The Elden Ring IP was previously co-owned by both developer From Software and publisher Bandai Namco. However, a new trademark filing for the US reveals that From Software is now the sole owner of the IP. Transition of ownership potentially happened back in April 2023, though Bandai Namco has been quiet about it for some reason.
From Software has yet to officially make a statement about being the sole owner of the Elden Ring IP, though we suspect the transition happened after Sony and Tencent invested heavily in the developer and its parent company, Kadokawa Corporation, back in August 2022. It seems like Bandai Namco still retains publisher rights to the IP but it’s no longer a co-owner.
This should also be great news for fans who feared Tencent’s plans to reportedly develop an Elden Ring mobile game largely inspired by Genshin Impact. From Software is quite protective over its intellectual properties and we doubt that it would follow through with a gacha mobile version of its biggest title, though stranger things have happened. As mentioned before, the developer hasn’t released an official statement on the matter but we should expect an update sooner rather than later.
Yesterday, Bandai Namco released its earnings report which showed a decline in profits from its gaming business. As a result, the publisher is now focusing on the quality of its game development over quantity.
In other Elden Ring news, we still don’t have a release date for the game’s major expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree. From Software stated earlier this week that it was still “working hard” on the DLC but didn’t have any positive news to share yet.
Beyond that, From Software began recruiting devs for multiple new projects last October, suggesting that the studio is working on several unannounced titles at the moment. It’s possible that, with the exception of Dark Souls and Armored Core, some of these are new IP as the developer doesn’t typically create sequels to its projects.
Elden Ring is available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Source: Reddit
