Elden Ring Player Files Suit Over Skill Accessibility Barrier

An Elden Ring player, Nora Kisaragi, has filed a lawsuit against Bandai Namco and FromSoftware in Massachusetts small claims court. Kisaragi alleges that the developers misled consumers by concealing substantial game content, claiming a "whole new game… hidden inside" Elden Ring and other FromSoftware titles. This "hidden" content is supposedly obscured by the games' notoriously high difficulty.

Kisaragi's argument rests on the premise that the difficulty level masks undiscovered content, contradicting Bandai Namco and FromSoftware's marketing of the game as complete. They cite datamined content as evidence, rejecting the common interpretation that this material is simply cut content. Instead, Kisaragi believes these elements are intentionally hidden, citing vague "hints" from developers such as statements from Hidetaka Miyazaki and references to Sekiro's art book. Their central claim: consumers paid for inaccessible content without even knowing of its existence.

The lawsuit's viability is highly questionable. Even if hidden content existed, dataminers would likely have uncovered it. The presence of cut content in game code is common industry practice, not evidence of intentional deception. While Massachusetts small claims court allows individuals 18 and older to sue without an attorney, Kisaragi faces a significant challenge in proving their claims under consumer protection laws. They lack concrete evidence of a "hidden dimension" and would need to demonstrate how this alleged deception harmed consumers. The case is likely to be dismissed due to its speculative nature and lack of merit.

Despite the low probability of success, Kisaragi's stated goal is not monetary compensation, but to force Bandai Namco to publicly acknowledge the existence of this alleged hidden dimension.

The limited potential damages awarded in small claims court further underscore the unlikelihood of a favorable outcome for the plaintiff. Nevertheless, the lawsuit highlights the ongoing debate surrounding game difficulty and the interpretation of incomplete or cut content.