PlayStation Legend Shuhei Yoshida Reflects on Why Sony Hasn’t Done Anything More With Bloodborne
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Key points
- Shuhei Yoshida implies that Bloodborne’s director, Hidetaka Miyazaki, is too busy to get back to the franchise.
- Sony teased Bloodborne’s fans by putting it in a PlayStation 30th Anniversary thanking video.
- The Bloodborne franchise sold approximately 7.46 million copies globally.
Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida has shared a personal theory about why the Bloodborne franchise, which sold approximately 7.46 million units worldwide, remained without any follow-up for nearly a decade.
In an interview with Kinda Funny Games, Yoshida, who is now head of Sony’s indie initiatives, emphasized that his insights were purely speculative. “Bloodborne has always been the most asked thing,” Yoshida admitted. “People wonder why we haven’t really done anything, even an update or a remaster. Should be easy, right? The company is known for doing so many remasters, right? Some people get frustrated.”
According to Yoshida, the roadblock may lie with Hidetaka Miyazaki, the visionary behind Bloodborne and president of FromSoftware. “Miyazaki-san really, really loved Bloodborne,” Yoshida explained. “I think he is interested, but he’s so successful, and he’s so busy, so he doesn’t want, he cannot do himself, but he does not want anyone else to touch it. So that’s my theory. And the PlayStation team respects his wish.”
Yoshida’s theory highlights Miyazaki’s reverence for Bloodborne. The director has been busy with other big projects like Dark Souls 3, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring. Sony owns the Bloodborne intellectual property, yet Yoshida suggests they’re deferring to Miyazaki’s preferences.
In interviews, Miyazaki has consistently deflected questions about a return to Yharnam, emphasizing FromSoftware’s lack of ownership over the IP. However, he has acknowledged that the game could benefit from modern hardware upgrades.
Sony occasionally nods to the franchise, including the addition of Bloodborne in its recent PlayStation 30th Anniversary thanking video alongside the phrase “It’s about persistence.”
