FromSoftware released Demon’s Souls in 2009, and the game quickly became a critical and commercial success outside of Japan, resulting in Dark Souls two years later. A new genre was born, with studios inspired to develop their own take on the winning Souls-like formula, and gamers have since enjoyed an influx of titles like Salt and Sanctuary, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and Nioh. But few games have incited as much anticipation as FromSoftware’s latest, Elden Ring, whose worldbuilding was overseen by A Song of Ice and Fire author George R. R. Martin. And as the title’s 2022 launch day approached, eager fans jokingly worried that they might die before Elden Ring released.