The Dark Souls Franchise is a Major Success With Over 25 Million Units Shipped

If it wasn’t already abundantly clear, FromSoftware and publisher Bandai Namco struck gold with the Dark Souls series. Since Dark Souls‘ original 2011 launch, the franchise’s success continues to outperform expectations. This is most notably evident in sales data. According to FromSoftware, the beloved action-RPG series has shipped over 25 million copies worldwide. As noted in a recent press release, this incredible figure also takes digital sales through Steam into account.

The developer announced the news in a press release, which also shared information about the newly announced Elden Ring. Make no mistake, 25 million units shipped is wildly impressive, particularly for a niche franchise made by a Japanese studio. And there are only a handful of titles that feature within the series itself–Dark Souls, Dark Souls II, Dark Souls III, and Dark Souls Remastered.

For comparison’s sake, the Tales of series, another Bandai Namco-published gem, sold 20 million units worldwide as of May 2019. It’s worth noting the Tales of franchise has consistently released new entries since its 1995 debut with Tales of Phantasia. Now fans await the launch of Tales of Arise in 2020.

While FromSoftware is taking an indefinite hiatus from the franchise, the studio continues to deliver experiences Souls fans can appreciate. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which enjoys remarkable success in its own right, certainly represents one example. Elden Ring seems indicative of another. Following weeks of speculation, FromSoftware unveiled Elden Ring as a collaboration with fantasy author George R.R. Martin. The author’s role boils down to his crafting the mythos that allows the mysterious world of Elden Ring to function. When more information will surface remains to be seen; however, this new title is said to be FromSoftware’s “biggest yet.”

Fans can enjoy Dark Souls and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice at leisure, but Elden Ring seems as though it won’t be availble for quite some time. Presently, a potential release date remains under wraps.

[Source: FromSoftware]