Sony has pretty much ignored Bloodborne since the release of The Old Hunters expansion way back in November 2015. It tied a neat bow around FromSoftware’s masterpiece just as the studio prepared to move onto Dark Souls 3 and Sekiro. Almost a decade later, and aside from a stealth release as part of the PlayStation Plus collection and cease-and-desisting a brilliant kart racer, the property has remained largely dormant.

PlayStation owns the rights to Bloodborne, so whenever FromSoftware is approached about a potential remaster or PC port, it shrugs its shoulders and points us in its direction. There is nothing it can do, even if it wanted to, and Sony’s silence on the subject doesn’t help. I have no doubt it would sell millions of copies and bring Bloodborne back into the spotlight, and to ignore those constant, passionate requests feels like a mistake on Sony’s part. But recently, it seems like something strange is afoot with the gothic soulsborne epic.

Why Is Bloodborne Suddenly Showing Up In Astro Bot?

Astro Bot was revealed during the most recent State of Play and the Team Asobi platformer looks incredible. It’s a charming and imaginative love letter to all things PlayStation ready to build on the incredible foundations of Rescue Mission and Playroom. Nearly everywhere you look is a cute little robot cosplaying as Nathan Drake or Parappa The Rapper, but never in a pandering way. It instead feels endearing, earned, and a core part of Astro Bot’s identity. But this is a modern video game, so, of course, it comes with a few pre-order bonuses.

More specifically, pre-ordering the Digital Deluxe Edition will earn you a Bloodborne skin, the Yharnam Tourist outfit to be more specific. PlayStation posted this on their social media, and it didn’t take long for gamers to view it as some sort of sick joke. Here it was, acknowledging that Bloodborne indeed exists, and they do care about it, honest. But only if it can be used as a cutesy skin in a completely unrelated game.

Don’t get me wrong, people weren’t genuinely angry, and it was treated as a funny little joke, but you can sense the copium going on behind the scenes. Sony is giving us crumbs, and here we are licking them up off the floor like good little boys and girls. We want more though, and I have a feeling it might be coming.

Astro’s Playroom was also updated following the reveal of its younger sibling, and now you can find a selection of golden bots across its handful of levels that must be rescued. In the recesses of GPU Jungle you can find a Bloodborne bot wearing even more Yharnam drip. Now it could just be teasing the Astro Bot pre-order bonus, or it could be something more.

Hidetaka Miyazaki Is Also Being Awful Coy About The PC Port

via PlayStation

In a recent interview with PC Gamer prior to Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree arriving next week, the publication couldn’t resist asking director Hidetaka Miyazaki about Bloodborne and the distant possibility of it one day coming to PC. He’s no stranger to this question, but there is something about this new response that got heads turning.

"Obviously, as one of the creators of Bloodborne, my personal, pure, honest opinion is I'd love more players to be able to enjoy it. Especially as a game that is now coming of age, one of those games of the past that gets lost on older hardware—I think any game like that, it'd be nice to have an opportunity for more players to be able to experience that and relive this relic of the past. So as far as I'm concerned, that's definitely not something I'd be opposed to."

Miyazaki acknowledges that within FromSoftware there are multiple people holding out hope that Bloodborne will one day come to PC, or perhaps even receive a remaster of sorts for all modern consoles. It must feel strange to be a studio of this pedigree and know that one of its most accomplished projects is locked in a vault you don’t have the combination for. Knowing that one day there is definitely a chance to bring it back to life or modernise it for fans, but it’s only going to happen if Sony makes the first move. Given how beloved Bloodborne is, that is more than a little frustrating. But maybe Miyazaki's comments will move the needle a tiny bit.

The past few years have seen Sony consistently porting its major exclusives to PC, and it’s known to make a big deal about them too. Days Gone, Spider-Man, The Last of Us, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart have all made the jump, while God of War Ragnarok is set to follow in a few weeks. It would likely require some extra effort to port an older PS4 game like Bloodborne, but damn, it’d be worthwhile.

With FromSoftware helping out, consider what could be updated now that almost a decade has passed since the original release. I would happily pay money if we got a new version with updated visuals, improved performance, and new trophies. Pretty basic when you break it all down, but that will be enough for a game as good as Bloodborne.

We live in a time when console exclusives are dying out, the lines between competitors are now thoroughly blurred as companies try to make as much profit as possible, regardless of where games end up releasing overtime. PlayStation has begun to embrace that strategy too, and I pray it leads to the revival of a masterpiece like Bloodborne. Miyazaki’s recent comments make it abundantly clear that everyone is waiting for the console giant to make the first move. Go on, take us back to Yharnam...

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Bloodborne

Action RPG Soulslike Systems 8.0/10 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 91/100 Critics Rec: 98% Released March 24, 2015 ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence Developer(s) From Software Publisher(s) Sony Engine Havok
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Bloodborne is a PlayStation 4-exclusive title developed by Dark Souls and Elden Ring creator FromSoftware, and launched in 2015. A critically acclaimed action role-playing game, you must traverse the city of Yharnam seeking a cure for a mysterious illness. 

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