'Armored Core VI' won't be a Souls game with mechs

With the success of Souls games like Dark Souls III and Elden Ring, you'd think FromSoftware would incorporate some of the gameplay into other titles... right? Not so. From president Hidetaka Miyazaki told IGN in an interview that there's no "conscious effort" to add Souls-style elements to Armored Core VI. Instead, the studio is eager to to stick what makes the Armored Core series "special" — that is, creating a custom mech and taking it into battle. There will still be a mission-driven structure, even if there are elements of exploration.

The new title is a "reboot" will take advantage of greatly expanded resources to build the game From "wanted to make," Miyazaki said. The team's Masaru Yamamura added that there will be a "fresh new story,"but that the game will remain challenging. While you'll find a versus multiplayer mode like in earlier Armored Core projects, details of that are under wraps for now.

Armored Core VI is due in 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. It will be the first mainline game in the franchise since 2012. After its announcement at The Game Awards, creators like VaatiVidya speculated that the new battler would effectively be a Souls game with mechs. That's clearly not happening, then.

Whether or not it's a good strategy is another matter. Armored Core V had a mixed reception — this won't be the follow-up to a much-loved predecessor like Bloodborne or the Dark Souls series. A lot has changed at From over the course of a decade, mind you, so it won't be surprising if VI reflects some lessons learned.