FromSoftware’s latest action RPG, Elden Ring, is set in a place known as the Lands Between, but the origin of the open world's name isn't made clear from the off. Elden Ring was created with George R. R. Martin, fantasy novelist, and author of the A Song of Ice and Fire series, which were adapted into the award-winning television show, Game of Thrones. In the first interview ahead of the game’s release, it was confirmed that George R. R. Martin was the one who came up with the name Lands Between for Elden Ring’s setting.
The highly-anticipated Elden Ring was released on February 25 to widespread critical acclaim and overwhelmingly positive feedback from audiences. Aside from being popular with fans of the Souls series of games, Elden Ring also has appeal as an open-world title, as well as because of the involvement of George R. R. Martin. Elden Ring's open world setting is the realm of the Lands Between, sometime after the destruction of the Elden Ring and the scattering of its shards, the Great Runes. Players are tasked with recovering the Great Runes in order to restore the Elden Ring.
In an interview with IGN, Elden Ring director and Souls series creator, Hidetaka Miyazaki, confirmed that George R. R. Martin invented the name the Lands Between when he was creating “the impetus for this world and writing its history and deep mythos.” Throughout the interview, Miyazaki described the Lands Between’s name as invoking feelings that are “very mysterious and very ethereal.” The Lands Between comprises six vast areas, each ruled by one of Elden Ring’s demigods, converging into one huge free-form map, making Elden Ring's map the biggest of any FromSoftware game. These domains can be tackled in any order by a given Tarnished, leaning into Elden Ring’s focus on giving players the freedom to explore.
Elden Ring's Lands Between May Have A Literal Meaning
Miyazaki explains the name the Lands Between further, calling it a “starting place for the world” and its detailed lore and mythos. While the game’s director doesn’t explain what Elden Ring’s realm is in between, he describes the intention behind the world’s name as “an invitation to this mysterious new land.” One fan on Reddit with the username Frampt presented their theory as to why the game's world is called the Lands Between, based on Elden Ring lore references to “a temple in the sky” as well as “the Eternal City, now lost in ruin underground.” Therefore, the fan theorizes that Elden Ring’s map is the lands sandwiched between these two cities - one in the sky, and one underground.
While George R. R. Martin has not confirmed the origin of the name he invented for Elden Ring’s setting, some of the intentions behind the name were revealed, thanks to an interview with the game’s director, Hidetaka Miyazaki. Hopefully, lore sleuths will be able to uncover why Elden Ring’s vast world is called the Lands Between definitively. However, as the Lands Between is an intentionally mysterious name, the game’s creators may continue to keep its origin a secret, to further add to the mystery of Elden Ring and its vast world.