It is rumored that Tencent could launch a mobile version of the masterpiece Elden Ring. We don’t see how FromSoftware’s game could shine in a more modest format, especially free-to-play.
Elden Ring will celebrate its two years of existence on February 25. But while we would like to have news of the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, a possible adaptation of the game to mobile format is looming. In any case, this is what Reuters reports in an article published on February 6. Three sources told the media that the Chinese giant Tencent would dream of offering a smartphone version ofElden Ringwith the aim of diversifying its catalog.
Tencent is one of FromSoftware’s shareholders, with a 16% stake (compared to 14% by Sony, the rest being owned by Kadokawa Corporation). He also holds the rights toElden Ring, which allows him to think about iterations. We recall that the action RPG has sold more than 20 million copies, an immense success for a game far from being mainstream in approach. It is undoubtedly this economic argument that pushes Tencent to want to capitalize as much as possible on the license.
Elden Ring on smartphone? Thanks, but no thanks
Tencent would have entrusted this apparently impossible project to a few dozen developers, with the constraint of making it a free-to-play project paid for with microtransactions (caricature: would we pay to be humiliated by a boss?). The Asian giant dreams of offering an equivalent of Genshin Impact with sauce Elden Ring. We wonder how this is possible, knowing that Tencent has already tried it with another successful license (Nier), without succeeding (because of monetization, precisely). It’s hard to imagine Elden Ring comply with this business model, unless you completely rethink the gameplay and structure – two elements that made it successful.
Beyond the financial aspect, Elden Ring poses a serious technical challenge in terms of adaptation. We’re talking about an open world experience that needs resources to express itself and breathe. Its artistic direction could be cramped on a small smartphone screen while its gameplay seems unthinkable without a controller (due to its demands). There is a rather successful soulslike on mobile, but the title in question, entitled Pascal’s Wageris not based on the same ambitions.
There is a phone on which Elden Ring could possibly feel comfortable: the iPhone 15 Pro (and its Max version). Apple’s most recent smartphone is capable of running demanding video games, such as the remake of Resident Evil 4 or Death Stranding. But this would impose a traditional business model (a single large purchase) and a much smaller target. Two barriers for Tencent, which sees bigger, but which must above all think about the feasibility of a Elden Ring with a smaller scale.
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