Honestly, at this point, they should really just save whatever for a sequel. It's been two years. As a reminder (though there are extenuating circumstances here), Dark Souls 2 was 2014, and Dark Souls 3 was 2016.
I guess the new reality is that it takes six years to make a game and three years between expansions. I think I'd just prefer smaller games and smaller dev cycles.
Why? With a DLC they can expand on weaker areas and introduce interesting advanced mechanics, whereas a sequel needs a lot more groundwork and can't expand on existing story threads as easily without some repetition.
It's such a good game that I'd prefer more of it to a sequel, at least right now. Make the sequel it's own thing that's not burdened by having to finish all the unfinished stories.
They probably need some more time to make the new swamp extra swamp-y.
But in all seriousness, Miyazaki hasn't disappointed me yet. He can take all the time he wants to, I'll be there to get it once it drops. Be that tomorrow or in several years.
That’s a whole separate can of worms. I don’t have any respect for studios, that actually force people to work hours like this, just to hit some arbitrary deadline, that they imposed on themselves
I kinda figured those rumors were bullshit. They may be secretive, but Fromsoft still wouldn't just quietly release a major dlc for one of the biggest titles they've ever made.
Shit must be massive for it to take this long, though, without much news other than a title, and two updates that they are still working on it.
I'm currently playing Elden Ring and it's so freaking massive. It's incredible what From soft choice to include. There's whole areas that are completely gated for a hard-to-find side quest, that you'll only discover if you happen to follow a guide.
Any other company would have chopped the content and put it in a DLC.
Something makes me think this is not going to be your typical DLC. I wish they would have given the entire industry the middle finger and said something like, "This will be an expansion pack, in contrast to all the half-hour extras that piss producers push as DLC."
Because honestly, this long of a development time for anything less than an expansion, like the old days where you get 50-100% more game, seems crazy.