Elden Ring Player Files Lawsuit in Small Claims CourtContent Hidden by ‘Skill Issue’
An Elden Ring player took to the online forum 4Chan to announce that they will take Bandai Namco to court on September 25 of this year, claiming that Elden Ring and other FromSoftware games contain "a whole new game… hidden inside" and that the developers intentionally obscure this content by making the games extremely difficult.
FromSoftware games are renowned for their challenging but fair difficulty. The recently released Elden Ring DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, further elevates this reputation, as even seasoned veterans found the additional content "too difficult".
However, the plaintiff—Nora Kisaragi, their username in 4Chan—argues that the games' high difficulty level masks the fact that substantial portions of their content remain undiscovered. They contend that Bandai Namco and FromSoftware falsely advertise the game as complete, citing datamined content as evidence. Unlike other players who believe this material was cut from the final product, the plaintiff insists that these are intentionally hidden.
The plaintiff admitted to having no concrete evidence to support their claims, relying instead on what they describe as "constant hints" dropped by the game developers. They referenced Sekiro’s art book, which hinted at Genichiro’s potential as a "ninja in the other side of the story," and a statement made by FromSoftware President Hidetaka Miyazaki about humanity’s role as a "shackle" waiting to be broken in Bloodborne.
Essentially, they summed up their case as "you paid for content that you can’t access without even knowing about it."
Many have found the case absurd, as even if there were another game hidden in FromSoftware’s games, dataminers would have known about it and made it public knowledge years ago.
It’s common for games to include remnants of cut content within their codes and files. This often happens due to time constraints or development limitations. It’s a common practice across the gaming industry, and it doesn’t necessarily indicate intentionally hidden content.
Can the Lawsuit Hold Up in Court?
According to the government website of Massachusetts, where the plaintiff filed their case, anyone who is 18 or older can sue in small claims court. It’s an informal court, so there is no need for an attorney. The validity of the case, however, will be determined by the judge before or on the court date.
The plaintiff could bring their claim under "Consumer Protection Law", which states that "’unfair or deceptive practices’ are illegal", by saying that the developers "fails to tell you relevant information regarding the product or service or misleads you in any way." However, proving such claims will be a formidable challenge. The plaintiff must provide substantial evidence to support their allegations of the game having a "hidden dimension" in it. They must also defend how this deception harmed consumers. Without concrete proof, the case is likely to be dismissed due to being highly speculative and lacking merit.
It’s important to note that even if the plaintiff manages to overcome these hurdles and win the case, the potential damages awarded in Small Claims Court are limited.
Despite this, however, the plaintiff remained adamant about their case. "I don’t care if the case is dismissed, just so long as I get Namco Bandai on public record saying the dimension exists. That’s all I care about," the plaintiff said in the 4Chan thread.
