Hidetaka Miyazaki discusses his unconventional path to FromSoftware

Hidetaka Miyazaki, the president of FromSoftware and creator of acclaimed titles such as Elden Ring, Dark Souls, and Bloodborne, has reflected on his unconventional journey to becoming a leading figure in the video game industry.

Miyazaki noted that, unlike many children in Japan, he did not have a specific dream or ambition during his childhood. He described his upbringing as “extremely poor” and shared that his early reading habits involved using his imagination to fill in gaps in incomprehensible text, an experience he found deeply enriching.

After graduating with a degree in Social Sciences from Keio University, Miyazaki initially worked for Oracle Corporation. His career trajectory shifted after playing the game ICO, which demonstrated the potential of the medium to him and inspired a desire to create games independently.