From Software explains why it's working with Activision on Sekiro

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In the wake of its impressive E3 showing, From Software said Activision is giving the studio "much-needed support" on Sekiro's tutorial system. The partnership still strikes me as an odd one, but the Dark Souls studio has opened up on why joining forces with the publisher is the right move.

Talking to gamesindustry.biz at Gamescom, From's community manager Yasuhiro Kitao says Activision was one among many western publishers it pitched Sekiro to.

"Initially when we had this project proposal we took it to a number of companies," says Kitao. "We don't have the clout to publish outside of Asia and Japan, and so Activision was one of the companies we approached and one of the companies who said they would like to talk.

"And they absolutely loved the idea; they loved the project right from the start. They really respected our vision, and also along the way they were able to provide user testing and feedback that we simply can't handle so it was really beneficial."

Kitao says that leaving the Dark Souls series behind meant From could create a Japanese-themed game, something the studio had wanted to do for some time. Its Game Awards teaser led many to believe From was reviving Tenchu—and while it appears this was the case, Kitao says Sekiro quickly became its own game.

"As we developed and as we partnered with Activision, and started building it together," adds Kitao, "it started becoming its own thing and the game we wanted to make was no longer just Tenchu, so it really evolved into its own thing."

Read gamesindustry.biz's chat with From Software in full here.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is due March 22, 2019. According to our James, it's more Hotline Miami than Dark Souls.