
Each new entry in this collection introduced new mechanics and represented a more polished version of the game that came before it. Gamers have watched FromSoftware honing its craft gradually for over a decade, from the initial 2009 release of Demon's Souls through Dark Souls and its two sequels, then with Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. For long-standing fans of the Souls series, though, and probably for FromSoftware itself, the game's success likely didn't come as too much of a shock. Universally praised for its immersive open world, purposeful and engaging combat, and the depth of its build variety, the game surpassed all expectations. As of August 2022, the game had sold almost 16 million copies worldwide. The success of Elden Ring took the industry by surprise. RELATED: Rise of the Ronin's Potential Setting Explained Rise of the Ronin Could be Team Ninja's Elden Ring While those who have played the demo version of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty have been quick to point out the similarities to Nioh and its sequel, Rise of the Ronin seems to be much grander in scale, and from what Team Ninja has revealed so far, it represents more of a significant step forward. With its robust, tight combat and its steep but rewarding difficulty curve, many fans have been hoping for a third installment. The Nioh Series is incredibly popular, with gamers and critics often declaring it to be the best soulslike on the market. In many ways, it echoes Elden Ring's evolutionary progression when compared to FromSoftware's earlier Dark Souls games. This open-world action-RPG looks to be the next evolution of Team Ninja's Nioh series, in terms of the scope and scale of the project.

As if this wasn't enough though, September's State of Play event revealed the developer has yet another project in the pipeline: Rise of the Ronin.

The game already looks to be in the late stages of development, backed up by the fact that Team Ninja released a time-limited playable demo on September 16. After releasing Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin back in March, it then announced its next project, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, at the Xbox/Bethesda Showcase in June. Team Ninja has been an incredibly busy developer this year.
