Summary
FromSoftware has always had a very passionate fanbase, even from its earliest days with games likeKing’s FieldandArmored Core. But FromSoft’s passionate fanbase grew exponentially with the release ofDemon’s Soulsand its beloved successor,Dark Souls. Fans knew they were experiencing the start of something special with these games, and that feeling only grew with each subsequent FromSoftware entry, eventually leading fans toElden Ring, a game that’s now sold over 20 million copies and captured the largest playerbase in FromSoft’s lengthy history.
Over the last two years, theElden Ringcommunity has remained strong, checking in now and then when new updates have dropped or whenever they get the itch to explore the Lands Between just one more time. And whileElden Ring’s fanbase has plenty of external channels of communication like Reddit and various Wikis, there’s nowhere better to communicate with other fans than inElden Ringitself, and the game’s social messaging system enables exactly that, a system that Shadow of the Erdtree continues to embrace.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s Messages Prove How Passionate Fans Are
Shadow of the Erdtree’s Messages Show The Helpful Side of the Community
Introduced all the way back in2009’sDemon’s Souls, FromSoftware’s trademark social messaging system allows players to leave a note on the ground for other online players to encounter and read. In the original iterations of this system, players only had a handful of key phrases they could use, which led to some incredibly creative, and now iconic phrases. Even in its very earliest iterations, FromSoftware’s messaging system was used by passionate fans to try and help one another discover secrets, or to give hints as to where to go next or what strategies are viable against certain enemies.
With far more phrases at the player’s disposal now,Elden Ringis filled with positive and helpful messages, guiding players to hidden areas, warning them of ambushes, and pointing them toward useful items. Within just its first hour of going live,Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLCwas filled with these messages, and at a time when the go-to Wikis haven’t had a chance to add new information yet, these messages were actually quite helpful.
Shadow of the Erdtree’s Messages Remind Players to Have Fun
But, of course, anyone who’s ever playeda FromSoftware gameknows the true purpose behind the social messaging system. While helpful messages are definitely a common occurrence inElden Ring, it’s far more common to see messages designed to troll the player, or messages that relate to various inside jokes the community has had over the years. For instance, booting upElden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC right now will undoubtedly see players encounter a handful of messages containing pieced-together innuendo, some notes claiming that a turtle is a dog, and another few that simply say “fort night,” or something similar.
Though it can get a little tedious to see the same jokes repeated time and time again when players are hoping to see a useful note, their purpose is actually much greater than fans might realize.Elden Ring, and especially its recent Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, is quite a dark game tonally, and these jokeyElden Ringsocial messagesdo a great job of relieving the tension and keeping things lighthearted, reminding players that this journey isn’t actually a lonely one.
Elden Ring
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ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
