Elden Ring accomplished something that many longtime FromSoftware fans never thought possible: it brought brutally difficult Soulslike gameplay decisively into the mainstream. While Elden Ring's cultural significance perhaps could have been predicted given the growing popularity of FromSoftware's titles in the wake of Demon's Souls, the mammoth reach and influence of the landmark title was indeed a surprise.

It's hard to pinpoint exactly why Elden Ring achieved the widespread success that it did, surpassing the likes of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Dark Souls 3 before it, but one can make a few educated guesses.

For one thing, the massive scale of Elden Ring's open world, supported by FromSoftware's clever environment design that facilitates exploration, made it a compelling prospect for new audiences; its reputation in popular culture was defined by more than its intimidating difficulty. This sort of accessibility allowed Elden Ring to be far more inviting, welcoming new players into the fold while still being faithful to what returning fans had grown accustomed to.

With such popularity, Elden Ring would be perfect for a "Return To" event, but its very selling point could be a hindrance in this regard.

An Elden Ring 'Return to the Lands Between' Event Might Be Tricky

Understanding the 'Return To' Events in FromSoftware's Games

FromSoftware games take a unique approach to multiplayer: players can summon each other to assist with boss fights or to engage in PvP battles, but they can also leave behind notes through an intentionally obtuse messaging system.

This combination of real-time and asynchronous multiplayer lends itself to a strong sense of community, as it's easy for players to feel like they are fighting alongside kindred spirits, facing the same challenges and uncovering the same story beats.

However, this sense of community can dwindle once the afterglow of each game's initial release hype ends, which prompts "Return To" events, usually around the anniversary of the relevant FromSoftware game.

Examples of this would be:

• Bloodborne: Return to Yharnam
• Dark Souls: Return to Lordran
• Dark Souls 2: Return to Drangleic

These community-organized events are both a celebration of the original games and a revitalization of their multiplayer components, helping create a boom in PvP matchmaking and messages, which can be a nice trip down memory lane.

One would only assume a similar annual event will eventually be hosted in FromSoftware's best-selling game.

Elden Ring's Massive Size Could Negatively Impact an Anniversary Event

During, say, Bloodborne's Return to Yharnam event, players can expect to find a number of notes, both helpful and hilarious, along the linear path through the game's main story.

Since everyone is having mostly the same experience, visiting certain locations and fighting bosses in more or less the same order, the aforementioned sense of community is strong and consistent for everyone. But Elden Ring is huge and non-linear, doubly so after the addition of Shadow of the Erdtree's massive new map, which makes this sort of universal experience virtually impossible to recreate.

In other words, Elden Ring might just be too long, wide, and deep to host the same kind of "Return To" events as its predecessors.

On the other hand, the unprecedented popularity of Elden Ring could make its scale a relative factor for future "Return To" celebrations. If millions of players go back to The Lands Between at the same time, rather than thousands, then the game could still be densely repopulated with notes and PvP opportunities, with enough natural variation for everyone to experience something new.

It might not be exactly the same as the anniversary events of previous FromSoftware games, but it could be just as enjoyable, just in a different way.