With games like the Resident Evil 4 remake and Death Stranding becoming playable on iPhones, it seems like just about anything can be a mobile game these days. Even Elden Ring, developer FromSoftware’s 2022 open-world RPG, could be coming to phones. At least that’s according to a recent report from news outlet Reuters, with three sources sharing information on a planned mobile version of Elden Ring in development at Tencent Holdings.
Kotaku has reached out to Tencent for comment.
According to the Reuters report from Josh Ye, three sources familiar with the matter spoke about Tencent’s in-development Elden Ring mobile version. The company acquired the game’s licensing rights in 2022 and, according to Reuters, began work on the mobile version with a small development team. However, the project’s progress has been slow. The biggest issue during development appears to be a clash between the fundamental design of Elden Ring and Tencent’s goals with a mobile version of the game. The original Elden Ring is a complete experience designed as a one-time purchase, but sources tell Reuters that Tencent’s planned monetization model will resemble that of the hit game Genshin Impact, which is free-to-play but pulls in billions through in-app purchases.
Tencent is one of the largest gaming companies in the world and is known for its ownership of Riot Games as well as a large investment portfolio that includes stakes in Epic Games, Ubisoft, and Activision Blizzard,to name a few. News of the company’s attempts at an Elden Ring mobile version comes only days after news broke that the company had canceled a mobile game based on the NieR franchise in December 2023. Tencent appears to be struggling to find its next hit as the gaming branch of the company faces troubles. “We have found ourselves at a loss, as our competitors continue to produce new products,” Tencent CEO Pony Ma said during a speech at the end of January, “leaving us feeling [as if we have] achieved nothing. ”
