Based on the recent trademark filing change, Elden Ring is now wholly owned by FromSoftware instead of being shared with Bandai Namco Entertainment. Elden Ring originally launched in 2022, becoming the best-selling and one of the highest-rated games FromSoftware has ever developed. The game is more than just a continuation based on the great legacy of Dark Soulsbut also a strong transformation by bringing the Souls-like genre to the open world, discovering many previously unknown potentials.
Elden Ring’s success helped it win many Game of The Year awards in 2022, surprising even director Hidetaka Miyazaki. About a year after Elden Ring released, FromSoftware confirmed they were developing a DLC called Shadow of the Erdtree. This is definitely one of the most anticipated DLCs in the gaming world, although the release date is still unknown. Another surprising IP-related news is about the owner of this IP, as Elden Ring is now fully owned by FromSoftware.
This Elden Ring trademark filing was updated earlier this week at the US Patent and Trademark Office, where it lists FromSoftware as the sole owner, instead of FromSoftware and Bandai Namco as before. Since the release of Dark Souls in 2011, Bandai Namco Entertainment and Kadokawa Corporation (FromSoftware’s parent company) have always sponsored and published the studio’s titles, including Elden Ring. According to this filing, the change in ownership of the Elden Ring IP happened around April 2023. FromSoftware has not yet commented on this change.
This change is likely due to Sony and Tencent investing in FromSoftware, together owning up to 30% of the company, with FromSoftware expanding its operations following the success of Elden Ring. For reference, FromSoftware’s Dark Souls series is owned by Bandai Namco, while Demon’s Souls and Bloodborne owned by Sony. Elden Ring is now the second IP solely owned by FromSoftware, next to it Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Besides FromSoftware becoming the sole owner of the Elden Ring IP, recently rumors about a mobile version of the game developed by Tencent have also surfaced. The mobile version of Elden Ring is said to be inspired by HoYoverse’s Genshin Impact, a free-to-play game with many characters that can be collected through the gacha system. The big concern among fans with this rumor is how Tencent turns Elden Ring’s massive open world into a gacha game that can be played over long periods of time. However, this is still just a rumor, so fans should take this news with a grain of salt until Tencent or FromSoftware make a more official statement about it.
