By most measures, From Software’s success is a surprise. Not because it makes bad games; time has proven it makes some of the greatest games of all time. But because it makes incredibly difficult, obtuse games, such as the Soulsborne titles, defined by their challenge and willingness to go against common game design philosophies. From Software reached a critical and commercial apex in 2022 when it released Elden Ring, its most popular game to date by a large margin. And now that it’s become a household name in the gaming world, the studio is going back to its roots.

Early in June, we flew out to Tokyo, Japan, to visit From Software to be the first people in the world to see Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon. While the AC series has been with From for its entire history as a game developer, and has a passionate fanbase, compared to the Soulsborne games, this is a step back to an incredibly niche series. One From is now trying to bring to its massive audience.

Video editor Alex Van Aken and I have seen around two hours of the game and interviewed multiple people on the development and publishing side for our ten-page cover story, diving into the history of the series, why From is returning to Armored Core after ten years away, and what players can expect. Spoiler alert: they shouldn’t expect a Souls game. 

But as you might expect, across 84 pages, we’ve packed this issue of Game Informer full of great stories. Brian Shea wrote about the death of E3 and the subsequent rise of Summer Game Fest and interviewed the director and producer of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom about making the summer’s biggest game. We also have an inside look at the version of Dead Island 2 that didn’t come out, based on numerous interviews with people who used to work at Yager Development and publisher Deep Silver (you can read a much longer version online now), a look at the steps Netflix is taking to get into game development, and an in-depth, hands-on preview of Disney Illusion Island, a ton of previews from all of the summer’s gaming events, and an inside look at Funko Fusion. All that is coupled with our normal slate of great reviews, and more.

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