China’s Tencent Holdings (0700.HK), opens new tab, has been attempting to adapt the acclaimed action role-playing console game “Elden Ring” into a mobile version, according to three individuals familiar with the matter, as it seeks a new hit to replenish its aging game library.
The world’s largest gaming firm by revenue acquired the game’s license rights from FromSoftware in 2022 and formed a team of a few dozen people to work on a prototype, the same year it purchased a 16% share in the Japanese game producer, according to the sources. However, progress has been gradual, they added.
Tencent did not reveal any plans to create a mobile version of the game at the time. “Elden Ring” is an action game in which players face mythical monsters in a fantasy realm, co-developed by “Game of Thrones” author George R. R. Martin and renowned game designer Hidetaka Miyazaki.
The game, which was published in 2022 for $60, sold around 20 million copies in its first year, making it the world’s second best-selling game that year. Its supporters include billionaire Elon Musk.
While “Elden Ring” originally supposed to be a premium game with a predetermined price, Tencent intends to turn it a free-to-play game with in-app purchases, similar to the hit game “Genshin Impact” developed by its Chinese rival miHoYo, according to the sources.
However, the design of “Elden Ring,” which emphasizes on a full experience after a single purchase, is incompatible with Tencent’s intended model.
Tencent and FromSoftware did not respond to our requests for comment. The sources declined to be named since they were not permitted to communicate with the media.
