Elden Ring will have six main hubs, extra areas, and a Firelink Shrine-like connector

The extra areas intrigue me the most

Out of nowhere, amid a fairly uneventful E3, we got word that Elden Ring was coming in just seven short months, and we were treated to a heap of gameplay for the first time. It’s a shocker! I’m still reeling from it. Now thanks to a new IGN interview with Hidetaka Miyazaki, we have an idea of just how expansive Elden Ring is going to be.

Interestingly, Miyazaki is framing Elden Ring similarly to the rest of the Souls series in that it’s open world, but it will take a distinctly different tact. Now there are six regions, all of which are connected to the main map. Each area will host a protector/main boss, and sport its own dungeon-like layout. Miyazaki even teases that there is an “order” he has in mind for players to actually tackle these, but you aren’t bound to it. There’s even a tease of a Firelink Shrine connector zone that will be accessible “later in the game.”

The best part? The main world map will have extra areas that aren’t even necessarily tied to each hub. So it’s still going to feel like a proper Souls game, with a huge focus on exploration. In short, Miyazaki seems to be marrying the zone-by-zone concept of Demon’s Souls with the rest of the series proper. On paper, it sounds like the perfect union.

Granular details on Elden Ring are still sparse, but it’s probably for the best. The trailer was more than enough for most Souls fans, who will no doubt relish the chance to jump into Elden Ring completely blind. I know I am!