FromSoftware didn't think George R.R. Martin would actually agree to work on Elden Ring

Expectations are very high for Elden Ring, thanks entirely to the names behind it: The open-world action-RPG is being developed by Hidetaki Miyazaki's FromSoftware in collaboration with Game of Thrones guy George R.R. Martin. That's a pretty promising team-up. But as Miyazaki explained in this Xbox Wire interview, he didn't actually think it was going to happen at all. 

"I loved A Song of Ice and Fire as well as the Tuf Voyaging series, however if I had to pick a favorite I would probably say Fevre Dream. I personally see Fevre Dream as a masterpiece among vampire fantasy and had even previously recommended it to all new employees," Miyazaki said, explaining that he's "a huge fan of Mr. Martin's work."   

"Me being such a known fan of Mr. Martin caused our executive business director Eiichi Nakajima to reach out to him with the expectation that we would get turned down. However, we were then given the rare opportunity to talk one-on-one with Mr. Martin which was an incredibly fun and stimulating experience. It was then that I strongly felt that I wanted to work with Mr. Martin." 

The collaborative wheels began to turn with Martin "ever so politely confirming" the themes Miyazaki had envisioned for the game, at which point the ideas and conversations began to flow freely. "I am still unable to put into words how grateful I am to Mr. Martin for agreeing to our offer," Miyazaki said. 

Elden Ring doesn't have a release date yet, or much of anything else really, but here's the full lowdown on everything we do know about it so far. 

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.

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