There are plenty of big video game titles in the works, with one of the most highly anticipated projects being Elden Ring. The ambitious project is serving not just as an evolution of the Dark Souls series, but also a significant collaboration between FromSoftware, Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki and Game of Thrones creator George R. R. Martin. The game was first announced in 2019, but little had been revealed about the game over the years until the recent trailer announcing the game’s release date. Now, Martin has spoken about the extent to which he has been involved with the project.

As reported by Game Informer, George R. R. Martin recently spoke with Chicago’s WTTW News after being awarded an honorary doctorate at his alma mater Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism. During the interview, the topic of Martin’s recent work with video games was brought up, and the author was asked about what was different with his writing process for this medium. Martin first admits his fairly minimal experience with actually playing video games, and states that his writing for the project was actually completed several years ago. As he states:

Basically, they wanted a world created to set the game in. They wanted world building, as a big factor in fantasy and science fiction. And you’re not only talking the characters and the plot, but the setting is almost as important as everything else. Tolkien’s Middle Earth, Robert E. Howard’s Hyborian Age, The Foundation universe of Isaac Asimov. I worked up a fairly detailed background for them, and then they took it from there.”

George R. R. Martin follows up by saying in the years that have followed since his completion of his writing for Elden Ring, FromSoftware members would show him updates on the game, such as monsters and special effects. It appears that Martin took a more hands-off approach to the project during its technical development, but he still seems excited to see the game in its final form as much as its players when it releases next January. Given the lengthy amount of time game development takes to complete, it makes sense that Martin’s involvement with the game took place several years ago, but hopefully that means he used that time to finish his long-awaited final books in his A Song of Ice and Fire series. You did use that time productively, right George? Right?!?! RIGHT!?!?!?

What do you guys think about these comments from George R. R. Martin on his involvement with Elden Ring? Let us know in the comments below! Be sure to stay tuned for the latest gaming news, such as the new Souls-like Final Fantasy spinoff game Stranger of Paradise reveal trailer, here on Don’t Feed the Gamers! Follow us on Twitter to see our updates the minute they go live!