Hidetaka Miyazaki, creative director of Elden Ring, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and the Souls series, has been at FromSoftware for over 20 years now. In that time, he has gone on to develop titles that have become a genre of games in and of themselves.
With Elden Ring being the biggest title he’s worked on so far, set to get even bigger with the DLC, Miyazaki may be hinting at reduced involvement in future titles, and that he may be passing on the torch to others within the studio.
The Elden Ring Director Praised a Project Disliked by Fans
In an interview with IGN after the reveal of the Shadow of the Erdtree trailer, Miyazaki discussed his experience working at FromSoftware so far. One of the biggest nuggets of information, and one sure to shock some fans and delight others, was that Miyazaki feels Dark Souls 2 was a great project!
In regards to Dark Souls 2, I actually personally think this was a really great project for us, and I think without it, we wouldn’t have had a lot of the connections and a lot of the ideas that went forward and carried the rest of the series.
When he mentions connections and ideas, he is talking about the involvement of other heads within FromSoftware to create the game. He goes on to say that having different directors enabled ideas that helped develop not just that game but future games as well. Some of the elements of Dark Souls 2, such as the non-linear progression, can be seen even in Elden Ring.
Miyazaki goes so far as to say that, without the input of different ideas from various people, the series may not have continued the way it did without Dark Souls 2. The game is criticized by FromSoft fans for several reasons, one of which is the noticeable lack of Miyazaki’s involvement. However, for the FromSoft boss to come out and say he finds it to be a great project is a win for many, but maybe hinting at his plans.
Miyazaki May Want to Move On to Other Aspects of the Business
In the interview, Miyazaki stated that he is now far more comfortable delegating responsibility to other directors within FromSoftware. He wishes to step away from the supervisory role, giving the new directors complete control and freedom over upcoming projects. This is also in line with his desire to build talent within the studio, reducing the chances of layoffs when multiple directors are heading multiple projects.
It may be that after so long in the driver’s seat, Miyazaki is looking to expand his role and handle other aspects of the business. He also expressed some small regret about his supervisory role on Dark Souls 2, claiming he does not feel suited for it and that he enjoys being the director.
Enabling multiple leaders within the organization is also a good way to ensure the studio pulls in the same direction. This ensures diversity without straying too far from what FromSoftware is best known for.
Do you think FromSoftware games will be the same without Miyazaki at the helm? Let us know below.
