Elden Ring: Nightreign – The Forsaken Hollows Director Acknowledges Studio’s Swamp Obsession

by

FromSoftware, the developer behind games like Demon’s Souls (released in 2009 on PS3), has become well-known for its frequent use of swamp areas. This has even become a running joke among fans, as swamps have appeared in many of their subsequent titles, including the Dark Souls series, Elden Ring, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

The highly anticipated DLC for Elden Ring, called The Forsaken Hollow, is adding swamps to the game, continuing a long-running joke among players. In a recent GameSpot interview, director Junya Ishizaki addressed the meme that FromSoftware games always include swamp areas, admitting it’s become a popular and somewhat self-fulfilling expectation.

Ishizaki acknowledged the running joke about swamps appearing in their work. He explained there’s no official rule requiring them, but somehow, a swamp often ends up included before anyone even notices, and then it just naturally develops from there.

It’s funny, right? Everyone always jokes about FromSoftware games having swamps, and Elden Ring originally didn’t! But with the new Forsaken Hollow DLC, we’re finally getting one. Apparently, there’s no official rule that every game has to have a swamp, but it feels like one always ends up in there somehow. It’s become a bit of a tradition at FromSoftware, I guess!

I realize now that the original Nightreign game didn’t include a swamp, so adding it later with the downloadable content makes sense. It just seems like our games always end up having one, even though we don’t specifically plan for it. It’s just a recurring pattern.

FromSoftware games consistently include swamps, starting with Demon’s Souls, but each one is distinct. The swamp in Elden Ring, Caelid, is particularly perilous and deeply connected to the game’s story. In contrast, Dark Souls featured Blighttown, an entire civilization constructed within the walls of a towering, vertical swamp.

Last month, the upcoming expansion for Elden Ring, titled Elden Ring: Nightreign – The Forsaken Hollow, was revealed. It will add a wealth of new content, including two new characters you can play as: the Scholar and the Undertaker. The DLC will also introduce changes to the game’s world, featuring a dynamic new effect called The Great Hollow which alters the landscape. Players can also look forward to challenging new boss battles.

Read More

2025-12-03 17:12