Tencent is reportedly working on a mobile version of FromSoftware’s popular action role-playing game Elden Ring.
According to a recent Reuters report, three sources told the publication that the Chinese tech company is currently developing a mobile adaptation of the 2022 title after acquiring licensing rights from FromSoftware that same year.
The prototype is said to be being worked on by a dozen people but progress is slow, with Tencent aiming to release the game as a free-to-play title with in-app purchases similar to HoYoverse’s massively popular gacha game Genshin Impact.
Sources didn’t reveal what sort of in-app purchases would be featured in the mobile version of Elden Ring, but, if we were to speculate, it could translate to some form of in-game currency system that would allow players to buy items in a digital store, similar to Genshin Impact.
However, due to Elden Ring‘s more traditional business model, which gives players full access to all of the title’s features after purchasing it at full retail price, these new design goals seem “at odds” with Tencent’s idea.
Tencent and FromSoftware haven’t commented on the report and haven’t yet announced any sort of mobile game port of Elden Ring.
Elden Ring is just the latest major Intellectual Property (IP) Tencent has licensed to create free-to-play mobile games and is well known for its success with PUBG: Mobile and Call of Duty: Mobile.
Just yesterday (February 5), the company announced (via Reuters) that it was canceling its mobile game based on Square Enix’s Nier franchise after nearly two years of development.
Following critical acclaim, FromSoftware announced in February 2023 that a downloadable content (DLC) expansion called Shadow of the Erdtree was in active development. Unfortunately, although development is going well according to the studio’s parent company Kadokawa, there’s still no release date.
Last month, an update to Elden Ring‘s Steam page triggered speculation from fans about an imminent launch date announcement for the DLC, but FromSoftware has yet to reveal anything of the sort.
If you’re looking for something new to play while you wait for the DLC, we’ve got a guide to the best Soulslike games available right now, along with our picks for the best single-player games.
