Developer FromSoftware may have built its reputation on 2011 game Dark Souls' black rocks and unsparing fortresses, but Elden Ring is what exalted FromSoftware's status to the stars: the action RPG has recently outsold the entire Dark Souls series by about 2 million copies.
"Fun fact: the entire Dark Souls series had sold 27 million units combined prior to Elden Ring's release," video game market researcher Daniel Ahmad wrote on Twitter. "Now, Elden Ring alone has surpassed that total."
In a press release, FromSoftware reveals that Elden Ring has sold over 28.6 million copies since coming out in 2022. But if that isn't enough to convince you of Elden Ring's astronomical popularity, FromSoftware also discloses that the dark fantasy game's Shadow of the Erdtree expansion sold more than five million copies in only its first three days on the market this summer.
So, yeah, Elden Ring is kind of a big deal. We saw that coming. To put its sales in perspective, Dark Souls is a decades-old franchise with three main games and six DLCs, and it only reached its current number of 37 million units sold (according to a 2024 Bandai Namco fact sheet) after Elden Ring helped make its bloody style and rusty swords seem more appealing.
And Elden Ring shows no signs of giving up its current status as FromSoftware's bright and polished good luck charm. The new co-op spinoff title Elden Ring Nightreign — due in 2025 — seems likely to diversify its fanbase even further, drawing in both old and new players with more eldritch monsters and seamlessly collaborative gameplay, something unique to the developer that specializes in brutal single-player experiences.
