Xbox E3 2019 Conference Confirms Elden Ring--From Software & George RR Martin's New Game

As E3 2019 gets closer, the leaks just keep coming. The latest is a big one, cutting off what could have been a major surprise during Sunday's Xbox press conference. A new report allegedly confirms the rumored collaboration between From Software (Dark Souls, Sekiro) and George RR Martin, the author of the Song of Ice and Fire series upon which Game of Thrones is based. This new leak suggests the game is called Elden Ring, and the first artwork from it has been published online. Here's what we know before its official announcement.

• Elden Ring gameplay trailer

[Update: Just as we thought might be the case, the Microsoft conference was home to the Elden Ring announcement. We got a look at a cinematic trailer--which you can watch above--but no real hard details on what kind of game this is, how it plays, or generally what its gameplay consists of. Still, it's an exciting reveal for what was an event jam-packed with news. Somehow, this wasn't the biggest announcements, thanks to the reveal of the new Xbox, Scarlett.]

According to Daniel "ZhugeEX" Ahmed, who maintains a reputation for reliably confirming leaked information prior to its official confirmation, Elden Ring is a "new world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R. R. Martin" that is coming to Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Miyazaki is best known for his work as president of From Software, where he's developed Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro.

While details on what the game will consist of were not leaked, we do have a leaked image of what appears to be a teaser or key art. Take a look below.

Earlier rumors involving Elden Ring (previously identified as GR or Great Rune) described the game as an open-world experience where you explore various kingdoms. Killing the rulers behind each kingdom allows you to unlock their abilities or supernatural powers.

The above image supports this rumor by depicting one giant ring of light encompassing several smaller rings, which looks a lot like one circular crown surrounding several smaller ones. There appears to be a pool of energy at the top of the image that drips down in a straight line to the larger ring, perhaps even drawing additional energy from the smaller rings it must pass through. Perhaps Elden Ring sees your hero drawing power from some mysterious source, only to amplify that power in different ways from the other rulers. Although this is speculation on our part, it would certainly fit with From Software's storytelling, as a similar backstory is used for Dark Souls III's High Lord Wolnir--a king who traveled the lands and drew power from the kingdoms he ground into dust.

The rumors state that Elden Ring has been in development for three years, making it one of the two games From Software began working on after Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The game is supposedly being officially revealed during Microsoft's E3 2019 press conference, where the company is rumored to debut the next-generation Xbox console and fourth Fable game as well. We'll know for sure on Sunday.

This Elden Ring leak was one of several rapid-fire leaks involving publisher Bandai Namco. In a short span of time, we also learned of a Ni no Kuni remaster and the next Tales of game, Tales of Arise.