Summary
FromSoftware is eager to keep makingArmored Coregames, although another entry in the franchise won’t see the light of day anytime soon. This teaser hinting at the company’s future plans was offered as part of a recent retrospective onArmored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon.
Originally released on August 25, the latest entry in the long-running series of mecha games debuted to critical acclaim and strong sales. Countlessreviewers praisedArmored Core 6for its tight gameplay loop, high replayability, and impressive technical achievements, among other qualities.
FromSoftware Boss Wants To Keep Making Armored Core Games
Some half a year later, FromSoftware already appears to be firmly focused on its next project, themassiveElden Ring: Shadow of the ErdtreeDLCthat was just treated to a release date: June 21. But that’s not to say thatArmored Coreno longer lingers on its mind. That’s according to FromSoftware President Hidetaka Miyazaki, who expressed a “strong willingness” to continue the mecha series in a recent interview withIGN Japan.
Armored Core 7 Is Not In Development Just Yet
Reflecting on how the game turned out, Miyazaki labeledArmored Core 6a success, yet asserted that there was still room for the Japanese studio to improve. “Not everything was perfect,” the famous game designer said, noting how he is hence “determined not to stop” makingArmored Coregames. Although that statement is bound to be welcome news for fans of the franchise, it came with a provision that FromSoftware still hasn’t made any concrete decisions about developing another entry.
I think Armored Core 6 was a success. On the other hand, not everything was perfect, and there is still room for improvement, so I’m determined not to stop there. However, nothing specific has been decided yet.
The ten-year gap betweenArmored Core: Verdict DayandFires of Rubiconwas the longest the series ever went without a new installment. Therefore, this confirmation that a new entry isn’t in development just yet suggests another decade-long hiatus is not out of the question, even if Miyazaki is eager to tackle moreArmored Coreprojects. That possibility appears even stronger in light of the industry-wide trend of AAA development cycles getting longer in recent times. For reference,Fires of Rubiconentered pre-production circa 2016, ultimately taking around seven years to go gold.
Granted, those elongated development efforts yielded a game that has propelled the series to unprecedented heights, selling around 2.8 million copies in its launch month, which was comparable to the latest entry in the much more mainstreamDark Soulsfranchise. With this being the first installment to be among thebest-selling games of its respective year, it is possible that the success ofFires of Rubiconcould convince FromSoftware to tackle anotherArmored Coreproject sooner rather than later, especially if Miyazaki himself is keen on the idea.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
WHERE TO PLAY
Combining FromSoftware’s longstanding expertise in mech games with their signature action gameplay, ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON brings a brand-new action experience to the series.Dynamic, Omni-directional Battles Players will pilot their mech in fast-paced, omni-directional battles, taking advantage of massive stages and their mech’s mobility on land and in the air to ensure victory.Customized Parts for Individual Battle Styles Customize Armored Core parts to suit a large variety of playstyles. Selecting different parts not only changes the mech’s attacks, but also directly affects its movement and battle style, so each mission can be approached with a unique mech strategy.Thrilling Boss Battles Deploy a wide variety of offensive and defensive tactics at close and long range to take down powerful enemy bosses.
