From Software now has full control over the Elden Ring trademark, taking over rights from Bandai Namco according to a recent document filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office. The switch in ownership happened about 13 months after Elden Ring’s release, with From Software now holding all rights to the trademark and the goodwill associated with it.
Elden Ring, which saw massive success with 20 million copies sold in its first year, was initially published internationally by Bandai Namco, while From Software handled the release in Japan.
In August 2022, From Software’s parent company, Kadokawa Corporation, announced plans to sell shares to Sony and Tencent, with the goal of enhancing development capabilities and potentially enabling the studio to publish its own games globally.
An expansion for Elden Ring, called Shadow of the Erdtree, was announced shortly after the game’s first anniversary, but few details have been confirmed about the DLC since its announcement.
In addition to the expansion, there are reports that Tencent is working on a mobile version of Elden Ring. As for the DLC, Kadokawa has mentioned that they are hard at work on its development, but a release date has yet to be announced.
