Sony's announcement of an R-rated animated Bloodborne film has landed with a thud in the community, and the reasons why are worth unpacking. According to Kotaku, fans are largely confused by two things: the apparent lack of FromSoftware involvement, and the decision to put YouTuber Jacksepticeye in a leading creative role on the project.
Bloodborne is one of the most beloved and narratively dense action RPGs ever made, with a lore so layered that dedicated fans are still parsing its secrets nearly a decade later. The idea of translating that into an animated film is genuinely exciting on paper - but the execution of the announcement has left the fanbase cold rather than hyped.
The FromSoftware problem
The biggest sticking point appears to be FromSoftware's conspicuous absence from the announcement. The studio's distinct vision is inseparable from what makes Bloodborne special, and any adaptation that doesn't have their fingerprints on it risks missing what makes the source material tick. Fans who've spent years deep in Yharnam lore aren't exactly feeling reassured right now.
FromSoftware has historically been protective of its IP and reluctant to hand it over without careful consideration - so whether they have any meaningful creative input here is a legitimate question that Sony hasn't clearly answered.
The Jacksepticeye question
The decision to involve Jacksepticeye - real name Sean McLoughlin - in a prominent capacity is also generating skepticism. While he's a massive content creator with a genuine love for gaming, his role in shepherding a grim, eldritch horror IP into an R-rated animated feature isn't an obvious fit to much of the community. Fans aren't questioning his enthusiasm for games, but they are questioning whether that translates into the creative credentials needed for this kind of project.
It's worth noting that content creators have successfully crossed into film and television production before, so the move isn't inherently doomed. But in this case, the combination of an unclear creative mandate, no visible FromSoftware involvement, and a YouTuber attachment has produced a cocktail of skepticism rather than excitement.
What happens next
Sony has a real opportunity here - Bloodborne's aesthetic and world are genuinely cinematic, and an adult animated adaptation done right could be something special. But right now, the studio needs to do a better job communicating who is actually driving this ship creatively, and whether FromSoftware has any meaningful seat at the table. Until those questions get answered, the community is going to keep side-eyeing this one.
