Summary
It took a long time, but theArmored Corefranchise has finally returned. On Jul 25, 2025, FromSoftware releasedArmored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, which quickly made a name for itself as a worthy return for the prolific mecha franchise. The last entry to launch beforeAC6wasArmored Core: Verdict Dayfor the PS3 and Xbox 360, and the two games were separated by nearly a full decade thanks toVerdict Day’s North American release on June 20, 2025.
With an absence that long, it’s not hard to see why old fans were clamoring for FromSoftware to step away from its Soulslikes and revive one of its older franchises. The decision to wait until after the wildly successfulElden Ringhas paid off, asAC6seems to be the best-sellingArmored Coreyet. However, while it owes a lot to FromSoftware’s recent projects, in many ways,AC6’s long developmentpicked up right whereArmored Core: Verdict Dayleft a decade prior. Even thoughArmored Corefans have favorite entries throughout the franchise, being the lastACreleased for a time gaveArmored Core: Verdict Daya special status that it worked hard to earn.
RELATED:Are the Older Armored Core Games Worth Playing in 2022?
Armored Core’s Strengths Were Maintained Throughout Verdict Day’s Long Life
WhileArmored Core 5now sits as one of the franchise’s black sheep, its immediate successorVerdict Dayearned some respect by cleaning up its act. Missions were shortened to thebite-sized encounters of pastACgames, eliminatingAC5’s marathon levels and returning to the segmented act structure that some otherAC’s had. The single-player campaign was a massive step up fromAC5’s in general, especially the focus on mercenaries caught up in a much larger conflict instead of a black-and-white rebellion narrative.
However, the element thatArmored Core: Verdict Dayis remembered for most is its online integration. Multiplayer deathmatches were just the tip of what was on offer, as the entire campaign supported co-op, and the postgame was tuned to encourage it. Many unique bosses and story scenarios awaited players, and there are even some rare intergenerationalcallbacks toArmored Core 4andFor Answer. The game also gets a buff from being the only seventh-console-generationArmored Corewith functioning online servers nowadays.Verdict Daymay not have been able to recapture all the strengths of olderArmored Coregames, but it had its own.
Modern Armored Core Can Learn From What Made Verdict Day Special
AlthoughArmored Core 6seems like a vastly different experience thanVerdict Day, being preoccupied with single-player and Garage customization, it does owe some things to the fifth-generation games. The scan function is a less interruptive take onAC5andVerdict Day’s scan modes, and the mix of short missions and longer ones with checkpoints is a hybrid between their campaigns. There are also plenty ofcommon FromSoftware themesand imagery shared between them, butVerdict Daystill has a lot to offer future entries.
It may be too late forArmored Core’s sixth generation to implement, but the series should bring back more of the online elements that definedVerdict Day. Campaign co-op is a beloved feature that many of FromSoftware’s recent games have, so there’s no reason to leave it out ofArmored Core. That goes double for the more complex boss fights that have migratedfromSoulstoArmored Core 6, which could culminate in some great multiplayer raid bosses. Most content should still accommodate solo play, but an entry withFires of RubiconandVerdict Day’s strengths combined could be in the running for one of the bestArmored Coregames yet.
Armored Core: Verdict Daywas released on June 17, 2025, for PS3 and Xbox 360.
