Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is incredible. But despite some glowing reviews and high praise from the very dedicated and very particular fanbase, it feels like the mech shooter’s revival didn’t quite make the larger splash some had hoped for. Not to worry, though: Elden Ring director and FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki seems to believe there are still more Armored Core stories to tell.
While the latest fast-paced sci-fi shooter in the long-running series helped bring some of the worldbuilding and boss design from Dark Souls and Sekiro into the mix, Armored Core VI didn’t quite break out into the mainstream the way other, previously more niche series like Persona have. Even so, Miyazaki inidcated in a recent interview he’s still proud of the game.
“The Armored Core series is very important to FromSoftware,” Miyazaki told IGN Japan, according to a translation by FandomWire (via Gamesradar). “We have a strong will to continue it in the future. I believe Armored Core 6 was a success.” The creator, who assisted with the direction and early planning of the game, said not everything was perfect, suggesting the team wants to continue building on its new direction. “There is still room for improvement, so I have no intention of stopping there,” he apparently added.
This might seem obvious to some, but Armored Core fans know all too well what it’s like to watch one of their favorite franchises get shelved and forgotten about. Verdict Day, a direct sequel to Armored Core V on the Xbox 360, came out in 2013. It ended up being 10 long years before the series returned, as FromSoftware shifted its attention to Dark Souls and mastering a new formula for action RPGs. It’s not impossible to imagine Armored Core VI being a one-off and the team turning back to the Soulsborne formula or a completely new IP.
Fortunately, it doesn’t sound like that’s what Miyazaki has in mind. In the meantime, Elden Ring’s long-awaited DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, is out next month. The director has already said there’s no plans for an Elden Ring 2 or another expansion, so whatever’s immediately next for FromSoftware could end up being something entirely new.