The long wait for Elden Ring is finally over and already huge numbers of players have started to explore the Lands Between. Within the first hour of launch, the game boasts 600,000 players with that number likely to increase substantially as the latest FromSoftware title debuts around the world.
Since the lifting of its review embargo earlier this week, Elden Ring has scored near-perfect ratings from a multitude of different media outlets and added to the already high levels of anticipation. Many who have gotten a chance to play the game early have praised it for breaking many trends of most modern open-world titles and claim that it is an experience fitting for FromSoftware veterans as well as those who have never played a Souls-like game before. Now it appears this has been taken into consideration by many as the title has barely launched on certain platforms and already boasts a massive player count.
Though the official worldwide release date is February 25, certain regions debuted Elden Ring on PC platforms early. As PCGamesN reported, Steam is one such platform and within the first hour of launch on February 24 gained over 600,000 players. At the time the game launched, it already had over half one million players and the number is still climbing.
FromSoftware's labor appears to be paying off in a big way for the developer as well as publisher Bandai Namco. Steam alone looks like it could be on its way to having one million Elden Ring players before the game's true release commences around the world. If this is to be any indication for the rest of the PC market and consoles, then FromSoftware's new open-world title is likely going to be one of the year's best-selling titles. Elden Ring's extremely high critic ratings will most certainly add to its potential success in this regard.
There have been some notable examples in recent history of a highly anticipated game falling short in epically dramatic fashions. It is good for a title to come along and not only avoid that grim fate but also surpass the already lofty expectation in almost every way. FromSoftware has already proven itself as a formidable gaming developer with the likes of Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. If these early player counts and review scores are any indication, Elden Ring could firmly cement the studio as one of the best, if not the best, working today.
Elden Ring will be coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC on February 25th, 2022.