FromSoftware has become synonymous with a very particular style of games now, but while Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and the upcoming Elden Ring are very much the biggest names under the studio’s belt, fans haven’t forgotten that for the longest time, mech action series Armored Core was its bread and butter. Over the years, FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki has said on multiple occasions that a new game in the mech series is in the works, but one has never actually materialized. That, however, could soon change.
Recently, a ResetEra user claimed to have received a consumer survey about a new mainline Armored Core game that featured two screenshots, a couple of gameplay clips, and text descriptions of some key details on the game. As per those descriptions (which you can read in full in the screenshots below), the game will be set in a sci-fi world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki (who, in case you’ve somehow forgotten, directed Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls, Dark Souls 3, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and the upcoming Elden Ring– in addition to Armored Core 4 before all of that).
The story seems to focus on “an unknown substance” called Melange that can “dramatically advance human society”- though it seems it also has destructive effects. Long ago, Melange “caused a cosmic catastrophe” that destroyed the planet of Bashtar, as well as the surrounding star systems. Now, with Melange activity being reported on the planet once again, competing factions are rushing to Bashtar’s remains, including governments, cults, mercenaries, and corporations.
The details make mention of extensive customization, “dynamic” third person shooter combat, and melee combat with blades and shields- and, of course, “an overwhelming sense of scale that only mecha can provide.” It seems that there’s an added emphasis on build variety, with the alleged survey boasting “a higher degree of customization”, while a larger map is also mentioned.
Of course, these are all unverified details, so until such time something is officially confirmed by either FromSoftware or series publisher Bandai Namco, it’s best to take this with a grain of salt. That said, it has been ten years since the last mainline game in the series launched, so an Armored Core 6 is long overdue at this point. Here’s hoping we hear something about it in the not-too-distant future. Until then, stay tuned for more update.