Despite FromSoftware existing as a studio for several decades now and possessing a loyal following of fans, Elden Ring has quickly managed to draw in a plethora of new players within quite a short timeframe. It could simply be due to Elden Ring being more beginner-friendly by comparison to its predecessors, but either way, it's allowed for new people to be exposed to FromSoftware, including those that haven't technically played Elden Ring.
In the months since Elden Ring's initial release, there has been a multitude of fan creations shared online by people that love the game. Though, there have also been a few pieces of fan content by people that haven't even played Elden Ring but appreciate people close to them that love the game. For instance, one fan's daughter drew a handmade birthday card themed after Elden Ring, but one more recent example is considerably more ornate.
Over on Reddit, a user named -Durza posted a picture of a plaque that their roommate had made for them as a way of congratulating them for finally beating Malenia, Blade of Miquella. According to the plaque, it took -Durza approximately 206 attempts in order to finally beat Malenia, which makes sense given that Malenia is considered by many to be one of the hardest bosses in Elden Ring.
The fact that both -Durza and their roommate kept track of the number of attempts required to beat Malenia is not only hilarious, but it also speaks volumes about the amount of time -Durza likely spent playing Elden Ring. To the point where the roommate's exposure to Elden Ring was inevitable, despite assumedly not playing any FromSoftware games.
It's amazing how much of an impact Elden Ring has managed to have on not just gamers but also those outside the gaming community. Very few other games can claim to be popular enough for even non-video game players to be familiar with them. In fact, one fan even received a custom Elden Ring-themed birthday cake, which again, illustrates just how much influence Elden Ring has had on people.
In any case, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for Elden Ring going forward. While DLC for Elden Ring has yet to be confirmed, considering how most other FromSoftware games have received DLC in some form or another, Elden Ring will likely receive the same treatment at some point.
Elden Ring is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.