170 Fun Facts About Elden Ring

On what date was Elden Ring first released?

Elden Ring launched on February 25, 2022, on PlayStation, Xbox and PC after a closed network test in November 2021.

Which fantasy novelist provided the worldbuilding for Elden Ring?

Martin was given freedom to design the backstory, while Miyazaki wrote the in-game narrative.

Who directed Elden Ring?

Hidetaka Miyazaki directed Elden Ring, conceiving it as a mechanical evolution of Dark Souls with an open world built around exploration.

Which company published Elden Ring outside Japan?

Bandai Namco Entertainment published Elden Ring outside Japan, while developer FromSoftware handled the Japanese release itself.

What is the name of the land where Elden Ring is set?

It has six main areas, from grassy Limgrave to the rotting wasteland of Caelid.

What is the player character called?

The Tarnished are exiles summoned back after the Shattering to repair the Elden Ring and become Elden Lord.

Which queen shattered the Elden Ring, triggering the war called the Shattering?

Queen Marika the Eternal shattered the Elden Ring after her son Godwyn was murdered, and her demigod children then warred over its Great Runes.

What is the name of the spectral steed the player rides?

Torrent, the spectral steed, vanishes when dismissed and, if killed in combat, must be revived by spending a flask charge.

Who gives the player their steed and offers to be their Maiden?

Melina grants the Tarnished the ability to turn runes into strength, later carries them to the hub area, and can sacrifice herself to burn the Erdtree.

What is the name of the hub where players gather to plan repairing the Elden Ring?

Roundtable Hold is the hub reached by Melina's invitation, where Smithing Master Hewg upgrades weapons and Sir Gideon Ofnir shares intelligence on the demigods.

What is the in-game currency used to level up at checkpoints?

Runes are Elden Ring's currency for levelling and buying; Souls, Blood Echoes and Sen fill the same role in Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Sekiro.

What are the checkpoints in Elden Ring called?

Sites of grace are Elden Ring's checkpoints: resting at one refills flasks and respawns most enemies, and the last one rested at is where the player returns after death.

In Elden Ring, what are the obtainable enchantments that grant weapons new capabilities called?

Ashes of War are applied to weapons at a site of grace to change their skill and scaling affinity, such as Keen or Heavy.

Where can spirit summons be used?

Spirit summons work only near Rebirth Monuments, which sit in open areas and most boss arenas, so the Mimic Tear cannot be called in every fight.

What item does a host use to attract more invaders?

The Taunter's Tongue lets a host be invaded even without co-op partners and shortens the wait between invasions; the White Cipher Ring instead calls in hunters to help.

What is Godrick's gruesome practice, from which he takes his title?

Grafting severed body parts onto himself is Godrick's form of biological augmentation; halfway through his boss fight he grafts a dead dragon's head onto his arm and uses it as a flamethrower.

Which boss guards the front gate of Stormveil Castle?

Margit the Fell Omen is fought on the approach to Stormveil Castle's main gate, the game's first legacy dungeon; Godrick the Grafted waits at its far end.

Which scheming servant is found stomping on Godrick's severed head after his defeat?

Gatekeeper Gostoc, the scheming servant who points you to Stormveil's side entrance, is found stomping on Godrick's severed head in the throne room once the boss is dead.

Which demigod guards the Erdtree in Leyndell and declares it will admit no one?

Morgott the Grace-Given guards the Erdtree in Leyndell and is the same Omen fought as Margit at Stormveil; born an Omen and cast into the sewers, he stayed loyal to the Golden Order.

Which two foes does the player fight inside the Erdtree at the end of the game?

Radagon of the Golden Order and then the Elden Beast, the living incarnation of the Elden Ring, are fought inside the Erdtree as the game's final bosses.

How many different endings does Elden Ring have?

They range from becoming Elden Lord to Ranni's Age of Stars and the Frenzied Flame burning everything.

Which boss guards the Forge of the Giants, where the Erdtree is kindled?

The Fire Giant guards the Forge of the Giants on the Mountaintops; only after it is slain can the Erdtree be kindled, and its wounded leg is the weak point to strike from Torrent's back.

Which optional boss is widely considered the hardest fight in the base game?

Malenia, Blade of Miquella is the base game's hardest optional boss, pairing her Waterfowl Dance combo with healing on every hit she lands.

What is Malenia's title once she is overcome by the rot in her second phase?

