Elden Ring Accessibility Lawsuit Filed

An Elden Ring player has initiated legal action against Bandai Namco and FromSoftware, claiming consumers were deceived by the omission of significant game content. Read on to learn more about the lawsuit, its likelihood of success, and the plaintiff's motivations.

Elden Ring Player Files Lawsuit in Small Claims CourtContent Concealed by ‘Skill Issue’

An Elden Ring player used the online forum 4Chan to declare that they will sue Bandai Namco on September 25 of this year, alleging that Elden Ring and other FromSoftware titles contain "a whole new game… hidden inside" and that the developers deliberately conceal this content by designing the games to be exceptionally challenging.

FromSoftware games are celebrated for their demanding yet equitable difficulty. The recently released Elden Ring DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, reinforces this standing, as even experienced players found the added content "too difficult".

However, the claimant—Nora Kisaragi, their 4Chan username—argues that the games' high difficulty obscures the fact that significant portions of their content remain undetected. They maintain that Bandai Namco and FromSoftware falsely advertise the game as finished, citing datamined content as proof. Unlike other gamers who believe this material was excised from the final release, the claimant insists that these are deliberately concealed.

The claimant acknowledged possessing no definitive evidence to substantiate their assertions, relying instead on what they term "constant clues" provided by the game developers. They referenced Sekiro’s art book, which alluded to Genichiro’s potential as a "ninja in the other side of the story," and a statement by FromSoftware President Hidetaka Miyazaki regarding humanity’s role as a "shackle" awaiting liberation in Bloodborne.

Essentially, they summarized their case as "you paid for content that you can’t access without even knowing about it."

Many have found the case ridiculous, as even if another game existed hidden in FromSoftware’s games, dataminers would have discovered it and publicized it years ago.

It’s typical for games to include vestiges of deleted content within their codes and files. This often occurs due to time constraints or developmental limitations. It’s a standard practice across the gaming industry, and it doesn’t necessarily suggest intentionally concealed content.

Can the Lawsuit Prevail in Court?

According to the Massachusetts government website, where the plaintiff filed their suit, anyone aged 18 or older can sue in small claims court. It’s an informal court, so legal representation isn't required. The case's merit, however, will be assessed by the judge before or on the hearing date.

The plaintiff could pursue their claim under the "Consumer Protection Law", which prohibits "unfair or deceptive practices", arguing the developers failed to disclose pertinent product/service information or misled consumers. However, proving this will be difficult. The plaintiff needs substantial evidence supporting their allegation of a "hidden dimension" and demonstrating resulting consumer harm. Without concrete proof, the case will likely be dismissed as speculative and lacking merit.

Even if successful, Small Claims Court awards are limited.

Despite this, the plaintiff remains resolute. "I don't care if the case is dismissed, as long as Namco Bandai publicly acknowledges the dimension's existence," the plaintiff stated in a 4Chan post.