Dark Souls data miner finds cut Armored Core 5 content in AC6 files

A FromSoftware data miner has today discovered an assortment of files deep in the recesses of Armored Core 6, revealing a multitude of assets from the title’s previous editions such as mechs and enemy units—and some might just make their way to AC6 in a future update.

Twitter user Meowmaritus, who has made a name for themselves delving into the files of FromSoftware games to extract their hidden secrets, made the substantial discovery and posted the file contents on Sept. 2. Mechs and enemies from predecessors Armored Core 5 and Armored Core: Verdict Day were included in the leak.

In the world of game development, it’s all too common for content never intended to see the light of day to be left in the files, whether it be scrapped ideas, simple tests, or even just inside jokes at the studio—and AC6 is no exception.

While FromSoft is famous for its cut content, it’s hard to explain the amount and variety of what’s on display here. It’s not uncommon for franchise games in early development to reuse assets from their predecessors as placeholders, but what makes this interesting is that many of the AC5 mechs have been either partially or completely remade with AC6’s upgrade in graphical fidelity.

With this in mind, it’s entirely possible that AC6 was conceptualized as a direct sequel to AC5 and Verdict Day rather than the complete reboot we ended up getting. The story in Armored Core has always been sparse at best, so it’s debatable how much impact this original concept would have had on AC6 or its eventual narrative direction. 

Of course, there’s always the possibility that this is intended as a potential DLC. The Arena seems like an area ripe for future expansion, and given FromSoft’s history of following up their games with meaty DLC packs (a tradition started with Armored Core, as it happens), it doesn’t seem impossible that these mechs of days past could show up as Arena opponents at a later date.

Ultimately, even if we never know what these half-finished NPCs are truly meant for, there is a certain novelty to pulling a PS3-era model out of a modern game. Now if only Meowmaritus could tell us something about that upcoming Elden Ring expansion…