In her second phase Malenia becomes 'Malenia, Goddess of Rot', blooming in the Scarlet Rot that Miquella's Unalloyed Gold needle had held at bay.

Roughly how many times had players fought Malenia by March 2023?

That works out to about ten player deaths every second since launch.

What did the famous player 'Let Me Solo Her' wear on their head?

Let Me Solo Her wore only a jar on his head, fighting otherwise naked with two katanas, and beat Malenia for strangers over a thousand times; Bandai Namco sent him a gift for it.

What is the name of Radahn's tiny horse?

Radahn's horse is Leonard, a scrawny steed he loved so much that he learned gravity magic so his giant body would not crush it.

Who gives the opening speech at the Radahn Festival?

Witch-Hunter Jerren, Radahn's castellan, declares the Radahn Festival open from the castle courtyard before the gathered warriors are sent to fight the general.

Who are Ranni's parents?

Radagon later left Rennala to become Marika's consort, and Rennala lost her mind at Raya Lucaria.

Which event did Ranni orchestrate to kill Godwyn the Golden?

Ranni orchestrated the Night of the Black Knives, whose assassins killed Godwyn with half of the stolen Rune of Death; she used the other half to kill her own body and live on in a doll.

Who is Ranni's half-wolf protector?

Iji is her war counselor and Seluvis her preceptor. Blaidd's own sidequest ties into hers.

How many arms does Ranni's doll body have?

Ranni's doll body has four arms rather than two, and a spectral second face hovers beside her own.

Which fictional fruit can be made into food that heals your spectral steed?

Rowa Fruit can be cooked into Rowa Raisins, which heal Torrent; healing yourself with the Flask of Crimson Tears also restores him.

How many copies had Elden Ring sold by April 2025?

Elden Ring reached 30 million copies sold by April 2025, placing it among the best-selling games of all time; it had already passed 25 million by mid-2024.

What bizarre thing happened right after Elden Ring won Game of the Year in 2022?

Matan Even waited through Miyazaki's speech, then thanked his 'reformed Orthodox rabbi Bill Clinton'.

Roughly how many Game of the Year awards did Elden Ring collect overall?

Elden Ring collected over 300 Game of the Year awards, edging past The Last of Us Part II to become the most-awarded game by that count.

Which of these did the director name as a design influence on Elden Ring?

Miyazaki named The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as an influence on Elden Ring's open world, alongside The Elder Scrolls and The Witcher 3.

At which event was Elden Ring first revealed?

Elden Ring was first revealed at E3 2019 during Microsoft's press conference, then went almost silent for two years until the June 2021 gameplay trailer.

Which 2001 game inspired the future Elden Ring director to leave his job and become a game designer?

Ico, Fumito Ueda's 2001 PlayStation 2 game, moved Hidetaka Miyazaki to quit his corporate job and join FromSoftware in 2004, taking a pay cut to do so.

Where did Elden Ring's director grow up?

Hidetaka Miyazaki grew up in Shizuoka, where he was born in 1974; he later graduated from Keio University with a social science degree.

What was FromSoftware's first video game?

King's Field, released for the PlayStation in December 1994, was FromSoftware's first game; the company had been founded in 1986 making business software.

Which company owns the majority stake in FromSoftware?

Kadokawa holds about 70% of FromSoftware, with Tencent's Sixjoy holding a further 16% stake.

On what date was the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion released?

Shadow of the Erdtree launched on June 21, 2024, twenty-eight months after the base game, and drew debate over its punishing difficulty.

What is the new region in the 2024 expansion called?

The expansion is set in the Realm of Shadow, also called the Land of Shadow, a veiled land whose opening area is the Gravesite Plain.

What collectible raises your attack and defense inside the expansion area?

Scadutree Fragments raise the player's attack and defense only inside the Land of Shadow, a deliberate way to level the field for characters of every level.

Which two bosses must be beaten in the base game to access Shadow of the Erdtree?

Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood must both be defeated; touching the withered arm beside Miquella's cocoon in Mohg's palace then leads into the Land of Shadow.

Against which faction did Messmer, the abandoned son, lead a crusade?

Messmer the Impaler led Marika's crusade against the Hornsent, the horned people of the Land of Shadow, burning their tower city of Belurat.

Which 2025 spin-off is built around three-player co-op runs?

Elden Ring Nightreign, released May 30, 2025, is a standalone co-op spin-off that condenses the original's loop into timed three-player expeditions.

