It’s what a single tweet can do. Sarah Bond, the Corporate Vice President of Gaming Ecosystem at Microsoft, took to Twitter with a tantalizing hint. A trifecta of emoticons, depicting an elderly man, a ring, and the Xbox logo, were enough to ignite a storm of theories surrounding the potential arrival of a masterpiece, FromSoftware’s Elden Ring, on the Xbox Game Pass.
Sarah Bond, a prominent figure in the Xbox team, is no stranger to cryptic social media communication. Previously, she has hinted at upcoming exclusives, Microsoft’s strategic maneuvers, and the activities of the Team Green. Thus, it’s no surprise that her latest tweet has been dissected and interpreted by eager gaming fans, desperate for a whisper of one of the best games of the current generation.
Elden Ring, launched last February, quickly ascended to a level of acclaim and popularity few games achieve. Within a year, the game managed to sell over 20 million copies across all platforms. Currently, FromSoftware is at work on the game’s first expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, expected to release later this year or early next year.
🧓💍#Xbox
— BondSarahBond (@BondSarah_Bond) July 19, 2023
Considering Elden Ring’s continued popularity and its retail price persisting a year after its release, the idea of it arriving on the Game Pass seems like an intriguing possibility, albeit one that raises numerous questions.
The potential introduction of Elden Ring to Xbox Game Pass would be a tremendous addition to the Game Pass. As far as memory serves, it would be the first FromSoftware title to grace the platform. However, it’s crucial to recognize the impact of this possibility and what it could mean for both Microsoft and FromSoftware.
The game’s stunning success and ongoing popularity would undoubtedly draw more subscribers to the service, solidifying the Game Pass’s reputation as a premier destination for top-tier gaming content.
For FromSoftware, aligning with a subscription service such as the Game Pass could help bring Elden Ring to as wide of an audience as possible. Then again, is that really necessary? It’s already the best-selling game by FromSoftware by far. It’s not short on hype at all, even if an expansion is coming.
Besides, can Microsoft afford to carelessly spend even more money now? If anything, Microsoft might want to tighten the bolts on its widening ship first. It has already admitted that the Game Pass cannibalizes game sales and the service is oft the subject of criticism. Even Blizzard Entertainment is hesitant about bringing Diablo 4 to the same platform. There are a lot of negatives for FromSoftware to make this happen, which means that it has all the leverage in the world to ask for a hefty price. Not to mention, Sony is part owner of FromSoftware, and it has already swallowed a rather bitter pill.
The best-case scenario for Microsoft is that FromSoftware gave it a figure it can afford to add Elden Ring to the Game Pass. Unfortunately, this might not be the case.
Bond has been tweeting about different games every day, some of which aren’t on the Game Pass. Granted, these might all be teased, and some might be red herrings. But, this means that the inverse is also true. Bond might simply just be tweeting about her favorite games.
For now, the ball is in FromSoftware’s court. Is it okay taking a hit with the still-growing sales of Elden Ring in exchange for “guaranteed” money from Microsoft? Or does it believe that Elden Ring still has plenty of legs left, especially with an impending expansion?
This exciting conundrum is enough to get fans amped up enough to think that they can finally take on Malenia without too much trouble (please, don’t even think about it).
Thankfully, while the release date of Shadow of the Erdtree continues to wander in the Lands Between, FromSoftware’s next full title, Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, is confirmed for August 25.
