Elden Ring’s Release Was “Not A Pleasant Time”, Says Hidetaka Miyazaki

In a recent interview featured in the latest issue of Famitsu magazine, Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki talked about his mental state during the time of the game’s launch. During the interview, Miyazaki also talked about the influences of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice on the studio’s latest release.

Miyazaki said that the launch of Elden Ring wasn’t a pleasant time for him, much like the case with every other game that he has directed in the past. He says that while he feels relieved when the game development reaches the finish line, but it also comes with a healthy amount of anxiety.

“It’s the same for all past titles, not just this one, but it’s not a very pleasant time,” he said (as transcribed by VGC). “I’m sure I’m relieved, but I’m more anxious about it. I never get used to it.”

Miyazaki also talked about how Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Elden Ring were in parallel production, so while the 2019 release affected the development of Elden Ring’s mechanics – the feedback wasn’t as direct as would be the case with a proper sequel.

“Since this work and the production of Sekiro were in parallel, there was not much direct feedback from Sekiro,” he says. “However, since I directed both, it is certain that they influenced each other.”

Suffice to say, Elden Ring has been a smash hit on both a critical and commercial level. It’s easily one of the most highly-rated games of 2022 on Metacritic. According to NPD sales figures, its the best selling game of 2022 so far.