Elden Ringhas not yet officially had a release date announcement, but rumors and reports have pegged it as a summer release. Still, many consider that strange given that it would be mere months from the release of Xbox Series X and PS5, so some have wondered if it would be porting over to the consoles later. This was all before the Coronavirus pandemic, which is have a huge impact on the gaming industry, and could theoretically influence the release ofElden Ring.
As many know, several big events like E3 2020 have been canceled as a result, but it’s beginning to take its toll on upcoming releases as well.The Last of Us 2has been delayed indefinitely, for example, due to the logistical nature of shipping the game conflicting with the virus’s effects on shipping. As such, it’s worth wondering ifElden Ringwill be delayed and release simultaneous on current-gen and next-gen consoles.
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Elden Ring Release Date Rumors
Leaks straight from From Software’s website suggest thatElden Ringis set to release in June 2020, which given the developer’s timeline of development, makes sense. It would also allow the company to begin a marketing push for it soon, and given that the summer months are typically far and few between for new video game releases, there’s little doubt that it would be one of the biggest games for the month. However, that is now two months away, making it seem less likely.
There’s a good chance that this lack of marketing is derived directly from the Coronavirus, asThe Last of Us 2delay could be the first of a domino effect for game delays. Reasonably, gamers should expect more delays as long as the pandemic is on-going, withFinal Fantasy 7 Remakereleasing earlyin some parts of the world due to the logistic nightmare that is Coronavirus.The Last of Us 2was originally set to ship in May, so as it stands,Elden Ringis likely in a similar spot.
Hopeful estimates point the pandemic ending sometime around July or early Fall, so it’s possible that, if it were ready,Elden Ring’s delay wouldn’t be as significant asTLOU2. And that’s operating under a supposed release frame and nothing official. Still, August and September would be a good month, with the next-gen consoles releasing just after that.
Should it wait for the PS5 and Xbox Series X?
WhileElden Ringcould perhaps skate past the Coronavirus with just a short, perhaps never even announced, delay, the question becomes whether or not it should release with the next-gen consoles instead of August or September. As it stands, September hasCyberpunk 2077andMarvel’s Avengerson the docket. It could easily fill that in, and with theXbox Series X’s buy-once Smart Delivery, it my not be necessary, should From Software take advantage of that.
At the same time, many may rather experience the game for the first time on a next-gen version, rather than currently. There’s certainly benefits to waiting, as well as launching as soon as possible, but there’s one caveat for that: is it in development for PS5 andXbox Series X? There’s a good chance that aiming or re-gearing the game in that direction could result in a delay worse than the pandemic, as that adds two more platforms that must be supported. Indeed,Elden Ringand the games set to release over the next few months are in a precarious situation, so it’ll be interesting to see how it plays out. Hopefully, for everyone’s sake, it’s all over soon.
Elden Ringis out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
