Over 120,000 fans cast ballots in a community-wide poll, with pirate-themed souls-like emerging as the runaway favorite for FromSoftware's mysterious next project.
Since Hidetaka Miyazaki confirmed that FromSoftware is developing a brand-new unannounced IP outside of Elden Ring and The Duskbloods, the community has been buzzing with speculation. Now, a massive fan poll conducted across Reddit's r/EldenRing and r/fromsoftware has revealed the top choices for what direction fans most want to see the studio take — and the results are surprising.
The poll, which garnered over 120,000 responses in just 48 hours, places a pirate-themed souls-like at the top with 34% of the vote. The concept of navigating treacherous archipelagos, boarding enemy galleons, and exploring sunken ruins with signature FromSoftware combat has captured the imagination of the community like nothing else. Fan art depicting a "Sea-Cursed" protagonist wielding a cutlass against eldritch sea creatures has been circulating widely on social media.
Coming in second at 22% is a sci-fi horror souls-like, a concept that Miyazaki himself has vaguely hinted at in past interviews. Fans envision a cosmic horror setting reminiscent of Bloodborne but set in the cold vacuum of space, with derelict space stations and alien biomes replacing gothic cathedrals. "FromSoftware's environmental storytelling would be incredible in zero-G environments," one top-voted comment reads.
Third place at 18% went to a feudal Japan setting — a direction many had assumed FromSoftware would explore after the success of Sekiro, though Miyazaki stated previously that Sekiro was a complete story. Still, the community's appetite for more Japanese-historical souls-like combat remains strong. Arthurian dark fantasy (14%) and a Lovecraftian detective thriller (12%) rounded out the top five.
It's worth noting that whatever Miyazaki and his team are actually working on was already in development long before this poll. The jig is likely already up at the FromSoftware offices, with the core direction locked in. Nevertheless, the overwhelming enthusiasm for a pirate-themed souls-like has not gone unnoticed — industry insiders suggest that even if this isn't the current project, it's a concept that Bandai Namco and Kadokawa would certainly consider for a future title.
For now, the Elden Ring community's attention remains split between The Duskbloods (due for a summer closed beta) and the tantalizing mystery of FromSoftware's unannounced new world. One thing is certain: whatever Miyazaki is cooking, the hype train has officially left the station.