A popular fan theory posits that George R.R. Martin referenced his own name while creating Elden Ring's various demigods, a notion the famed fantasy author has now debunked. The Elden Ring demigods theory picked up steam last week when players began noticing that each demigod bore a name starting with G, R, or M. Notably, when lined up just right, the first letter in the names of the four main characters - Godfrey, Rennala, Radagon, and Marika - match George R.R. Martin's initials, GRRM.
FromSoftware and Bandai Namco Entertainment shipped Elden Ring late last month to widespread acclaim from critics and players alike. The critical success served as just the beginning, though. Elden Ring has since leapt over the stratosphere with game sales rivaling the likes of Call of Duty releases. In fact, in less than three weeks on the market, FromSoftware's latest role-playing adventure managed to move over 12 million units worldwide. It's no wonder, then, that Bandai Namco aims to expand the Elden Ring IP beyond gaming.
In a post on his Not a Blog website, George R.R. Martin (via Twitter user Nibel) took some time to address the Elden Ring name theory that first made the rounds several days ago. The author seems to take umbrage with the idea that he "hid" his name in-game, especially since he's credited as one of its creators. Martin noted in part, "I have been writing and publishing stories since 1971, and I suspect that I have been giving characters names beginning with R and G and M since the start." He added that creating new names is "hard;" plus, as a writer who likes related characters to share "something in common," coincidences are bound to crop up.
Was the fan theory a reach? Sure. Still, plenty bought into it as the naming convention seemed to constitute too much of a coincidence. But if George R.R. Martin, the writer behind much of Elden Ring's lore, insists the theory bears no merit, then this counts as one piece of conjecture that's best tossed aside.
Of course, Elden Ring runs rampant with other interesting details, all of which should be discovered organically. There are more than a fair few tips and tricks that some may find useful when heading into the Lands Between for the first time, however. Some players learned the hard way, for instance, that invading PvP players can steal items in the middle of a weapons trade between allied users. Recently, another Elden Ring fan witnessed the horror of what happens when one disturbs the peace at the Turtle Pope's Church of Vows.
Elden Ring is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: George R.R. Martin (via Nibel/Twitter)