Rumor has it that Elden Ring may get a free mobile version in the future

Elden Ring could be getting a free mobile version according to a rumor it posted Reuters. The agency's journalist, Josh Ye, claims to have heard from three sources involved in the development of a mobile version by Tencent, a Chinese company that owns 16.25% of From Software's Elden Ring. According to sources, development is slow, but the company aims to achieve a balance between gameplay and payment similar to what was achieved by Genshin Impact, a mobile success that has already raised R$25 billion.

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Software's open-world RPG hit the big time in 2022 by bringing the popular Dark Souls Action RPG formula to a massive open world. In the same year, Tencent acquired the rights to the franchise, and reportedly began developing a mobile version, possibly for Android and iPhone (iOS), with a small team. The company aims to make the game available for free in exchange for microtransactions, which typically provide in-game benefits, whether temporary or permanent.

According to the information, one of the reasons for the slow development is the conflict between the design of Elden Ring as a complete, complete game that the user gets when paying once and the monetization model that Tencent desires. Tencent has already been responsible for several successful mods such as PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Mobile (PUBG Mobile), League of Legends: Wild Rift (LoL Mobile) and Call of Duty Mobile, but the company has not had much success with its releases recently.

In May 2023, Tencent shut down its version of Apex Legends Mobile in partnership with Electronic Arts, just weeks before completing one year of the game. Rumors also suggest that the company has wrapped up internal development in December 2023 for a mobile game in the Nier saga, known for current titles like Nier Replicant and Nier: Automata.

Meanwhile, outside of Tencent's jurisdiction, fans are still waiting on consoles and PC for news from software and game publisher Namco Bandai about a potential release date for DLC: Shadow of the Erdtree. Announced in February 2023, the expansion will focus on one of the game's biggest mysteries: Mikaela, Malenia's twin brother. However, no further details were provided about the story or gameplay.

With information from Reuters, Ars Technica, History of video games, Kotaku, IGN, the edge, Eurogamer