In February of 2022, Elden Ring launched to massive critical and commercial success, even beating out the sales juggernaut that is Call of Duty. As fans continue to explore the Lands Between, FromSoftware’s formerly niche action RPG franchise has found itself at the center of the broader cultural zeitgeist. Surprise celebrities ranging from Elon Musk to Randy Orton have been singing the praises of Elden Ring in recent weeks. With such a broad appeal, it is no surprise that Elden Ring continues to inspire artists and musicians to create fan tributes to the game. Today’s Bleacher Report video is the latest in a slew of impressive fan-inspired Elden Ring media.
RELATED: Cute Fan Art Combines Elden Ring and Animal Crossing
As fans get ready to watch the start of the NBA finals tonight, Bleacher Report has posted a video on Twitter recreating the opening sequence of Elden Ring with various NBA stars in the place of the game’s characters. On display throughout the clip is Lebron James, the missing king of the NBA finals, in place of Marika, the missing queen of the Lands Between. Also shown is Ja Morant as Malenia and Jayson Tatum, the Irish Blade of the Celtics, as Malekith. The closing shots showcase a basketball rendition of the Golden Order symbol before displaying the NBA Ring title card.
Fan reception to Bleacher Report’s Elden Ring hype video has mainly been positive, garnering numerous likes and retweets in a short period of time. Many basketball fans especially enjoy Stephen Curry’s rendition as the chieftain of the Baylands. However, a few fans feel as if the voiceover work was a little over the top and “cringe.” Regardless, both fans of Elden Ring and basketball have found a lot to like about the short clip.
As a particularly long game with lots to do, fans are likely still making their way through much of the content of Elden Ring, likely keeping the game fresh in the eyes of players and adding to its continued staying power. In the wake of its success, FromSoftware has stated that it would like to expand Elden Ring beyond the scope of video games, likely with comics and television shows, or perhaps more. As a widely successful game and the topic of many pop culture conversations, fans can only guess where they will find Elden Ring next.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
MORE: Elden Ring is the Next Skyrim