What is the procedurally generated map in the 2025 co-op spin-off called?

Limveld is Nightreign's procedurally rearranged map, a remix of Limgrave whose landmarks and bosses change from one expedition to the next.

Over how many in-game days does an expedition in the co-op spin-off run before the final boss?

Teams of three prepare over three days, with the zone resetting after each day's boss.

What are the co-op spin-off's playable characters called?

The playable characters are Nightfarers, each a fixed class such as the Guardian or the Duchess rather than a custom-built Tarnished.

Who directed the 2025 co-op spin-off?

Junya Ishizaki directed Nightreign, his first time in the chair after working as a designer on Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Dark Souls III and Elden Ring.

Which studio partnered with writer-director Alex Garland on the Elden Ring film?

A24 is making the Elden Ring film with Bandai Namco Entertainment, with Alex Garland writing and directing, as announced in May 2025.

What is the name of the Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game?

Elden Ring Tarnished Edition is the Nintendo Switch 2 release, bundling the base game with Shadow of the Erdtree plus new gear and cosmetics for Torrent.

Which of these composers worked on Elden Ring's score?

Yuka Kitamura composed for Elden Ring alongside Tsukasa Saitoh, Shoi Miyazawa, Tai Tomisawa and Yoshimi Kudo; she had also scored Dark Souls III and Sekiro.

Which region does the Grand Lift of Dectus carry the Tarnished up to?

The Grand Lift of Dectus carries the Tarnished from Liurnia up to the Altus Plateau once both halves of the Dectus Medallion have been found.

Which of the six main areas of Elden Ring's Lands Between is a wasteland home to undead monsters?

Caelid is the wasteland; Limgrave, by contrast, is grassy plains and ancient ruins.

Besides a staff, what item lets a player cast the spells they have memorised?

A sacred seal is needed to cast memorised incantations, just as a glintstone staff is needed for sorceries; only a limited number of spells can be memorised at once.

Besides sites of grace, at what marker can players choose to respawn if they died nearby?

Stakes of Marika are golden markers near boss arenas and dangerous spots; a player who dies nearby can choose to respawn at the stake instead of the last site of grace.

What happens to dropped runes if a player dies again before picking them up?

Runes dropped on death are lost forever if the player dies again before recovering them, since only one rune bloodstain exists at a time.

Crafting recipes in Elden Ring are found inside collectibles called what?

Crafting recipes come from cookbooks such as the Nomadic Warrior's Cookbook, unlocking items like poison darts and exploding pots in the crafting menu.

Which item must a player own to call a specific summonable ally?

Each summonable ally needs its own Spirit Ash, such as the Lone Wolf Ashes or the Mimic Tear, and calling it costs FP or, for the Mimic, HP.

How does a player offer to join another player's world for co-op?

The sign becomes visible to players who have used a corresponding item.

Who is the Roundtable Hold's benefactor that tells the Tarnished to collect Great Runes?

The Two Fingers, the Roundtable's benefactor and mouthpiece of the Greater Will, tell the Tarnished to collect the Great Runes held by the demigods.

What blocks the interior of the Erdtree when the Tarnished first reaches it?

A wall of thorns seals the Erdtree's interior when the Tarnished first arrives, and Melina says only the Flame of Ruin can burn it away.

Taking which power causes Melina to abandon the Tarnished?

Accepting the Three Fingers' Frenzied Flame beneath Leyndell makes Melina leave; the Tarnished then burns the Erdtree personally and is locked into that ending unless Miquella's needle is used.

To which ruined city is the Tarnished transported while the Erdtree burns?

Crumbling Farum Azula, the ruined city of the ancient dragons adrift in a storm, is where the Tarnished wakes after the Erdtree is set ablaze.

Whose Rune of Death is used to fuel the burning of the Erdtree?

Only after that does the Tarnished return to the scorched Erdtree.

Which consumable activates an equipped Great Rune's power until the player next dies?

A Rune Arc activates the equipped Great Rune's blessing until the next death; arcs drop rarely from rats and are rewarded for successful co-op or invasions.

Miyazaki compared George R. R. Martin's role on the game to what tabletop concept?

Miyazaki likened Martin's mythos to a dungeon master's handbook: Martin wrote the world's history before the game's events, and Miyazaki wrote the in-game story.

Production of Elden Ring began in early 2017 after which piece of DLC shipped?

