Do you need to play previous Armored Core games before Armored Core 6 (AC6)?

If you’re a new convert to FromSoftware games and can’t wait for Armored Core 6, you might be asking yourself if you need to play the previous Armored Core games before AC6. That’s the same boat I’m in — I played Elden Ring, finally understood and enjoyed FromSoftware games, and saw that Armored Core 6 had customizable mechas. But, is it required to play older Armored Core games to understand the story and gameplay in Armored Core 6?

Note: Want to know more about the Armored Core timeline? Check out our guide.

Is it recommended to play older AC games before playing AC6?

If I have never played an Armored Core game, will I be completely lost with Armored Core 6? Let’s break it down to story and gameplay.

Masaru Yamamura, the director of Armored Core 6, confirmed in an interview that AC6 will have a standalone, linear story that’s detached from the older AC games.

While you might catch a few references and callbacks to previous AC games, Armored Core 6 takes place on a new planet and has a unique story. With that said, no, you don’t need to play any of the old Armored Core games to understand Armored Core 6. Though it won’t hurt, experiencing the old AC games won’t directly benefit or take away from your Armored Core 6 experience.

When it comes to gameplay, having experience with older Armored Core games could definitely help. It’s just like if you never played the Dark Souls games and jumped into Elden Ring versus someone who has. The person who has experience with Dark Souls is going to understand the gameplay of Elden Ring better than someone who doesn’t have that previous experience.

That said, everyone will be able to play Armored Core 6 and have a good time just like with Elden Ring. Since Armored Core 6 feels like a soft reboot, the controls, mechanics, and combat are going to be different than older AC games, so there’s a learning curve for every player.

In short, no, you don’t need to play previous Armored Core games before playing Armored Core 6. Everybody can and should experience Armored Core 6 regardless of their past gaming experience. In fact, if you’re interested in the Armored Core 6 combat, you might want to learn about this one overlooked detail that we’re most excited about.