Hidetaka Miyazaki’s Five Key Insights for the Director of Elden Ring: Nightreign Perfectly Capture His Own Philosophy

Hidetaka Miyazaki, the visionary behind Elden Ring, is stepping aside for the latest spin-off, Nightreign. But he didn’t miss the chance to offer some valuable insights to its director.

For quite some time, Miyazaki has been the face of FromSoftware, but things are shifting. We saw it happen with last year’s Armored Core 6 and now, with the upcoming co-op focused Nightreign, we’re witnessing another change. Helming this project is Junya Ishizaki, a familiar face in the Souls series realm, having been part of FromSoftware since the initial Dark Souls. While chatting with PC Gamer, Ishizaki opened up about his journey to this role and the sage advice Miyazaki imparted. “Miyazaki-san was the one who suggested I step up as a director,” Ishizaki revealed.

Ishizaki elaborated that Miyazaki had told him it was “about time you try yourself” with directing, which perfectly aligned with some concepts Ishizaki had been mulling over. After presenting these ideas, they received a nod from Miyazaki himself. Reflecting on any specific guidance he received, Ishizaki recalled, “The thing that really left an impression was when he said, ‘do it as you please,’ for this project,” a statement he found incredibly encouraging.

These five words encapsulate Miyazaki’s game design philosophy well. His games often brim with creativity, yet they manage to maintain a delicate balance. It’s fascinating how an artist, when given the freedom to explore their vision, can create such compelling experiences.

Nightreign is poised for a 2025 release on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. As you wait, consider signing up for the network test slated for 2025. Keep a lookout on January 10 for sign-up details on Bandai Namco and FromSoftware’s social media channels.