Elden Ring entered production in early 2017 after The Ringed City, the last Dark Souls III expansion, shipped in March 2017.

Elden Ring was developed alongside which other FromSoftware game directed by Miyazaki?

A co-director structure let Miyazaki oversee both at once.

Who served as Elden Ring's co-director, having previously directed Dark Souls II?

Yui Tanimura was Elden Ring's co-director; he had directed Dark Souls II and co-directed Dark Souls III.

Which item lets the Tarnished be reborn and reassign their stats at Rennala?

A Larval Tear, offered to Rennala at the Academy of Raya Lucaria, lets the Tarnished be reborn and reassign every stat point; the tears drop from shape-shifting Silver Tear enemies.

Which tabletop role-playing game did Miyazaki credit as an inspiration for the story?

Miyazaki credited the tabletop game RuneQuest, along with The Lord of the Rings and Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion novels, as story inspirations.

How was some Elden Ring information leaked online before its reveal?

The game was formally revealed at E3 2019.

What was Elden Ring's originally scheduled release date before the delay?

A closed beta had run in November 2021.

What was the main technical complaint from players at Elden Ring's launch?

Bandai Namco addressed some issues through patches.

Which new content for the player character was announced for the Tarnished Edition?

Two new classes were announced for the Tarnished Edition, alongside new weapons and armour and cosmetics for Torrent.

What percentage of critics recommended Elden Ring according to OpenCritic?

OpenCritic recorded 98% of critics recommending Elden Ring, with a top-critic average in the mid-90s; Metacritic labelled it 'universal acclaim'.

What is the name of the speedrunning trick that lets players warp across the map?

The zip glitch, triggered by timing a crouch with a weapon guard, flings the player across the map and underpins the any% speedruns.

Which flask mixes two Crystal Tears into a custom one-use drink?

The Flask of Wondrous Physick combines two Crystal Tears into a single-use drink, and is found at the Third Church of Marika in Limgrave.

How many copies had Elden Ring sold by the end of March 2022, about a month after launch?

Elden Ring sold 13.4 million copies by March 31, 2022, after passing 12 million in its first three weeks, making it Bandai Namco's fastest-selling game.

Which game outsold Elden Ring in the United States in 2022?

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II was the only game to outsell Elden Ring in the United States in 2022, per Circana, which placed Elden Ring second for the year.

How many nominations did Elden Ring receive at The Game Awards 2022?

Elden Ring received seven nominations at The Game Awards 2022, including Game of the Year and Best Narrative; only God of War Ragnarök, with ten, had more.

How long was Alex Garland's spec script for the Elden Ring film?

A24's Noah Sacco flew him to Japan to sign a deal with FromSoftware.

Which of these actors is in the cast of the Elden Ring film?

The cast also includes Cailee Spaeny, Ben Whishaw and Nick Offerman.

In Shadow of the Erdtree, what strengthens summoned allies and Torrent within the new realm?

Scadutree Fragments boost the player's own attack and defence there.

What is the name of Messmer's fortress in the Land of Shadow?

Shadow Keep is Messmer the Impaler's fortress at the centre of the Land of Shadow; he is fought in its Dark Chamber at the keep's far end.

Which follower of Miquella in the expansion worships his female alter-ego, St. Trina?

Thiollier, the poison-brewing follower of Miquella, worships St. Trina and is found drinking her nectar at the Stone Coffin Fissure.

Which armoured merchant among Miquella's followers is infected with rot?

Freyja is a soldier of Radahn and Dane a silent monk.

Miquella's trail leads the Tarnished to what locked portal sealed by thorns?

Miquella's followers converge on the Gate of Divinity atop Enir-Ilim; Messmer's flame, taken after his death, burns away the sealing thorns that block the way.

Whose corpse did Miquella use to revive Radahn as his consort?

Miquella had Radahn's soul placed in Mohg's corpse, which is why the revived consort wields Mohg's bloodflame in his second phase.

On what date did Bandai Namco first announce Shadow of the Erdtree?

Bandai Namco announced Shadow of the Erdtree on 28 February 2023 with a single piece of artwork; the gameplay trailer and June release date followed on 21 February 2024.

Miyazaki compared the size of the expansion's world to which base-game region?

Miyazaki said the Land of Shadow would be comparable to Limgrave in size, if not larger, but denser in content than that comparison suggested.

Before release, what did Miyazaki say Shadow of the Erdtree would be?

