The growth of the “Soulslike” genre reflects a long-standing demand among players for challenging, skill-focused games rather than a single innovation by FromSoftware, according to studio director Hidetaka Miyazaki.
Speaking in a recent interview with Game Informer, Miyazaki said games that integrate death as a core part of progression had appealed to players for years, but the industry lacked a clear design approach that fully addressed that appetite. He suggested that FromSoftware’s success came from aligning its internal design philosophy with what was missing in the market at the time.
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Miyazaki traced the roots of the genre to Demon’s Souls, released in 2009, which marked a shift from his earlier work on the Armored Core series. He said the project drew inspiration from FromSoftware’s 1990s dungeon crawler King’s Field, particularly its emphasis on methodical combat, exploration and learning through repeated failure.
That design framework went on to shape later titles including the Dark Souls trilogy, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Elden Ring, establishing a gameplay loop that has since influenced a wide range of developers. According to Miyazaki, the studio’s approach was less about inventing something new and more about refining ideas that resonated with players.
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The influence of Soulslike design principles remains evident across the industry, with many recent games adopting similar mechanics and understated storytelling. Miyazaki said this reflects how closely FromSoftware’s design DNA aligned with evolving player expectations, helping the genre gain lasting traction.
Source: Game Informer