to hits different when you go into it completely unaware of what’s to come.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree launches on 21 June 2024 for $39.99 across PS4/PS5, PC, and Xbox One/Series X/S.