Miyazaki said Shadow of the Erdtree would be Elden Ring's first and last expansion, describing it as the end of the game's story with no second DLC planned.

What Metacritic score did the PS5 version of Shadow of the Erdtree receive?

The PS5 version of Shadow of the Erdtree holds a Metacritic score of 94, with IGN and GameSpot both awarding it 10 out of 10.

Which expansion boss fight drew early player criticism and was later adjusted in an update?

Promised Consort Radahn, the expansion's final boss, was criticised for his second-phase light show and combos, and patch 1.13 reduced his damage and improved attack visibility.

How many copies did Shadow of the Erdtree sell in its first three days?

Shadow of the Erdtree sold five million copies in its first three days after its June 21, 2024 launch, Bandai Namco announced.

Which award did Shadow of the Erdtree win at the 2024 Golden Joystick Awards?

Shadow of the Erdtree won Best Game Expansion at the 2024 Golden Joystick Awards, where Black Myth: Wukong took Ultimate Game of the Year.

Why was Shadow of the Erdtree's GOTY nomination at TGA 2024 controversial?

Organisers had clarified that DLC and remakes were eligible for all categories.

What genre best describes Elden Ring Nightreign?

Roguelike is the label: Nightreign reuses many of Elden Ring's features but focuses on roguelike and cooperative mechanics.

At which event was Elden Ring Nightreign revealed?

Elden Ring Nightreign was revealed at The Game Awards 2024, in a trailer shown near the end of the December 12, 2024 ceremony.

What feature does Nightreign borrow from battle royale games?

Nightreign borrows a shrinking play area from battle royales: a ring of deadly rain closes in over each in-game day, then resets after that day's boss is beaten.

What is the name of the event that drastically changes Nightreign's map with a massive dungeon?

Shifting Earth events transform part of Limveld, such as the Crater or the hidden city Noklateo, bringing extra bosses and richer rewards.

What are the harder versions of Nightreign's Nightlord bosses called?

Everdark Sovereigns are the empowered Nightlord variants added after launch in June 2025, with new attacks and far higher stats, offered as a rotating challenge.

What is the name of Nightreign's DLC released on December 4, 2025?

It added two new Nightfarers, the Undertaker and the Scholar.

Which Dark Souls boss appears as a night boss in Nightreign's DLC?

The Demon Prince from Dark Souls III also appears.

What cataclysm plunged Nightreign's version of the Lands Between into eternal darkness?

Eight Nightlords rule over Limveld as a result.

How many Nightlords rule Nightreign's Limveld?

Nightreign launched with eight Nightlords, from Gladius, Beast of Night, the usual first target, to the final one unlocked after the others fall.

Which Nightfarer is the greatsword-wielding knight with a grappling-claw skill?

Wylder is the greatsword-wielding Nightfarer, the default knight-like class whose Claw Shot skill pulls him to enemies and whose ultimate fires a stake.

Which Nightfarer fights with a cursed katana and can transform into a beast?

The Executor wields a cursed katana and his ultimate art turns him into a rampaging beast; Ironeye is the bow-wielding assassin and Recluse a witch.

Which Nightfarer takes the form of a possessed doll and summons spirits with a lyre?

The Revenant is the possessed-doll Nightfarer who summons family spirits to fight beside her and can revive downed allies with her ultimate art.

Which Nightlord is Nightreign's final boss, unlocked after the others fall?

Heolstor the Night Aspect is the final Nightlord, the embodiment of the Night itself, fought only after the other Nightlords have been defeated.

What was George R. R. Martin's role on Nightreign?

Director Junya Ishizaki had been a designer on Dark Souls and Bloodborne.

How many copies did Nightreign sell in its first 24 hours?

Nightreign sold 2 million copies in its first 24 hours, Bandai Namco announced, and reached 3.5 million within five days.

Which nomadic character taught Malenia her combat style?

The Blind Swordsman, a wandering warrior said to have sealed away an Outer God of rot, trained Malenia; mastering his style gave her 'wings of unparalleled strength'.

Malenia's duel with Radahn during the Shattering ended how?

The Battle of Aeonia ended in a stalemate: Malenia unleashed the Scarlet Rot's bloom as a last resort, crippling Radahn and herself alike.

The player fights Malenia at the base of which holy tree created by Miquella?

Malenia is fought at the foot of the Haligtree, the sacred tree Miquella grew for the rot-afflicted; her rot spread through it while she slept.

