In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Hidetaka Miyazaki, President of From Software, expressed his interest in developing a traditional Japanese role-playing game (JRPG). This marks a significant departure from his well-known work on action RPGs like the Dark Souls series and Elden Ring.
Miyazaki revealed that, while he is intrigued by the idea of creating a traditional JRPG, he does not foresee it being connected to From Software’s 2006 title, Enchanted Arms. This game was directed by Masato Miyazaki, now an employee at Capcom, and is not related to Hidetaka Miyazaki. Reflecting on the studio’s history, Miyazaki stated that he does not plan to inherit and reinterpret From Software’s past intellectual properties.
“I think a lot of these games are so intertwined with the directors who almost invented that style of game,” Miyazaki explained. He cited From Software’s debut game, 1994’s King’s Field, as an example. This game was produced by the studio’s first president, Naotoshi Zin, who also produced the franchise’s second and third installments. Miyazaki noted, “I don’t think there’s a scenario where I myself would make a King’s Field. The same can be said about Otogi and Enchanted Arms.”
However, Miyazaki did identify one notable exception. He began his career at From Software in 2005 as a planner on Armored Core: Last Raven, and he sees potential in revisiting this series. “I worked on Armored Core 4 and Armored Core: For Answer. It enabled me to put my own interpretation on Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon and develop that,” Miyazaki noted. This indicates his comfort and creative connection with the Armored Core series, suggesting that he might continue to explore and innovate within this franchise.
From Software recently launched Elden Ring: Shadow of Erdtree, an expansion to their highly acclaimed and widely successful game. The game has reportedly sold over 25 million copies worldwide across PC and console platforms.