It's safe to say that Elden Ring is one of the most anticipated games of 2021, period, mostly because of its pedigree, but it's unclear if it will actually release this year. Elden Ring is being directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki and developed by FromSoftware, best known for the Dark Souls games, with lore contributions by George R.R. Martin, famous for his A Song of Ice and Fire novels.
Elden Ring was first announced at E3 2019 after two years of development. Despite the project now being four years old, FromSoftware has kept most details close to its vest, focusing mostly on its grander open-world setting and features like horse-mounted combat. The few Elden Ring screenshots and videos that have emerged have exposed characters, classes, enemies, and weapons, but without any precise information to link them to.
Though there is a strong probability of an Elden Ring reveal at E3 2021, the chances of it shipping the same year appear small. FromSoftware's parent company, Kadokawa, recently forecast a 15.8% drop in profits for its fiscal year, which ends March 31. That strongly suggests Elden Ring won't ship until April 2022, since launching a blockbuster game would naturally help boost finances. Kadokawa specifically blames "the impact of COVID-19" for the "delayed development of new works." It's unlikely office closures would have much impact on other projects, which would have to be in their early stages at best; FromSoftware is an important but not prolific studio, its last game being 2019's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Is There Any Chance Elden Ring Could Ship This Year?
Work could hypothetically move faster if rumors of Elden Rings' Xbox and PC exclusivity prove true, since FromSoftware would be able to drop PlayStation development. That would be a marked departure for the company, however, which has not only supported the PlayStation but occasionally preferred it; 2015's Bloodborne remains a PS4 exclusive. A switch could even trigger delays if Microsoft expects extra optimization.
If it does overshoot 2021, Elden Ring would hardly be alone. A number of high-profile games have already been delayed until 2022, such as Gotham Knights and Hogwarts Legacy. Still others are likely, such as God of War: Ragnarok and even Halo Infinite, despite the latter originally being intended as a launch title for the Xbox Series X/S. Most developers have been forced to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. This may not be an issue for indie outfits but can seriously hamper bigger developers with hundreds or even thousands of people on staff.