What is left in Malenia's place after she is defeated?

Returning a needle to it can avert the Frenzied Flame ending.

Below what health must the patched Malenia be before she uses Waterfowl Dance?

The day-one patch made her first phase less aggressive.

Which incantation, a popular anti-Malenia tactic, was nerfed by a patch?

Swarm of Flies, the bleed incantation players spammed at Malenia, had its damage and bleed buildup reduced in a 2022 patch.

What did Bandai Namco and PureArts release for the expansion in 2024?

The 95-centimetre polyresin piece weighed 3 kilograms.

What was the fastest recorded Malenia kill as of April 2023?

It was set by community manager RS_Lionheart.

Which streamer beat Malenia using a dance pad instead of a controller?

MissMikkaa beat Malenia on a dance pad and later fought two Malenias at once, one per input; Perri Karyal used an EEG brain-reading device instead.

What creature beat Malenia's first phase via a camera tracking its position in a tank?

YouTuber PointCrow's fish Tortellini had a little help.

Whose questline ends with the Tarnished claiming the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince?

Fia, the Deathbed Companion, leads the Tarnished to the Prince of Death's throne beneath Deeproot Depths, where the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince is claimed.

Who voices Ranni the Witch?

Aimee-Ffion Edwards, known for Peaky Blinders and Detectorists, voices Ranni the Witch.

What is the name of the ending in which the player leaves as Ranni's royal consort?

The Age of the Stars ending has Ranni become a god and depart with the Tarnished as her consort, taking the Elden Ring's order beyond the Lands Between.

Which royal knight guards Ranni's Rise in Caria Manor?

Royal Knight Loretta is the boss at the far end of Caria Manor, whose grounds lead on to the Three Sisters and Ranni's Rise.

What weapon from Nokron, the Eternal City, must the player retrieve for Ranni?

The Fingerslayer Blade lies in Nokron's Night's Sacred Ground; Ranni needs it to kill her Two Fingers, and gives the Carian Inverted Statue in return.

What weapon does Ranni bestow when the player gives her a ring as her consort?

Ranni gives the Dark Moon Greatsword after the Tarnished places the Dark Moon Ring on her finger at the Cathedral of Manus Celes, ending her questline.

In Elden Ring, what happens if the player tries to turn Ranni the Witch into a puppet with Seluvis's Amber Draught?

She kills you both and leaves for your insolence, and the player must absolve their sins to gain her forgiveness.

Which Berserk character did Kotaku suggest inspired Ranni?

Berserk has commonly influenced Miyazaki's work.

Which Warrior Jar is first found stuck in the ground at Stormhill and asks for help?

Iron Fist Alexander, the Warrior Jar, is first found stuck in the ground at Stormhill; freed, he goes on to fight at the Radahn Festival and beside the Tarnished.

How many players had earned the reward sword for finishing Ranni's quest, per Bandai Namco?

More players got the Age of Stars ending than the default Elden Lord ending.

Rock Paper Shotgun compared Ranni's design to which fantasy wizard because of her large hat?

Her doll body has light-blue skin and a spectral second face.

What is the name of Radahn's personal army?

The Redmanes are Radahn's personal army, based at Redmane Castle; they hold the Radahn Festival to give their rot-maddened general an honourable death.

Which Elden Lord did the young Radahn admire and model himself on, adopting a lion motif?

The young Radahn idolised Godfrey, the first Elden Lord, adopting a lion motif in his honour; he wore his red hair proudly, unlike his father Radagon.

Under whom did Radahn study gravitational magic?

Radahn learned gravitational magic from an Alabaster Lord, a stone being said to have come from a fallen meteor, so that he could keep riding his beloved horse.

Which city did Radahn besiege and fail to take during the Shattering?

Radahn laid siege to Leyndell, the Royal Capital, during the Shattering but failed to take it; Morgott's defence held the city.

Which fight did Miyazaki name as his favourite boss battle in the game?

Miyazaki named the Radahn Festival battle, the first Radahn encounter, as his favourite boss fight for its spectacle of summoned allies and the general's meteoric dive.

Torrent has traits of which animal despite being called a horse?

Torrent has goat-like traits despite being called a horse: curled horns and a double jump that lets him stand on narrow ledges.

What item lets the player summon and dismiss Torrent instantly?

