Miyazaki's "The Duskbloods" "Steam Announcement"? False Alarm

Summary

FromSoftware's highly anticipated Switch 2 exclusive The Duskbloods hasn't even released yet, but one character has sparked a massive wave of excitement in the player community. The character is Zork, a quirky figure dressed in a pear-shaped diving suit, wielding an undersea cable as a weapon, and equipped with a cannon on his back that fires missiles. He stands in stark contrast to the game's gothic vampire aesthetic, looking decidedly "uncool." Yet this very dissonance has made him a sensation. Players are flooding social media with Zork memes; one enthusiast reportedly created hundreds of images in just 24 hours, and some have even declared an "intense, almost maternal affection" for him. Hidetaka Miyazaki himself admitted that Zork is one of his favorite characters from the network test. Adding to the fun, Zork boasts a move or detail called "Steam," leading many players to mistakenly believe the game was being announced for PC's Steam platform—until they realized it was just a name. The phenomenon showcases the player community's remarkable creativity and humor, as well as FromSoftware's knack for breaking conventions with memorable character designs. For the industry, it underscores how a minor character can become a viral trigger and how community-driven speculation can shape a game's early perception and anticipation. As The Duskbloods approaches launch, this Zork…