How Elden Ring’s success is reshaping the Souls community’s identity and welcoming new players into the fold.
The Reputation vs. Reality of Souls Players
Elden Ring’s unprecedented launch has drawn a tidal wave of fresh faces into FromSoftware’s demanding world. This raises a pivotal question: how is the veteran Dark Souls community handling this massive influx?
For years, fans of the Soulsborne series (encompassing Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls, and Bloodborne) have been caricatured as a gruff, elitist bunch. Newcomers voicing frustration over the notorious difficulty were often met with the infamous, misspelled retort: “Git Gud.” This phrase became a symbol of a perceived lack of patience.
Elden Ring’s ascent to Game of the Year contender status has thrust developers FromSoftware and Bandai Namco into the mainstream spotlight. Consequently, more people are experiencing the punishing yet rewarding gameplay of a FromSoft title than ever before. This creates a unique cultural moment where a dedicated, niche community meets a massive, curious audience.
Common Mistake to Avoid: Don’t assume the entire community matches the “git gud” stereotype. This dismissive attitude is often the loudest minority, not the supportive majority. Engaging with the community respectfully will yield far better results than complaining about difficulty in general forums.
The Core Appeal: Why Souls Games Inspire Dedication
To grasp the community’s passion, one must understand the roots of these games. For many veterans, this journey began with 2009’s Demon’s Souls—a title Sony initially deemed a commercial failure—or its spiritual successor, Dark Souls, in 2011. These weren’t blockbuster launches; they grew through word-of-mouth, online forums, and critical acclaim into revered cult classics.
The Soulsborne formula taps into a potent sense of nostalgia. It recalls an era where video games, whether by technical limitation or design intent, demanded persistence and skill. There were no quest markers holding your hand or difficulty sliders to ease the pain. Victory was earned, not given. Elden Ring continues this tradition, offering a vast, opaque world where discovery and mastery are the primary rewards.
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The addiction forms in the struggle itself. It’s the thrill of solving a brutal boss pattern through observation and adaptation, often without external guides. Progress is gated not by levels, but by personal improvement. “Git gud,” while blunt, encapsulates this core truth: advancement requires you to learn, adapt, and genuinely improve your skills.
Practical Tip: Embrace the learning curve. Instead of rushing to overpower a boss, spend a few attempts studying its attack animations and patterns. Most Soulsborne bosses have clear ‘tell’ animations before major attacks. This ‘observation phase’ is a crucial strategy veterans use instinctively.
Community in Action: How Veterans Are Helping Newcomers
While gatekeepers exist in any fandom, they do not represent the majority. Elden Ring is proving the community’s heart is largely supportive. A glance at the bustling Elden Ring subreddit or various Discord servers reveals veterans actively guiding lost Tarnished through The Lands Between.
Help manifests in myriad forms: cryptic but sage world navigation advice, detailed breakdowns of boss mechanics, or sharing powerful early-game weapon locations. More direct support comes through the co-op system, where experienced players leave their summon signs to help others defeat daunting foes.
The guidance is rarely prescriptive. It’s more often suggestive: “Have you tried exploring the weeping peninsula to the south?” or “A blunt weapon works wonders on that enemy.” This preserves the sense of discovery while providing a nudge in the right direction. Veterans often bond with newcomers by sharing their own past humiliations—times they were crushed by Margit’s hammer or incinerated by Agheel’s flame.
This ethos is formalized in “Jolly Cooperation” groups, particularly on platforms like Facebook. Here, any player can request aid, and often within minutes, a volunteer appears for a co-op session. These dedicated support networks exist for every title in the series, now including Elden Ring.
Optimization Tip for Advanced Players: When engaging in ‘Jolly Co-op’ as a helper, consider tailoring your build to support rather than dominate. Using spells like “Great Heal” or weapons with buffing abilities (like the Golden Order Greatsword) can make you an invaluable ally, especially for hosts struggling with a boss’s later phases. This turns a carry into a collaborative teaching moment.
Faced with the steepest learning curve in the series due to its open world, Elden Ring’s newcomers are receiving overwhelming support. Long-time fans are seizing the opportunity to mentor, ensuring new players understand not just the ‘how,’ but the ‘why’ behind the game’s design philosophy.
A New Era for Soulsborne
The evidence suggests the community’s harsh reputation was largely undeserved. Elden Ring is acting as a catalyst, allowing this supportive core to become the dominant perception. As mysteries in The Lands Between are slowly unraveled, the community—perhaps soon to be dubbed ‘EldenSoulsBorne’—will continue expanding.
The key message for new players is this: you are welcome. Help is available if you know where to ask. The shared struggle against the game’s challenges creates a unique bond, and veterans are eager to welcome more into the fold.
There has never been a better time to dive in. Between Elden Ring, the stunning Demon’s Souls remake on PS5, the enduring masterpiece Bloodborne, and the remastered Dark Souls trilogy, players have multiple accessible entry points. The community stands ready to offer guidance, share in the frustration of defeat, and celebrate the euphoria of victory. Praise not just the sun, but the collective spirit of perseverance.
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