Fans of FromSoftware’sDark Soulsgames are speculating about a mysteriousPlayStationplaytest recently held in the UK. No details were shared about the game beyond that its playtest was advertised to fans of the “Soulsborne” subgenre of action RPGs and thatPlayStation UKhosted the event. Given the enthusiasm of Soulslike fans, it’s perhaps unsurprising to hear that speculation has run wild. Predictions includeNiohdeveloper Team Ninja’s next gameRise of the Ronin, Bluepoint Games' next project, and even a new FromSoftware game.
Publicly advertised playtests for major game releases, particularly PlayStation releases, are rare. That doesn’t mean that they don’t happen, however. In 2022, a PlayStation playtest was advertised for a virtual reality racing game. That playtest is believed to have been forGran Turismo 7’s VR update. Japanese studio Polyphony Digital developedGran Turismo 7, and while it does have studios in the US and the Netherlands, a UK playtest for the game was a major surprise.
News that a new PlayStation-hosted playtest was held between October 10 and October 13 understandably stirred up a lot of excitement and speculation. But, like with theGran Turismo 7 VRplaytest, exactly what game is being playtested remains a complete mystery. The only clue is that the playtest was advertised for “Soulsborne Fans” and featured an image with thebox art forElden Ring,Dark Souls 3,Bloodborne, andWo Long.
Wo Long’s inclusion in the list is what’s led to the most focused of speculation.Wo Longis a recent Soulslike release from Team Ninja, and while it reviewed decently well it’s hardly a game looked at as a key example of the genre. As such, some believe its inclusion indicates the playtest might be forTeam Ninja’s next gameRise of the Ronin.Rise of the Roninis being published by Sony for release on PS5 in 2024. It was only recently announced during a September PlayStation State of Play event.
There are certainly other possibilities for what the playtest could be. PlayStation’s fans would love for a sequel toBloodborneto be announced, which Sony owns the rights to. Bluepoint Games' next release after thePS5 launch’sDemon’s Soulsremakeis also a mystery. There’s also FromSoftware’s next game to be considered, as well. All of these possibilities may be wishful thinking, however.
All this speculation might be for naught, however. There are any number of Soulslike games being developed at a given time, from a variety of exciting developers. It may not beRise of the Ronin, which isn’t necessarily aSouls-like game anyway. It may not be aFromSoftware gameor anything related to its past releases. Still, Soulslike fans onPlayStationhave a mystery worth looking forward to, to be revealed in the hopefully not-so-distant future.