The Spectral Steed Whistle summons and dismisses Torrent instantly; Melina hands it over when the player accepts her bargain at the Gatefront site of grace.

What lets Torrent leap far higher than normal at fixed points in the overworld?

Spirit springs are updrafts marked by swirling wind at fixed spots; riding Torrent into one launches him far higher than his normal jump, reaching cliffs safely.

Torrent is described as the first what in the Soulsborne series?

Torrent is the first rideable mount in FromSoftware's Soulsborne games; Melina says he chose the Tarnished as his new master.

Dataminers found the game originally opened with the player meeting Melina and Torrent where?

The final game instead has the player wake up in a cave.

Which unused Torrent animation was reused for certain mounted enemy bosses?

It would have launched enemies into the air.

Hidetaka Miyazaki joined FromSoftware in 2004 to work on which series?

His first project was Armored Core: Last Raven.

In what year was Miyazaki promoted to president of FromSoftware?

Miyazaki became president in May 2014, after the success of Dark Souls, released in 2011.

For which US company did Miyazaki work as an account manager before joining FromSoftware?

He took the job to pay for his sister's college tuition.

What everyday experience inspired the Souls games' silent multiplayer systems?

Miyazaki never got to thank the strangers who helped.

In 2023, Miyazaki became only the second game developer named to which list?

Miyazaki was named to Time's 100 Most Influential People list in 2023, the first game developer on it since Shigeru Miyamoto in 2007.

Who presented Miyazaki with his 2018 Golden Joystick Lifetime Achievement Award?

Both were among his inspirations from gamebooks and tabletop gaming.

Which 2018 virtual reality game did Miyazaki direct before Sekiro?

Déraciné, a 2018 PlayStation VR adventure about a faerie in a boarding school, was directed by Miyazaki between Dark Souls III and Sekiro.

Who founded FromSoftware in 1986, originally as a business software developer?

He remains an adviser after Miyazaki became president.

FromSoftware's first mecha shooter series debuted in which year?

Armored Core, FromSoftware's first mecha series, debuted on the PlayStation in 1997, by which point the studio had shipped three King's Field games.

Which A24 film chief did Alex Garland impress by privately describing his Elden Ring playthrough?

Garland then wrote a 160-page spec script with forty pages of imagery, and Sacco flew him to Japan to sign with FromSoftware.

Besides Scotland, filming for the Elden Ring movie in 2026 used castles and a slate quarry in which region?

Dinorwic quarry, Dolbadarn Castle and Conwy Castle featured, with further scenes planned in Iceland.

Hidetaka Miyazaki took his job at Oracle partly to pay for what?

A friend's recommendation to play Ico in 2001 then prompted the Keio social-science graduate to switch careers.

Why did Miyazaki feel free to take full control of the project that became Demon's Souls?

Further failed ideas could not hurt a project already written off, which let him reshape it into the first Souls game.

What childhood habit did Miyazaki cite as a major influence on his design philosophy?

Borrowing library books beyond his reading level, he used the illustrations and his imagination to fill in the blanks.

Which console maker approached FromSoftware in 2012, leading to the creation of Bloodborne?

Sony approached FromSoftware in 2012 about an eighth-generation console project, and the PS4 exclusive Bloodborne grew from that conversation.

How many copies had Shadow of the Erdtree sold by July 2025?

Five million of those came in the first three days of release in June 2024.

What Metacritic scores did the Windows and Xbox Series X versions of Shadow of the Erdtree receive?

The PS5 version landed at 94; GameSpot's Tamoor Hussain gave it a perfect 10.

On what date did Bandai Namco register the 'Nightreign' trademark, weeks before its reveal?

The co-op spin-off was revealed at The Game Awards 2024 and released on May 30, 2025.

What are the individual storylines for each of Nightreign's eight Nightfarers called?

Completing certain Remembrances unlocks different endings, such as Ironeye's Endless Night or Wylder's New Night.

Which Dark Souls III boss joined Nightreign's night-boss roster in The Forsaken Hollows DLC?

The December 2025 update also added Artorias from Dark Souls and the Divine Beast Dancing Lion from Shadow of the Erdtree.

What share of critics recommended Nightreign according to OpenCritic?

IGN liked it but missed an in-game journal; the game still topped the May 2025 sales charts on all platforms.

Where did Elden Ring rank among 2022's best-selling games at Japanese retail?

It was second in the US behind Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and third in Europe, and is Bandai Namco's fastest seller ever.